Hi all,

I've just had my house converted to gas from electric only. I having
central heating put in. Which, in your opinion, is better, a
combination boiler or condensing?

I have a 2 bed semi and can build on the side in future. I have a
downstairs loo along with the bathroom upstairs.

The fitters seem to like the combination boiler as they are easier to
put in. Help as I know little about DIY!

TH

"Tyler" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

I've just had my house converted to gas from electric only. I having
central heating put in. Which, in your opinion, is better, a
combination boiler or condensing?

I have a 2 bed semi and can build on the side in future. I have a
downstairs loo along with the bathroom upstairs.

The fitters seem to like the combination boiler as they are easier to
put in. Help as I know little about DIY!

TH
A combination boiler can also be a condensing boiler - in fact under
current regs all new boilers (except in some very exceptional
circumstances) must be of the condensing type, as they result in
less pollution, are more efficient, and cheaper to run.

The main downside of combination boiler compared to conventional
boilers with a hot water storage tank is that the hot water flow rate
is sometimes not very good (depends on your mains pressure and
flow rate), specially when filling a bath, and the hot water temperature
(eg in the shower) can be affected by someone turning on another
tap, or the washing machine starting to fill.

There are more knowledgeable people on here who can give more
advice on how to choose which is best for you situation.

My son has just installed a condensing combi in a 3 bed semi and
he's very happy with it.

David.

On 4 Dec, 09:47, Tyler wrote:
Hi all,

I've just had my house converted to gas from electric only. I having
central heating put in. Which, in your opinion, is better, a
combination boiler or condensing?

I have a 2 bed semi and can build on the side in future. I have a
downstairs loo along with the bathroom upstairs.

The fitters seem to like the combination boiler as they are easier to
put in. Help as I know little about DIY!

TH

A combi condensing boiler will need a good water supply to work well.
I have a condensing regular boiler because my water supply is poor -
it is ok until the neighbours open a tap, and then it reduces to a
trickle. A combi boiler heats the water 'on the fly' as it goes
through the boiler from the mains supply to your shower, bath, hot
taps. Imagine a poor mains supply and trying to shower as you
neighbours turn taps on and off etc.

A combi will not need a hot tank/airing cupboard whereas a regular
boiler will need one - do you have a space to put a hot tank/airing
cupboard?

If you get a combi make sure you get one powerful enough for your
requirements i.e. one that can heat the water at a fast enough rate so
that you get a godd flow rate of hot water.

On 4 Dec, 10:37, "DavidM" wrote:
"Tyler" wrote in message

... Hi all,

I've just had my house converted to gas from electric only. I having
central heating put in. Which, in your opinion, is better, a
combination boiler or condensing?

I have a 2 bed semi and can build on the side in future. I have a
downstairs loo along with the bathroom upstairs.

The fitters seem to like the combination boiler as they are easier to
put in. Help as I know little about DIY!

TH

A combination boiler can also be a condensing boiler - in fact under
current regs all new boilers (except in some very exceptional
circumstances) must be of the condensing type, as they result in
less pollution, are more efficient, and cheaper to run.

The main downside of combination boiler compared to conventional
boilers with a hot water storage tank is that the hot water flow rate
is sometimes not very good (depends on your mains pressure and
flow rate), specially when filling a bath, and the hot water temperature
(eg in the shower) can be affected by someone turning on another
tap, or the washing machine starting to fill.

There are more knowledgeable people on here who can give more
advice on how to choose which is best for you situation.

My son has just installed a condensing combi in a 3 bed semi and
he's very happy with it.

David.

Thanks

On 4 Dec, 11:05, nafuk wrote:
On 4 Dec, 09:47, Tyler wrote:

Hi all,

I've just had my house converted to gas from electric only. I having
central heating put in. Which, in your opinion, is better, a
combination boiler or condensing?

I have a 2 bed semi and can build on the side in future. I have a
downstairs loo along with the bathroom upstairs.

The fitters seem to like the combination boiler as they are easier to
put in. Help as I know little about DIY!

TH

A combi condensing boiler will need a good water supply to work well.
I have a condensing regular boiler because my water supply is poor -
it is ok until the neighbours open a tap, and then it reduces to a
trickle. A combi boiler heats the water 'on the fly' as it goes
through the boiler from the mains supply to your shower, bath, hot
taps. Imagine a poor mains supply and trying to shower as you
neighbours turn taps on and off etc.

A combi will not need a hot tank/airing cupboard whereas a regular
boiler will need one - do you have a space to put a hot tank/airing
cupboard?

If you get a combi make sure you get one powerful enough for your
requirements i.e. one that can heat the water at a fast enough rate so
that you get a godd flow rate of hot water.

