"invalid" wrote in message
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In message , VisionSet
writes

"VisionSet" wrote in message
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I'm about to start the last major upheaval in my house.
Replaceing the ancient back-boiler.
...

I'll add a little more detail maybe you two can agree on something ;-)

House is 3-bed semi. 1 bathroom/toilet (ie one room). 6 rads + 1 teeny
one.

So the upshot is that nowadays combis are worth considering?
I'm think that when I had a look 6 years back that wasn't so much the
case.

I am going to do all the work myself though get a corgi chap in for final
gas hook up to maintain boiler guarantee - that is the case is it not?

mains flow is 19.8 l/min - I guess that is okay.


Hi Mike,

I too have followed some of the to-ing and fro-ing over combis versus
traditional boiler and tanks. I can only give you *my experience* in
this matter as a user.

We just replaced a fairly standard boiler/header tanks/immersion - baxi
back boiler with a Halstead Ace High (combi).

Good boiler. The Wickes Combi 102 with 2 yr guaranteee. I fitted one about
2.5 years ago and it works very well. It is a doddle to fit. For a 13
litres/min combi it is about the cheapest around from Wickes. They do a
smaller one, the Combi 80. Service is good from Halstead.

There are a lot of figures quoted on here about flow rates, well this is
a bog standard combi quoted at 35 degree rise at 13 l/pm.

It's quite simply the best shower I've had. Lots of water, lots of heat.
The boiler DHW temperature control is set to about two thirds and the
mixer valve on the shower at a little over 50% hot. I have never yet
fully extended the shower lever for maximum flow. I *assume* therefore,
that the 13 l/pm is more than enough for what I expect of a shower.

Because of other threads on here, I specifically asked the girlfriend
how long it takes her to fill the bath. She reckoned 5 or 10 minutes.
Whether it is actually longer or shorter than 5/10 mins, I don't know.
The fact that she was so non-chalant about it makes me assume she's
never thought about it, and so I would guess it is not an issue for her.

Many people fill the bath to a level with they can just sit in, which will
fill pretty quickly, and let the tap run as they are in the bath.

If bath fills are a problem, a combi such as the Alpha CB50 will be
absolutely excellent.

(I have never measured the volume of the bath, and for other readers
here - NO I am not going to. It looks like a normal bath to me).

FYI, the house is a 3 bed semi, 1 bathroom & 1 toilet. If I'm in the
shower and the hot tap in the kitchen is turned on, it is noticeable. It
doesn't bother me at all, but it yes, it is noticeable.

It is best to put an in-line isolating valve on the tap and throttle it
back. Cost about £1.50 from Wickes. You don't need firehose flow and
pressures from the kitchen tap, or any tap for that matter, only the shower.

You can also fit before the shower mixer an equalizing valve. Both hot and
cold run through it. It balances the pressures to both pipes, avoiding any
severe pressure drop problems if a tap a tap is turned on. They are
available from B&Q Warehouse for about £20.