Use a combi in a small dwelling house
Use a combi in a small dwelling house
If you have a small home a combination gas boiler offers storage space saving opportunities to you. It is possible to fit a complete central heating and hot water system by purchasing only a gas powered combination gas boiler with a balanced flue. All that is additionally needed to heat your rooms is some copper piping and some radiators. You might ask whether we had missed some component parts out of this statement. Central heating systems seem to need a hot water tank to store water, a feed and enlargement cylinder in the attic and a water pump to move everything around.
It may surprise you to learn that a combi boiler does not need these component parts. You do not need to purchase a hot water storage cylinder, there is no need for an attic based feed and enlargement cylinder, the combination gas boiler houses the other components inside its casing. The consequence is that a lot of space is saved inside your house.
Combination gas boilers have been installed for a while. Whilst they were first fitted in the Continent they are now a very popular boiler for installation in the UK. There are two main differences between this form of heating boiler and its better known alternatives. The central heating hot water circulation system is sealed. This means that there is no need for a feed and expansion cylinder in the attic. The heating boiler itself incorporates a large capacity expansion cylinder but again this is part of the sealed unit.
The boiler produces hot water immediately as it is required, turning on a hot water valve will alert the heating boiler to this need. The heating boiler can rapidly heat cold water by using an internal heat exchanger. Hot water in the central heating system is used to immediately heat the heat exchanger. This permits cold mains water to be rapidly heated before leaving the hot water valve.
Hot water output is prioritised ahead of the transit of hot water to the radiators. The instant the valve is closed the combination heating boiler will return to supplying hot water to the radiators.
If you do have a storage space issue in your house you should give great consideration to fitting a combination boiler when you next replace your heating boiler.