Combi or Conventional.

[bernardgreen]

Bernard have you been invited to their bash

No.

I don’t really need or want a history lesson in how combi boilers were developed.

The trick is to try and keep an open mind.

Contradiction alert

He bloody should be he rants on about them every post

Do I ? that is news to me....

Yes I mention them because I believe they are good reliable boilers. They seem to sell by reputation and word of mouth rather than advertising direct to the public.

 

[dhutch]

Horses for ....

Previously house has a 30kw Combi, ran a nice shower and could never run out, which with two lodgers was nice, no hot water cylinder so big open plan bathroom. However you can't rinse dishes without it going cold three dishes in because it can't heat quite instantly.

New house is to be out family home, three shower with the ensuite, existing airing cupboard in place, so even though we're fitting a new mains pressure cylinder which costs as much as a combi we're keeping the 6yo system boiler and would replace even if it needed it. Love having uninrruninter hot water.

Daniel

 

[aptsys]

We had a combi at our previous residence and it was incredibly infuriating:
- Minimum flow rate for hot water is relatively high.
- Lag for hot water means you either waste water, waste gas or may as well use cold water. If you are repetitively using hot water for short periods of time, it never works properly (e.g. rinsing your razor!)

The only reason it was good was the infinite supply of hot(ish) water.

 

[bernardgreen]

so even though we're fitting a new mains pressure cylinder which costs as much as a combi

Mains pressure showers can be achieved without the cost and maintainance that an un-vented cylinder entails.

A second coil in the top of a vented hot water cylinder provides mains pressure showers and from the cylinder copious hot water at low pressure for basins and baths etc

This is an old sketch of my system

 

[dhutch]

Mains pressure showers can be achieved without the cost and maintainance that an un-vented cylinder entails.

A second coil in the top of a vented hot water cylinder provides mains pressure showers and from the cylinder copious hot water at low pressure for basins and baths etc

This is an old sketch of my system

Interesting idea. However if replacing the cylinder anyway (which we are) I would be surprised if there was much cost difference in the cylinders or maintenance* and you get your loft back.

*Parents unvented cylinder is now 30yo, it had a new expansion vessel and prv five years ago, but has otherwise been untouched for my entire life. Same deal at my partners flat of a similar age.


Daniel

 

[winston1]

I’m in the process of having my kitchen re-vamped and I need to replace my aged C/H boiler. I have a fairly standard set-up at the moment, conventional boiler in kitchen, hot-water tank/immersion heater upstairs, water tank and C/H header tank in the loft. Upstairs we have bathrooms/electric showers etc.

Apart from the combi versus conventional arguments why on earth are you using electric showers? Whatever type of boiler you have a conventional shower run off a cylinder or combi will be considerably cheaper to run. Electricity costs approx three times (yes, 3 times) as much as gas. Check the kW hour rates on your bills if you don't believe it.

 

[ianmcd]

it is sometimes a good Idea to have one electric shower if you have more than one bathroom , then if your boiler fails for some reason at least you have one shower that will work untill you can get someone out, trust me everyone will use the combi/unvented shower if working, rather than dance around in the electric shower trying to get wet

 

[winston1]

it is sometimes a good Idea to have one electric shower if you have more than one bathroom , then if your boiler fails for some reason at least you have one shower that will work untill you can get someone out, trust me everyone will use the combi/unvented shower if working, rather than dance around in the electric shower trying to get wet

He said he had electric showers (plural). I think that is all he has.