What Is A Combi Boiler?
A combi boiler, also known as a combination boiler, is a central heating boiler that heats both water and your central heating.
It is a self-contained unit within itself. This is great as they are compact and offer you a way to maximise your space, as there is no need for any additional tanks or cylinders associated with other boiler systems.
A combi boiler is unique in the sense that it does not heat up and store hot water separately. Instead when hot water is needed the combi boiler fires into action and will heat your hot water on demand. This has increased their popularity over recent years due to their ability to heat on demand and not run out of hot water and their smaller design.
Pro’s Of A Combi Boiler
In addition to their compact design, they also offer a wide range of other benefits.
- They are highly efficient. There is a legal requirement within the UK for all combi boilers to be at least 92% efficient. This means that when you are paying for your energy usage only 8% (maximum) of the cost is lost. This means that firstly, you are not being wasteful with your energy consumption and you are reducing your property’s carbon footprint. Also, as you are paying for exactly what you are using you are also reducing your household bills, which when you have a larger property is always beneficial.
- They condensate. Again, there is a legal requirement for new combi boilers to be condensed. This means that the heat that previously would have been lost and escaped from flue pipes is now captured and then gets reused to preheat cold water in the future.
- Installation benefits. Due to their compact all-in-one design, they have the flexibility to be fitted in a wider variety of locations. Also, as a single unit, they can potentially be fitted over a short time duration and result in lower fitting costs.
- They work on demand. As they fire into action and heat hot water when needed it means that you are no longer using additional energy to keep a water tank hot.
- It influences your water pressure. A combi boiler works from the mains, so you should find that you benefit from a stronger flow of water when in use.
How To Choose The Best Combi Boiler For Your 5 Bedroom House
Sizing
When choosing a boiler for your 5 bedroom home, it is important to factor in the boiler sizing. This means power. A boiler’s power is measured based upon its output rating and is measured in kW. Combi boilers break this down further as they generate two output ratings. Once for the central heating which uses the abbreviation (CH) and for your domestic hot water (DHW)
When looking for the best combi boiler in the UK for your 5 bed house, you need to consider what your requirements will be. How many radiators will you require to heat? How many bathrooms do you have?
The higher the rating the more power and capability the boiler will have. If the output rating doesn’t meet the requirements for your house, you will find that the boiler could struggle and not meet the demands for your household, or alternatively that you are paying too much on your bills if your output is too high.
Know Your Budget
When it comes to boilers there are a lot of different factors that can influence your decisions. Not only is there the sizing requirements to consider but there is also the new boiler cost. If you want to stretch your budget or spread the cost of the boiler you can with boilers on finance.
When going ahead and making the decision to purchase a new combi boiler, the price can be influenced by many factors. There is the brand, the fitting costs and then the consideration of what this will do to your bills going forward.
In order to keep your boiler working to be efficient, you will want to continue getting it serviced yearly and make repairs if needed. Therefore it is worth understanding how likely the boiler will last and the cost for repairs (if needed in the future), when making financial decisions. To protect your new investment in a boiler you should think about adding a home warranty that covers major appliances and the home itself. You can see pricing options from 2-10 HBW to find the right fit.
Recommend combi boiler for 5 bedroom homes
You know that a combi boiler is now the best option for you but it can still be a struggle to identify the best combi boiler output in Uk for a 5-bed house.
Within the current market, there is a handful that stands out.
Baxi 800 Platinum + 40
This powerful combi boiler should comfortably manage and be able to heat up to 20 radiators and 2 bathrooms. Its output rating of 40kW makes this boiler suited to 5 bedroom properties as it can handle a higher demand for central heating and hot water needs.
With 5 bedrooms to heat, the added bonus with this boiler is its standard 10 year warranty, providing peace of mind as well as being a powerful combi boiler.
Worcester Bosch Greenstar 8000 Life 50
The Worcester Bosch Greenstar 8000 Life 50 is currently the most powerful combi boiler within Worcester’s range. It’s output rating for hot water sits as 50kW and allows this boiler to support and provide exceptional hot water heating for 5 bedroom properties that have 2 bathrooms and an ensuite. Its heating output rating sits at 35kW and will be able to perfectly handle 15-20 radiators within one property.
This boiler automatically comes with a 5 year warranty when fitted by any heating engineer, however, if fitted and installed by a Worcester Bosch accredited installer this gets extended to 12 years.
Ideal Heating Vogue Max Combi 40
The Ideal Heating Vogue Max Combi 40kW is a great option for properties with 5 bedrooms. Although it is not as compact as other boilers, its output of 40kW makes it a suitable option for 5 bedroom properties and is ideal for properties that have more than one bathroom or a bathroom and ensuite.
As standard the Ideal Heating Vogue Max offers a 10-year warranty, however if fitted by an Ideal Max accredited installer and heating engineer this warranty increases to 12 years.