What is a combi boiler?

Combination boiler or combi boilers are the most commonly type of boilers which are used in UK for a reason. Unlike the system and conventional boilers which requires a hot storage cylinder, the combination cylinder is an all in one unit which produces hot water for taps and central heating. Also it saves a great space in your homes and its installation is easy and faster comparative to any other boiler.

It usually takes the water from the main supply and results in stronger water pressure. It provides you plenty of hot water. Thus, no longer waits for the tank to refill again and again.

Modern high efficiency unit boilers are the stainless steel condensing boilers with its built-in heat exchanger to provide hot water to a home or a building. During the cold season, combi boiler runs when needed to heat the structure and provide hot water to various hot appliances. Whereas in hot summer days, combi boiler works whenever there is a need for domestic hot water.

There are two main reasons behind the combi boilers great and powerful efficiency i.e. these units have high operating efficiency and low internal water volume. This means when in summer days you don’t need space heating you are only paying to heat hot water which is domestically required.

Types of combi boilers

Gas combi boilers – Natural gas combi boilers are commonly used by the residents of UK. Also if your homes are connected with the gas network than this is the best choice for you in terms of keeping running costs down.

Oil combi boilers – For the homes not connected with the gas networks, oil boilers is a good option. These boilers need an oil tank to be kept outside your home and once the oil is on the edge you need to top it up from the suppliers.

LPG combi boilers – LPG stands for Liquefied Petroleum Gas made with the combination of gaseous hydrocarbons. They are almost same as oil boilers as they also need a tank which is needed to refill once the gas is about to end.

Electric combi boilers – An electric combi boiler is slightly different from all the other combi boilers as they don’t require any tank or gas network. The water passes over an electric element in the hot cylinder which has an immersion heater. This is popular where the homes are not connected to the gas network or oil is too expensive to buy.

Why a combi boiler, what makes it the best?

High efficiency – By 2018, all the combi boilers installed in UK legally required being 92%efficient which is the highest range of efficiency in the market. That means only 8% of fuel and heat used by boiler is wasted. This could actually reflect its results in lowering down your heating bills.

More compact – Unlike the other boilers, combi boiler doesn’t require any big water tank or cylinder. It is a one single combined unit. Thus requires very less space and can fits comfortably into kitchen’s cupboard. This makes it an ideal choice for the homes that has limited space.

Easy installation – Combi boilers are less complex than any other boiler, as it is one single combined unit and doesn’t require any extra elements. Easy installation will results in quicker and cheaper installations. Also it could be fitted anywhere in the home because it doesn’t need any hot water tank or cylinder.

Faster than any other – With no water tank to heat up, combi boilers produce unlimited hot water on demand. And there is no more waiting for the hot water to refill in the tank. Thus saves the time.

Safer – Cold water from combi boiler is safe to drink as it is directly provided from mains.

Easy to clean – As the water is fed from the mains into the combi boiler which generally has less sludge build up because water is not kept in any tank or cylinder where it can get eroded.

Servicing is available – Majority of people are using combi boilers in their homes that means no. of boiler engineers are trained how to repair and service these boilers. This makes it easy to find good engineers for servicing of this unit in your area.

How to use combi boiler efficiently

Some easy ways to make your combi boiler work even more efficiently are as follows:

1. Reduce the temperature

One of the efficient way to use the combi boiler is to reduce its temperature . let your thermostat be set on a lower temperature. According to the Energy Savings Trust, reducing the thermostat temperature by one degree can save upto 320kg carbon dioxide per year.

• Check for leaks

To ensure the best efficiency, you should keep a check on the pipes and taps regularly to ensure that there are no leaks. Leaks can result into the wasted water and may reduce the efficiency of the heating system.

• Upgrade your thermostats

If the boiler you own has a analogue thermostat, you may need to consider the upgrading of the wireless digital thermostat. These are meant to be operated with a smart phone. A digital thermostat can save your money and energy altogether.

• Purchase any water-saving taps or the shower heads

Water-saving taps and shower heads works by limit the tap water. If you are using hot water less than you are saving both the water and the gas usage.