A boiler for your home is an investment. Expensive and complex to install, a boiler needs to fit the existing home’s system, or a new setup will need to be installed. Pipework and radiators may need to be replaced to ensure that the boiler in your home runs optimally.
When choosing a boiler, there are three main types available.
1. Regular Boilers
A regular boiler is the most common type, and these models will provide only heat to the home. Professionals recommend the regular or traditional system when a home already has:
- Traditional heating
- Separate hot water cylinder
Homes that have older systems are best suited to the regular boiler because they’re more likely to have an old radiator system. High water pressure from other systems may be too intense for your current system.
These systems excel when:
- Water pressure is low
- The home has 2+ bathrooms
- Solar water heating is used
An additional cold water tank is required in the lift with a regular boiler.
2. System Boilers
System boilers incorporate many of the hot water system’s components into the unit itself. When choosing a system boiler, you will need a cylinder for the hot water, but these systems are quicker and easier to install.
You also won’t need an additional tank to hold the cold water.
System boilers are best for homes that have:
- Solar water heaters
- More than one bathroom
The system boiler is beneficial in many ways because it’s more economical to run, the components are built in to make installation easier, and there is no need to provide a loft tank, which takes up a lot of space in a smaller room.
System boilers will also provide your home with a constant supply of hot water.
3. Combination Boilers
Combination boilers work in two ways: hot water heater and central heating boiler. When choosing a combination model, you’ll choose a 2-in-1 system that doesn’t require a hot water storage cylinder or a cold water storage tank.
Energy efficient and cost effective, these models will heat water instantly rather than heating the water and storing it in a tank.
The design of a combination boiler allows for the same high pressure you’re accustomed to without the need of a separate pump.
Choosing a combination system allows you to benefit from a system that is ideal for:
- Smaller properties
- Spaces with little to no loft space
- Spaces with a risk of pipes freezing
Combination units heat the water instantly, allowing there to be no need for a hot water cylinder. There’s also no fear of the pipes freezing, and less pipework allows for a cheaper, easier installation, too,
When choosing a boiler for your home, you’ll find that most newer homes will offer a system or combination boiler. Regular or traditional boilers demand more space, are more costly to install, and are best installed in homes that already have a traditional hot water system and heating system in place.
A professional will help you decide which boiler system is ideal for your home’s setup and design.
