Grrraaaaah !!! HELP New System dilemma

[Loaf]

Hello guys Please forgive this if it covers old ground.... picture the scene : 1930s 3 bed semi with a 25 yr old Gloworm heating 6 radiators. There is a single tank in the loft and a HW tank in the bathroom.

Extension being built (and taking the opportunity to install a couple more radiators in the house) so the new system needs to service 11 radiators plus a downstairs shower room (which I would like to be invigorating)

Now... the age old dilemma ... to combi or not ?!

According to British Gas - he says that my HW Cylinder (single feed ???something ??) although only 10 yrs old, must be killed off to make way for new one either way.

Fine....but I get pressurised from the builders to put a combi in... non combi folk seem scared of them... bearing in mind theres only two people here most of the time so HW demands are not huge (and in any event even with our current system having a shower when the kitchen hot water tap goes on is always a surprise) can somebody just tell me what to do ?

Total budgie about £3,000 ?

 

[breezer]

can somebody just tell me what to do ?

yes ignore what they all say, send your £3K to this address:

Breezer's home for retired..........................,
on the other hand if you have a budgie that weighs 3,000 lb you can keep it ( Total budgie about £3,000 ?)


seriously, try a search on combis's you could start with this

at the end of the day its your choice, but why should you do what the builders say in regards to heating (heating engineer yes)

Imo combis are good but not Marvelous as most would think

 

[oilman]

You could have a combi, and it might suit you now, but your house is capable of holding more than two people, so for a long term decision a combi is not the best way to go. If you get talked into anything other than a conventional system, the costs of maintenance WILL be higher.

A conventional boiler has fewer bits in, and so less to go wrong. You will still have some of the parts outside, such as pump and control valves, but they will be easier to get at and can be replaced with easily available parts, they will also be in a cooler place so will last longer.

A conventional cylinder with a loft tank will go on for 30 and more years, with perhaps no more that two ball valve washers. Anything that gives you mains pressure hot water will need fixing more often and will cost much more to live with. Builders like them as it doesn't need a tank in the loft.

As there's only two of you, you just need to add two radiators,.... (but why not have the heating underfloor?) You will not need all of the radiators on at the same time. This will ease your cash flow as you can change the boiler at a later date.

Having said all that, wheres your sense of social responsibility? Get a combi and keep service engineers employed.