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Buy a Combi Boiler Online
Which Boiler is Best in 2020 – Buyer’s Guide
This is one of the most complete boiler buying guides on the internet and helps you to find the best boilers suitable for the size of your property. Before you buy a combi boiler online, it’s worth taking a look. We explain the different types of boilers available:
- Combi Boilers
- Open Vent Boilers (also called regular or conventional boilers)
- System Boilers
We look at which boiler is best for the following type of properties:
- Flat/1-2 Bedroom House + 1 Bathroom
- Semi-Detached, Mid or End Terraced House – 3 Bedrooms – 2 Bathrooms
- Detached House/Bungalow – 4+ Bedrooms – Multiple bathrooms
We also look at the best boiler brands in the UK and rank them in terms of energy efficiency, reliability, durability and quality of internal components.
Worcester Bosch vs Viessmann Combi Boilers
Before you buy a combi boiler online, it’d be a good idea to look at this boiler comparison post comparing two of the best combi boiler brands in the UK. Both brands have been given the “Best Buy” award across several years in 2017, 2018 and 2019. But there’s a massive difference underneath the outer shells which make one of these boilers a definitive winner in terms of reliability, durability and efficiency.
Worcester Bosch have been the market leaders in the UK when it comes to residential boilers. Viessmann are world leaders in the commercial boiler space for a long time now, heating large stadiums, buildings, factories, royal palaces etc. around the world. Dipping their toes in the residential boiler space, they’ve brought their expertise and more to this arena. We review both brands in terms of energy efficiency, durability and reliability of internal components.
Best Combi Boilers
Combi boilers are an incredibly popular choice for homeowners in the UK for a long time now, and it’s never been easier to buy a combi boiler online. This is largely due to a couple of facts:
- Cheaper than Open Vent or System Boilers.
- Space saving: no need for attic tanks or hot water cylinders.
- Ease of installation; easy to set up for the installer.
- Compact Dimensions; some models may even fit inside a kitchen cabinet.
- They may be more energy efficient in some cases.
Best Combi Boilers are also, crucially, very compact. Which is why they are perfect for smaller homes….
Storage Combi Boilers
Combi Boilers with a Thermal Store for Larger Properties
Before you buy a combi boiler online, it would be prudent to consider storage combi boilers. In simple terms, a storage combi boiler has a hot water storage cylinder housed within the boiler unit itself. Storage combi boilers used to be floor standing larger boilers, but by leveraging latest technology and innovative thinking, some manufacturers have pioneered wall-mounted, compact storage combi boilers.
Smaller sized storage combi boilers are well suited to larger apartments or flats with a family where there is no space for Open Vent or System Boilers, but the residents have high hot water demands. For example, if everyone in your home has to get ready and leave the house at around the same time, whether they’re going to work or to school, it helps to have a boiler capable enough to deliver hot water for bathrooms and sinks and washbasins simultaneously.
How a Combi Boiler Works
When you buy a combi boiler online, it’s good to do your research beforehand. Combi is short for combination, as explained in our previous post What is a Combi Boiler. They combine home heating and on-demand hot water within the same compact unit. In direct contrast, Open Vent (also called Regular, Standard or Conventional) boilers and System Boilers heat water that’s stored in a tank. How a combi boiler works (at least a modern combi boiler) is:
- They have two heat exchangers inside them;
- 1. A primary heat exchanger. (For central heating)
- 2. Secondary plate heat exchanger. (For hot water)
- Primary heat exchanger heats and recycles the water that goes through the pipes into the radiators.
- Secondary plate heat exchanger heats up the hot water that goes into your taps.
How much do Combi Boilers cost?
When you’re going through the options for a new combi boiler, it’s important to consider the cost of the installation as well. Research is always useful – not just to ensure you’re confident with a decision, but to help you to understand exactly what you’re paying for.
Some things that can be easily be overlooked during an installation, but must be included to ensure your boiler can work at it’s given capacity. Some of these include:
- Magnetic Filter
- Power/Chemical flush
- Boiler relocation
- Thermostats
- Additional unplanned work
To help develop your understanding of this, we recommend reading through our ‘How much does a boiler cost in 2020?‘ article.
Taking time to assess how your money is spent on a new boiler can be incredibly rewarding in the long run. With the right high-quality boiler from a reliable manufacturer, you could be saving a lot more money than you think.
