Harry Bloomfield, Esq. wrote:
Bev submitted this idea :
I'm more tempted by a system with cylinder as I have also read some
reviews that say that kerosene combi are not as good at producing HW as a
gas fired.

I had a cylinder for stored water installed back in mid-80's (gas
boiler) and have resisted suggestions to replace it with a combi twice
since then. Combi boilers are just about OK for houses which are not
much occupied, but they have great disadvantages for most people..

1. They waste water until it heats up.
2. Increased wear on the boiler, which has to fire everytime HW is
needed.
3. They are more inefficient heating water.

Stored systems are more complicated and costly to install, plus take up
extra space. Unused HW looses heat from the cylinder.

Heating engineers like replacing stored with combi systems because they
get the value of the scrap copper.


We stayed with a relative for a few days this week who has a combi, it was
noticeable that if we were having a shower and someone turned on a hot tap
in the kitchen, you got a €˜cold surprise. Conversely, we have two showers
which are pump assisted and we can run both at the same time and you dont
notice if someone turns on a hot tap. We have a hot water storage tank.

True, the hot tank €˜sits there and is losing heat but, in practice, it is
so well insulated it seems to get heated up and require very little energy
to maintain it. It isnt unknown for me to turn it off when going away for
a day, come back, remember to turn the heating on but not the water heater,
and not notice until residual hot water from before the short trip has been
used- perhaps a day.