How do combi boilers work and how much do they cost?
Combi boiler
A combi boiler is a form of a water heater that is responsible for heating the cold water on demand straight from the main water supply. However, if you are using too much hot water, for instance, if someone is using hot water in the kitchen and at the same time someone is having a shower with hot water, you would notice a drop in temperature of your radiators as there is no adequate hot water supply for different uses at a single time (Largely it is a preferable choice for most central heating systems).
It means that there will be no backup hot water in the cylinder that you can use readily. This is the downside of such a system. On the other hand, a system boiler heating set up mainly depends on a storage tank having hot water so that you can have reserve water for multiple uses at once. The drawback of this system is that water needs to heat first inside the cylinder and there will be no immediate hot water on demand.
Whether you need a simple boiler repair or boiler replacement, to figure out what kind of boiler will work best for you; several factors need to be considered including hot water demand, the pressure of the main water supply, home heating demand, and the size of your home. All of these factors determine the type of boiler required for your home.
If you have a small home having 1 or 2 bathrooms with good mains pressure, a Combi is just about the best bet for you. However, if the water pressure of your home is not quite good or the home is big with multiple hot water demands, then you should choose a system boiler.
The Costs of Combi Boiler
Besides spending money on purchasing a new combi boiler, a homeowner or landlord will also have to pay for its fitting. The installation charges will depend on the present boiler and the extent of the work involved.
Since there is no need for hot water storage cylinders or loft tanks for the combi boilers, the fitting process usually requires less time and is comparatively cheaper. The replacement of the current Combi Boiler with a new unit at the same location by using the same pipework is cheaper as compared to fitting it at the new place or substituting a conventional boiler that needs more pipework.
If you want to know the fitting price for the Combi boiler, you can expect pay a plumbing company between £1,100 and £3000, based on the kind of current boiler and the size of your home or other property.
A simple replacement of an old Combi Boiler with a new unit can be accomplished within a day while the replacement of a conventional boiler with a new Combi boiler can take 2 to 3 days based on the pipework involved.
The Installation Cost of Combi Boiler
- The cost for replacing a combi boiler with a new one at the same location as the current one is £610
- The charges to replace the combi boiler and move it to a new location is £1,600
- The rate to replace an old boiler with a combi boiler is £2,500