Thank you

In article
,
Tyler wrote:
I've just had my house converted to gas from electric only. I having
central heating put in.

So your existing system is a storage one with immersion heater in a
cylinder?

Which, in your opinion, is better, a combination boiler or condensing?

That's two questions.

Near all new boilers these days have to be condensing types to meet the
regs on efficiency.

A combi boiler gives instant hot water - it doesn't store it like your
present system. So it will give unlimited hot water. However, what it
won't do is deliver hot water at the temperature and flow rate you're used
to from a storage system. This won't matter much for doing the washing up
or maybe even for a shower but will if you like baths - they will take
much longer to fill.

I have a 2 bed semi and can build on the side in future. I have a
downstairs loo along with the bathroom upstairs.

The more outlets used at once the more the downsides of a combi become
apparent.

The fitters seem to like the combination boiler as they are easier to
put in.

You've got it in one.

Help as I know little about DIY!

Installing a combi means you can get rid of the storage cylinder. That
might well be a plus. It also means if the boiler breaks down you loose
the hot water as well as the heating. If you go for a non combi boiler you
will still have your immersion as a back up. The choice really is yours.
I've stuck with a storage system and a condensing boiler.

--
*Eschew obfuscation *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Tue, 4 Dec 2007 01:47:49 -0800 (PST) someone who may be Tyler
wrote this:-

I have a 2 bed semi and can build on the side in future. I have a
downstairs loo along with the bathroom upstairs.

If you are planning to add a bedroom or two then a storage system is
going to be better in the long run. It would be worth sizing and
positioning the hot water cylinder so it is ready for the extension.

Now would also be a good time to consider solar heating of the hot
water and install a suitable cylinder, even if you don't install the
panel for the moment. www.navitron.org.uk has a suitable range and
there are others like www.mcdonald-engineers.com

There is a lot to be said for a thermal store (taking the
appropriate precautions if you are in a hard water area), but this
may be too much for the people who are doing it.

If yo are not planning a large extension then a two bedroom house is
on the balance point where the choice between combination boilers
and storage systems can be finely balanced.

Whatever choice you make on the boiler ensure the hot water pipes
are properly insulated. Also insulate any heating pipes in places
like under the floorboards downstairs.


--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54

"Tyler" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

I've just had my house converted to gas from electric only. I having
central heating put in. Which, in your opinion, is better, a
combination boiler or condensing?

I have a 2 bed semi and can build on the side in future. I have a
downstairs loo along with the bathroom upstairs.

The fitters seem to like the combination boiler as they are easier to
put in. Help as I know little about DIY!

I've recently had a combi boiler fitted in our 3 bedroom semi.

We shower, and the shower over the bath does not seem to be adversley
afffected by someone flushing the loo or turning on a cold tap or the
dishwasher.

We do have a very good cold mains supply, and a reasonably poweful boiler.

Mains supply is the killer - you will probably note this from the posts
which regret a combi.

A 3 bedroom semi with one bathroom should generally be O.K. for a combi.

If you want a second bathroom then water storage (probably with a pump for
power showers) is probably a better option.

We are happy with the extra storage space in the loft, and the extra
cupboard space where the hot water cylinder was.

The main downside of combis is implied in the name; everything combined in
one unit. If one bit fails you could lose heating and hot water.

HTH

Dave R

In message
,
Tyler writes
Hi all,

I've just had my house converted to gas from electric only. I having
central heating put in. Which, in your opinion, is better, a
combination boiler or condensing?

There's no either /or

A combination boiler gives central heating and "instant" hot water.
Combination boilers may or may not be condensing boilers

By law (more or less) if you fit a new boiler now, it must be a
condensing one

go look it up


--
geoff

On Tue, 4 Dec 2007 17:07:08 -0000 someone who may be "David W.E.
Roberts" wrote this:-

If you want a second bathroom then water storage (probably with a pump for
power showers) is probably a better option.

A shower coil can be fitted into a conventional hot water cylinder.
This will provide mains pressure hot water for showers, without any
pumps (in the house).


--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54

On Tue, 04 Dec 2007 21:16:16 +0000, David Hansen
wrote:

On Tue, 4 Dec 2007 17:07:08 -0000 someone who may be "David W.E.
Roberts" wrote this:-

If you want a second bathroom then water storage (probably with a pump for
power showers) is probably a better option.

A shower coil can be fitted into a conventional hot water cylinder.
This will provide mains pressure hot water for showers, without any
pumps (in the house).

What's a shower coil?

Maris

On Wed, 05 Dec 2007 09:34:06 +0000 someone who may be Maris
wrote this:-

What's a shower coil?

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en...UK%7CcountryGB






--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54