A quick guide to Combination and Conventional boilers
Who better to help you choose a boiler than the people who fit and service them day in, day out?
With My Plumber, our highly trained engineers will carry out an assessment to provide you with the best boiler and central heating system for you and your property.
For further information call us on 020 8996 2930 or email us for a call back services@my-plumber.co.uk
Which Type of Boiler
Since 2005 (2007 for oil) all new boilers installed have to be Condensing boilers due to their higher energy efficiency. A condensing boiler is the most energy efficient type of boiler currently available, with 90% efficiency compared to 55% efficiency on older, non condensing boilers. This is achieved by a complex process within the boiler that turns the residual heat to condensation. The heat from the condensation is also used instead of it escaping through the flue. That's a potential saving of 35p for every £1 spent on heating the boiler.
There are two types of condensing boilers: Combination and Conventional System.
Combination Boilers
Combination boilers provide your heating and hot water without a hot water tank. The heat exchanger, which is incorporated into the boiler casing, heats up the domestic hot water on demand. You will not, therefore, waste energy and money heating a tank of water that you may not use. Combination boilers are so called because they combine the traditional capabilities of a standard central heating boiler with the added functionality of being able to utilize the full boiler capacity to heat water instantaneously.
The benefits to this are:
- Saves money by only heating the water when you need it
- Saves space as you don't need a separate hot water cylinder
The downsides are:
- Not so good for properties with low water pressure
- Not so good if you've got more than one bath or shower room.
Conventional System Boilers
The conventional boiler system works by storing hot water in a separate cylinder tank. Hot water is then pumped throughout the house heating the radiators. Water is heated either directly in the storage cylinder, for example by an electric immersion heater or from a remote boiler. The two main types of system are the open vented and the unvented.
The open vented water system relies on a large volume of stored water, usually located in a plastic water tank in the attic. The weight of stored water is usually sufficient to push water down the pipe that feeds the water storage cylinder and back up to any tap or shower outlet, providing it is lower than the stored water level. The unvented stored water system in general terms relies on mains water pressure to push the water out of the cylinder or through the pipe circuit to the trap or shower outlet.
The benefits to this are:
- Instant hot water
- Better flow rates suitable for power showers
- Good pressure suited for houses with more than one bathroom
The downsides are:
- Amount of hot water available is dependant on tank size
- Extra space required for storage tanks and hot water cylinder
|