Boiler Types Explained

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Boiler

When choosing a new boiler, individuals must take into consideration several factors such as property size, number of occupants, and venting requirements to ensure their boiler is well suited to them. The below guide outlines the different types of boilers along with their advantages and disadvantages to help you make the best decision for you.

Regular Boilers

Regular boilers, also known as conventional, traditional or heat-only boilers, work via heating up water in the storage cylinder, which is connected to the taps and faucets. This system often implements two water tanks: a storage tank and the feed and expansion tank.

Advantages of Regular Boilers

- Immersion heaters can be installed alongside regular boilers, meaning that if the boiler breaks, the immersion heater will ensure the house still has access to hot water.

- Hot water can be distributed across multiple rooms in a house at the same time. If one occupant is using hot water for a shower, another can still use hot water in the kitchen for example.

Disadvantages of Regular Boilers

- Generally speaking, regular boilers will not work in smaller homes as both a loft and airing cupboard is required.

- Regular boilers do not retain a hot water temperature easily and users may have to wait a while until the boiler has reheated.

Combi Boilers

Combi boilers are the most common type of boiler system in the UK, with over 70% of homes now using them. Also known as combination boilers, this type of boiler is both the central heating system and a water heater in one, hence the name, ‘combination’. How they work is that they heat water directly from the mains of the house and as the hot tap is turned on, a heat exchanger then converts the energy from a gas burner to heat the water.

Advantages of Combi Boilers

- Combi boilers are compact in size, which makes them ideal for smaller homes.

- Combi boilers are generally quick to install.

Disadvantages of Combi Boilers

- Many modern homes now use power showers, but combi boilers cannot work in conjunction with these.

- As combi boilers use both a central heating and water system, if the boiler breaks, this also means the central heating will be down as well.

Electric Boilers

Electric boilers are growing in popularity and prove a more environmentally-friendly option. In principle, how they work is the same as regular gas boilers, but instead of heating water via gas, they do so via electricity.

Advantages of Electric Boilers

- Electric boilers are quiet, which may be an advantage to homes with multiple occupants.

- Similar to combi boilers, electric boilers work best in smaller homes due to how compact they are.

Disadvantages of Electric Boilers

- Electric boilers can be costly, with gas boiler options a much cheaper alternative.

- Electric boilers can be disadvantageous to larger homes as there are limits on how much hot water can be produced at one time.

Although these three most common boiler types were explained, there are less popular boiler options that you may wish to consider. Most importantly however, when choosing a boiler for your home be sure to get in touch with a Gas Safety Registered engineer to discuss your choices with an expert.

Although these three most common boiler types were explained, there are less popular boiler options that you may wish to consider. Most importantly however, when choosing a boiler for your home get in touch with a Gas Safety Registered engineer to discuss your choices with an expert.

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