Combi Boilers

Combi Boilers are efficient, compact and cost-effective. Over half of boilers sold today are Combi Boilers.

They are the most popular boiler choice because they provide instant hot water for the taps and central heating system, don’t require much installation space and are perfect for small to medium sized properties.

They save space because they heat the water on demand. In other words, when you turn on a tap, or put the heating on (or up), the Combi quickly produces heat to supply the hot water needed. There is also no need for a copper cylinder tank which Regular Boiler systems use, where the hot water is stored after being heated by the boiler.

As well as no hot water tank (usually put in the airing cupboard), a Combi boiler also has fewer bits and pieces. The cold water comes direct from the mains, so there’s no need for a cold water feed tank. And there are also fewer lengths of copper piping. As a result, less space is needed and the system costs less than the more traditional set-up.

But there is a slight downside, which although less important these days as Combi Boiler technology improves, still needs thinking about. With larger properties where there is more than one bathroom, you may find that a Combi Boiler cannot keep up with the rate of water required. Also, because the cold water feed comes direct from the mains, the pressure has to be spot on. Too low and the boiler will not work. So surveys are often carried out before installation to ensure that the mains water pressure is to the correct standard.

It’s worth knowing that there are five main types of Combi Boilers; all variations on a theme:

• Combi Instantaneous Boiler (most widely used)
• Combi Instantaneous Condensing Boiler (operates at higher efficiencies than standard)
• Combi Storage Boiler (adds hot water storage element to concept)
• Combi Storage Condensing Boiler (storage ability with higher temperatures)
• Combined Primary Storage Unit (increased storage abilities)

Take a closer look now at the different Combi Boilers offered by the main manufacturers. By the way, the first Combi’s were introduced by boiler manufacturer Vaillant in 1967; a company that is still going strong today.

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