Buying a new home, whether your next or your first, is an undeniably thrilling thing – even if the process of getting it is a notoriously stressful one. Even after completing, there’s so much to think about; do-er-uppers need modernizing, modern houses need traditionalizing, bedrooms and living rooms need decorating, and, for some, central heating needs to be updated.
The contemporary standard for central heating is the combi boiler. If your new home doesn’t have one, it probably should. Why, though?
What Are Combi Boilers?
The ‘combi’ in ‘combi boiler’ is short for ‘combination’. Combi boilers are so named for combining heating for hot tap water and your home’s central heating system simultaneously.
Combi boilers are a modern standard for being an improvement on older boiler designs, heating water up directly from mains water supply as opposed to heating water in a tank stashed away elsewhere in the home – a wasteful practice which also introduced the risk of ‘running out’ of hot water.
What Are The Advantages Of A Combi Boiler?
Combi boilers are a beneficial choice for your home for numerous reasons. As already touched upon, combi boilers are capable of producing hot water on demand – truly a luxury in comparison to the slower operation of older systems.
Combi boilers also enjoy a smaller form factor than other boiler options, making them less of an imposition in your home. Ultimately, though, combi boilers are more efficient than other styles of boiler, saving you money and saving the environment in the process.
What are the disadvantages of a combi boiler?
Though a combi boiler has plenty of benefits, there are also some drawbacks. For example, a combi boiler relies heavily on goods main pressure and doesn’t work well with power showers.
One of the main cons is that it does not allow you to use multiple hot water appliances at the same time, and will therefore struggle to meet high demand for water. This is particularly true in homes with more than one bathroom.
There is also no immersion heater for backup, meaning there is no reserve of hot water, if required, whilst the boiler is broken.
Are Combi Boilers Suitable For Multiple Bathrooms?
This is not to say, though, that a combi boiler is without its downsides. The smaller form factor of the combi boiler, on account of heating water in-situ, means that the boiler has a limited water capacity in comparison to older, larger systems.
Running multiple taps and your central heating from one combi boiler can limit the effectiveness of its heating – making one singular combi boiler potentially inadequate for a larger, multi-bathroomed home. You can, however, install more than one in larger homes to expand the capacity of your heating system overall.
How Long Do Combi Boilers Last?
Combi boilers, like any other regularly-used appliance, will eventually develop some form of fault. However, they are designed for longevity and are often rated for up to 15 years of operation.
Even so, it is recommended that your boiler is serviced and verified safe on an annual basis by a gas safe engineer in order to minimize the risk of unnecessary failure. If an engineer catches a problem early, this can add years to the lifespan of your system.
