Are you considering a combi boiler for your home, but have maybe been put off by some of the myths that have been circulating about having one fitted?

Well, if you’re worried about whether a combi boiler will be right for your home, we’ve put together some of the most popular myths and problems – and the possible solutions behind them.

1. Combi boilers are slow to fill a bath

This is an outdated myth, based on what used to be true around 10-15 years ago when combi boilers first became popular in the UK.

Old boilers were sized depending on how many radiators were installed in a home, and the size of your home’s hot water cylinder, so when engineers later replaced them with combis they fitted the same output.

To give you an example, a traditional two-bedroom house with one bathroom would need 24kw output to heat the entire home. However, this size of combi boiler will heat the home but can only heat 9.5 litres of water per minute.

Today manufacturers make an array of different outputs. So you can have a 32kw boiler that can give you 13 litres per minute.

SOLUTION: fit a larger output combi with a high flow rate.

2. Your hot water takes much longer to reach the tap

Another common early complaint with combi boilers, but not so much of an issue anymore as most manufacturers now have a preheat function on their boilers.

This means the boiler can keep a small amount of water hot, so when you go to wash your hands the water is hot almost instantaneously.

This function can also be turned off if you do not wish for your boiler to keep heating water all night or during the day while you are at work.

SOLUTION: Choose a boiler with a preheat function.

3. I won’t have an electric immersion or hot water tank as a backup if the boiler fails

This is one problem that actually is true, and if your combi boiler fails you will have no heating or hot water. However, combi boilers now come with excellent warranties which can last some 8 – 10 years.

The manufacturers are so confident because their products are tried and tested, and will not fail leaving you in the lurch.

We recommend choosing a boiler with the “Which Best Buy” stamp of approval for long term reliability and customer satisfaction, such as a Worcester or Valliant boiler.

SOLUTION: Buy a boiler with long warranty and “Best Buy” stamp of approval.

4. I heard combi boilers aren’t suitable for large homes

Similar to myth 1. above, the common assumption was that the outputs of combi boilers and the amount of hot water they produced – known as the flow rates – were not enough for larger homes.

This is simply not true, and many people now have homes with a bath and two showers being supplied by their combi boiler alone.

There are combi boilers which have a storage capacity. This is a small tank which is stored with water and heated, so when you open the tap there is stored water and water that can be heated instantly.

This means you can enjoy flow rates of up to 25 litres per minute; plenty hot water to run two showers simultaneously. Heat output to the radiators heating your home can be as much as 42kw. This is more than enough to heat a five bedroom, two bathroom home.

SOLUTION: Fit a storage combi/power store combi.

5. I have poor water pressure and have been told I can’t have a combi boiler

This can mainly be a problem in apartments and tenement flats, but there may be some ways to help improve your water pressure depending on where you live.

A combi boiler uses mains water pressure which is fed directly from the road outside. In a block of flats the 35mm pipe comes in to supply the block and branches off to each individual flat.

So, if there are 12 flats in the block and at peak times – like first thing in the morning when everyone is showering – the water pressure can reduce as there is more demand than can be supplied from this size of pipe.

It can also be a common problem where properties are built on a hill and are at the same level as the reservoir so no gravity pressure.

SOLUTION: Depending on your property, you might be able to improve your water pressure by installing a main booster pump or creating a break tank, although if you live in a flat your options may be limited.

Conclusion

A lot of the myths about issues regarding combi boilers are just that: myths. Usually there is a solution for finding the right combi boiler to work for you, and it really is worth the effort, as combi boilers are the most common and popular types of boiler in the UK.

We hope the above debunked myths have helped you to make a decision on whether a combi boiler would be a good fit for your home.

Do you have any concerns about installing a combi boiler in your home?