Combi vs Conventional

So you’ve decided to go for a new boiler, but what is the right system for you, Combi or Coventional?

The answer is simple – there is no right or wrong answer to weather you should keep a conventional boiler or swap to the combi boiler. There are however a few key factors, which dependant on the answers will help you to make the correct decisions.

System_Features

How do combination boilers work?

Combination boilers work by delivering hot water directly from your mains water. The mains water enters the boiler and is heated up by a heat exchanger instantly, which then delivers hot water to your taps.

So what’s the downside?

The one downside of combination boilers is they are dependant on the water pressure. You need minimum 12 litres per minute of flow coming from the mains water supply. They are generally referred to as 1-2 tap operational systems. So if you have 12 litres per minute coming out your tap as soon as you open a second tap that flow will be halved, so both taps will have 6 litres per minute instead of one having the full 12 litres.

So in a nutshell the more flow you have coming in from your cold water supply the better the performance. Water flow from the mains can vary from 12-22 litres per minute.

Key questions to determine weather a combi is for you or not:

How many bathrooms do you have?
How many people live in the house?
What are the chances or two people showering at the same time / daily routines?
Do you plan to extend your home ?

Our heating advisor will ask all of these questions and help to make the right choice suited to your needs!

	Combi	Conventional
Pros	Unlimited hot water Low maintenance costs Frees up space Easy to install	Keep airing cupboard Immersion as back up Can add shower pumps Not reliant on mains pressure
Cons	Poor performance if low mains pressure No back up if boiler fails Can’t add shower pumps to system	Limited hot water High maintenance on system Takes up a lot of space