What type of Boiler do you have?
Like many of us, we only start to think about our heating system, when things go wrong. But it’s time to get to know your boiler; how it works, what property it is most suited to and the replacement you will need.
You’ll probably have one of three main gas boilers in your home: a Combi boiler, a Regular boiler or a System boiler.
Do you have a hot water cylinder? If the answer is no, you have a combi boiler. If the answer is yes, you have a regular or system boiler.
Combi boilers heat water from the mains to provide instant heating and hot water, rather than storing hot water in a cylinder or tank, it’s provided on demand. New combi boilers are highly efficient which means it will keep your energy bills down, they are compact and so perfect for smaller spaces such as a kitchen cupboard and the water pressure will be stronger as it comes from the mains. Combi boilers are ideal for small to medium sized homes. Combi boilers have a lifespan of 10-15 years so you may need to replace yours in order to continue heating and providing hot water in your home efficiently.
Is there a pressure gauge? If the answer is no, you have a regular boiler. If the answer is yes, you have a system boiler.
Regular boilers, sometimes known as conventional or open vent boilers, can supply hot water across several bathrooms, meaning they are often installed in larger properties. They are well suited to low pressure water areas too. You’ll know you have a regular boiler if you have a water tank in the attic and a hot water cylinder, usually in the airing cupboard. Regular boilers were once installed as standard but have been taken over by Combi boilers.
System boilers won’t give you instant hot water unlike a Combi boiler, instead the hot water will come from a hot water cylinder, usually found in an airing cupboard. They work like a regular boiler but take their water supply from the mains. System boilers are usually installed in larger properties with multiple bathrooms as they allow hot water to be delivered to multiple taps at the same time.
If you live in an older property, you may have a back boiler; these live behind your fireplace, usually installed from the swinging 1960’s to the electric 1980’s. Back boilers are no longer installed in the UK due to their inefficiency.
So, whether it’s a compact combi, a classic regular, or maybe a sizeable system, we have the perfect boiler for you. Simple!
