Combi vs Standard

Snake9

Small 3 bed apartment looking to install a gas heating system max 4 rads and 2 on suite showers and small kitchen. Thinking of using a Combi boiler and getting rid of the old copper tank. Any recommendations ? :cool:

Joey the lips

Snake9 wrote: »

Small 3 bed apartment looking to install a gas heating system max 4 rads and 2 on suite showers and small kitchen. Thinking of using a Combi boiler and getting rid of the old copper tank. Any recommendations ? :cool:

i think its a great idea. However have you a bathroom. I have heard people complain about the length of time it fills a bath. Also you need to buy a particular shower as far as i know as not all showers are suitable for combi;s

One of your showers is fed from the hot press tank at the moment and one is pumped electric. I take it... I imagine your going to have to get an electrician to run wireing. I am not to sure what the combi showers take.

I think also a combi boiler needs a certain pressure going into them So youre plumbing will need checking.

My knowledge on combis themselves is not too intricate however I see people installing combi system boilers from baxi and running the hot combu direct to the kitchen tap so they get instant hot water.

elchupanebrey

As far as i know you need thermostatic showers with a combi bolier

Joey the lips

elchupanebrey wrote: »

As far as i know you need thermostatic showers with a combi bolier

Thats correct but you need to be careful that the shower operating pressure is not higher than the combi is capable of..

Daragh86

I had a combi gas boiler installed during house renovation and it's a fantastic system - very very simple. I put in a simple manual shower valve (just like a single lever tap) with a lovely big watering can head. The pressure is great (mains pressure) and you have hot water any time you want. The boiler has a water flow sensor on it that makes the boiler kick in when the hot tap is opened which makes it very cheap to run (instead of heating an entire cyclinder of water). The bath is a small bit slow to fill but nothing that would put me off getting a combi.

I went for the very cheap option and bought a heatline Vizo boiler from B & Q for I think around 650 euro incl. flue. It's a "B" rated model. Last two bills I got in (granted in was late summer) were for 32 euro and 46 euro, not bad for 4 months of heat and hot water. I've had no problems at all with the Vizo boiler.

I really can't recommend the combi system enough and you get that little extra space that a tank would have taken up.

JohnnieK

The only CONS regarding a combi is if it breaks down you will have no hot water untill it is fixed and if the mains pressure is reduced or cut of you wont have any hot water. Thats it really. Make sure you fit a room thermostat to control the heating, and you might be able to quallify for a heating upgradre grant from SEAI if your system dose not already have automatic seperate hot water and heating.

Also Gas pressure is vital for a combi boiler.