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Original poster

How do you manage to have a decent bath with a modern combi boiler

128 replies

theblackradiator · 26/11/2022 17:53

I have just replaced my 20 odd year old super reliable fantastic back boiler for one of these so called modern wonders (haha) combi boilers. I was advised to due to energy efficiency and running costs and I also struggled to find a gas safe engineer to service old boiler as younger guys now are not trained to service them. so I thought I'd go ahead and modernise and my god how I regret it! so much so I could cry it feels like a total downgrade compared to my old mid 90s backboiler. Running the bath takes a good 20 minutes or more longer, water no where near hot enough for a decent bath as boiler will only heat up to 65 degrees and by the time the bath is filled its going cold. we are a house that absolutely loves and needs baths to help with the aches and pains I suffer from. the central heating seems to work OK but to be honest I think old boiler kept the house consistently warmer and as for running costs I've noticed no difference at all as yet (according to my smart meter readings). no idea of the reason for my long post sorry, I just wanted to vent but if anyone does have any ideas of how to improve my bath water other than boiling the kettle! then any advice welcome. honestly feel I've just totally wasted £3000 to downgrade.

OP posts:
lobsterkiller · 27/11/2022 19:34

I have the same model but larger capacity 35 I think. I'm in a 3 bed semi, it's not a small semi but not huge. I have 8 large radiators.

Fireyflies · 27/11/2022 19:38

I could never get mine quite hot enough with a combi boiler. I used to waste a bit of water warming the bath before I put the plug in, and add a kettle of boiling water in the winter.

SheWoreYellow · 27/11/2022 19:44

I wonder if you need to get the plumber back and talk about water pressure.

Also, that boiler is only £1,000 at Screwfix, I hope you had some other work done as well as its installation?

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ClaudiusTheGod · 27/11/2022 19:45

I feel your pain. I hate my combi. I do what pp have suggested. Run the hot tap slowly so the water has time to be heated by the boiler. If I won the lottery it’s the first thing I’d rip out and replace.

MooseAndSquirrelLoveFlannel · 27/11/2022 19:49

We had a Worcester combi in the old house and it did take an age to fill the bath as the water ran slower. But i would fill it up then add cold to get the right temp. The hot was still scolding.

My new house has a newer boiler, but it's a hot water tank and I miss the combi as you never run out of hot water. We have to plan showers now as there are 5 of us and it'll just about manage 3 showers off one tank unless the 13yo goes first and uses all the hot water

Isleoftights · 27/11/2022 19:49

1989 boiler here. Advice from plumber friend......'don't change it for a newer model'.

Floydthebarber · 27/11/2022 19:55

I find I need to turn off the central heating (knock down the thermostat) to get hotter water into the bath quicker. But our combi boiler is about 20 years old now so not very efficient. When the heating isn't on I can fill a scorchio bath very quickly. Have you looked at the temp controls on the boiler, might just need adjusting.

Duvetdweller · 27/11/2022 20:02

We had a crap combi and upgraded it to a Worcester. It was brilliant and then we had an extension and they told us to get a new one but it’s been fine even with the extension. I do think you get what you pay for

JessicaPeach · 27/11/2022 20:02

We have a 3 bed semi and a Worcester combi and our water is boiling, never had even a hint of an issue.

shinynewapple22 · 27/11/2022 20:15

Sounds like you have problems with your water pressure if it's taking you 20 minutes to run a bath .

loislovesstewie · 27/11/2022 20:18

I have an Ideal Logic, fitted 2 months ago. The previous was also an Ideal Logic. The preheat function is so that you have hot water from the small tank in the boiler immediately available to you and then the boiler is heating up more water so that you don't have to waste water before the hot comes through. The water we have is very hot, no issues at all. I'm wondering if you have the settings too low, so that the pressure is not enough. Check the pressure on the boiler and the water temp and also make sure your radiators don't need bleeding. The good thing is that your boiler will flash up messages telling you what is wrong so have a look to see if it is saying low pressure.

Shodan · 27/11/2022 20:19

I have a Vaillant and agree with a pp- run the hot tap only on a trickle to get it going, as it were. Then turn it on more fully- but don't add the cold water yet. I've found that if I add the cold too soon, the water 'forgets' how to be hot and I have to repeat the process.

tanstaafl · 27/11/2022 20:21

How many radiators do you have OP?

Hugasauras · 27/11/2022 20:21

Could be a pressure issue. We have a system boiler and cylinder as we have a big house and a combi wouldn't be powerful enough for us in terms of pressure if we have several things going on at once, Did your plumber speak about options?

Hugasauras · 27/11/2022 20:22

It's weird they didn't suggest a system boiler if you already have the cylinder or set-up for one. I guess it's probably too old to be compatible now or something.

loislovesstewie · 27/11/2022 20:24

You don't have a corner bath do you? The only time we had issues, not with this boiler, was when we had one of those. They take ages to fill and don't seem to keep the water hot. We got rid of that bath for a straight bath and the water stayed hot.

IwishIwasSupermum · 27/11/2022 20:25

We had this with our old Baxi Combi, to get a decent hot shower bath we had to have another cold tap running. We’ve upgraded to a Worcester Combi, a bigger one, no issues at all, mega hot showers and baths, maybe the size of your boiler isn’t right for the size of your house.

UsingChangeofName · 27/11/2022 20:29

Agree with most. It isn't a "combi boiler" issue.
We are on our 2nd combi and both have been fine.
Our baths don't take long to fill up and I have to add cold water, even though we don't have the water at 65 degrees.

HippeePrincess · 27/11/2022 20:33

I don’t run the water on completely full, we have a bit of a sweet spot where the best water temperature to flow ratio happens.

rwalker · 27/11/2022 20:34

Absolutely nothing to do with water pressure
Or radiators
in very simple terms
combi boilers heat the instant hot water by passing it over the flame the slower the water passes over the flame the hotter the water don’t turn your tap full on
also this time of year the cold water coming into the house will be colder so boiler will have to work harder to heat it

we have the same boiler just run the tap slower

as someone pointed out boiler cost about £1000 to convert from cylinder system to combi is a lot of work u have not been ripped off at £3000

WaddleAway · 27/11/2022 20:38

This is why I’m clinging on to my 30 year old boiler 😂. Even our plumber said to keep hold of it until it dies as we’d be hard pressed to find a new one as good without spending a huge amount of money.

tootiredtospeak · 27/11/2022 20:40

I had this when I changed my tank for a combi got the engineer back and he said I was turning my taps on wrong. So I was turning them all the way to the left like I did before when I had the tank and I needed to turn them into the middle. No idea why I still dont really get it but it's so much hotter if you do this.

Fleabigg · 27/11/2022 20:41

We’ve never had this issue, I’m another who had to turn the boiler temp down because the hot water was much too hot.

DappledThings · 27/11/2022 20:56

Never had an issue. I have a big roll-top bath and a 3 year old combi boiler. Fills in 10 minutes and always plenty hot. I use DC's bath thermometer so I can run it to the 41 degrees I like. If I leave it it easily gets to 44 and I have to top up with loads of cold.

BorgQueen · 27/11/2022 21:05

If your boiler HW temp is set at 65°, the water out of the taps is 10-15% cooler, which is still plenty hot enough given that 50° for 5 minutes will give you a third degree burn.

You should be able to add cold and therefore speed up the filling process but there is no way that 55°+ water is going to cool down within 20 minutes 🙄
I can get into our bath after DH has been in for 45 minutes and it’s still hot.

Just seen your picture, 24kwh is on the small side for a 3 bed house. Our 3 bed is small and our boiler is 28kwh.