Boilers
What boiler is right for you?
Choosing a Boiler
Chooing a new boiler when you don't already have one, is a little more involved, but don't be daunted.
The size and type of construction of your home are more important factors and you'll need the help of a professional to help calculate the amount of heat the boilers must produce to keep you cosy in the worst of weathers. You also need to consider your family size, and your lifestyle.
With a little help from Glowarm you can form a view on which type of boiler is best suited to you.
Conventional or Combination Boiler?
The major distinction between the two is the way they deliver hot water, so you need to consider
how you use hot water now and possibly in the future (perhaps as the family grows, or grows up and leaves home)
A Conventional boiler, in conjuction with a hot water storage cylinder, can deliver lashings of hot water to several taps simultaneously. A family with lots of laundry and toddlers bathing, or teenagers showering every evening is almost certain to be be better served by by a traditional Conventional boiler.
A Conventional boiler can also come in the form of a BACK BOLIER, which is sited in the chimney breast and comes complete with many different types of gas fires.
Please remember that if you are considering a conventional boiler, an important requirement is a cold water storage tank (so loft space is usually required) and room to site a hot water cylinder (airing cupboard). If you live in a flat with no loft, and space is tight, then you may need to consider a combination boiler.
Combination Boilers
A combination boiler eliminates the need for a hot water storage cylinder, and cold water storage tanks. Instead hot water is heated instantaneously when you turn on the tap (so you don't have to wait for the hot water cylinder to heat up or keep it on standby, and you'll never run out of hot water!) Plus you can have shower at mains pressure. However it takes 2 or 3 times as long to deliver a bath full of hot water, whilst simultaneous use of 2 or more taps can result in the flow of water being diminished somewhat to one of the outlets. A couple's hot water needs are likely to be modest, using relatively small amounts - in which case a combination boiler is possibly the most suitable option. Alternatively you could install an unvented hot water cylinder.
Running Cost and the Environment
CONDENSING boilers employ advanced technology to make better use of gas than a standard boiler, burning less of it to produce the same amount of heat. They are usually more expensive to install than standard types, but any extra initial outlay is soon offset by lower running costs, and burning less gas is also kinder to the environment.
Condensing boilers can give as much as 95% efficiency compared with conventional boilers, which would be approximately 78-80%. An older boiler could be as low as 50% efficient!
Condensing boilers are available in both conventional and combination styles of boiler.
Unvented / Pressurised hot water cylinder
Unvented hot water cylinders work in conjunction with conventional or, condensing boilers. They look and work just like a standard hot water cylinder, except that it delivers more hot water at a much higher pressure, needs no header or cold water storage tank, saves more energy and recovers much faster after baths and showers are taken.
By using accurately controlled mains pressure water, they can give very high flow rates to baths, sinks and even high performance showers without the need for pumps or boosters.
These units can be considerably more expensive to install than standard hot water tanks, although this extra cost will soon be offset by lower running costs - particularly when installed with a condensing boiler, and the luxury of very fast hot water.
Location
Wall mounted "traditional" boilers, especially those with powered (fan assisted) flues, can be fitted almost anywhere. Some are even small enough to fit inside a standard kitchen wall cupboard, and still produce enough heat for a generous sized family home. But they are not confined to just kitchens. Utility rooms, garages, airing cupboards, under stairs and even lofts, have all provided "homes" for this type of boiler.
Floorstanding boilers compete for space with the increasing number of other domestic appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers, so not surprisingly, in smaller modern homes, they are less popular than some alternatives. But they are often fitted in garages, where space may be less of a problem. Floorstanding boilers are usually very simple by design, which tends to mean they are very reliable and robust.
Combination boilers contain more parts than "traditional" models, and consequently they are typically larger than conventional boilers of equivalent output. Nevertheless, most are designed for wall mounting and, again, power flues mean they can be fitted almost anywhere.
We hope you have found choosing the boiler most likely to suit your needs is really not so difficult after all! It's simply a question of deciding what kind of service you need from your boiler, and selecting a model to match.
Whatever you choose, you can relax in the knowledge that Glowarm will take you through all the options step by step, ensuring that you have made the right choice.