Combi v conventional boiler - aaaarrrggghhh !

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

We'll be getting a new boiler to replace our ancient conventional one as part of our kitchen/diner extension. I really didn't want to get a combi boiler, preferring the reliability of conventional boilers and the advantage of an immersion during any breakdowns.

BUT....... If there is any spare cash in the (very distant) future then we would also like to get a loft conversion done, with potential to put an en suite in thereat least). But if we go for a conventional boiler now then we'll have the problem of having a cold water tank up in the loft. Hmm......

So are there any other options? Opt for a crappy combi now just in case we happen to have enough money to do a loft conversion in 10 years' time? Or put in a conventional boiler and then risk potentially wasting a lot of money changing to a combi in the future for loft conversion?

We are in a 3 bed semi with 4 of us and currently just one electric shower running off the mains (we have quite a good flow). New downstairs toilet will have just loo and washbasin. We will need at least 3 new radiators as part of our extension.

Thanks

You can have a non-combi boiler (I think they're called system boilers) without having a cold water tank, you just get your supply straight from the mains - it's much more hygienic, anyway

you can do it with a pressurised (unvented) cylinder such as a Megaflo (trade name, there are others).

You will need a good flow of water all the way from the pavement main to the cylinder. This may necessitate replacing old small pipes with new bigger ones. Once you have good flow and pressure, which is dependent on the pipes, you will have unsurpassed hot water availability.

You can heat an unvented (or other) cylinder with any kind of boiler.

Thanks, both.

Piglet, I know you're a megalo fan but what about a system boiler that lalalonglegs mentions?

Megaflo!

Do not get a combi for a house with 4 of you... In my opinion they are only suited to flat/1 bed type properties. Otherwise the distances are too big for the pressure and it doesn't work and you're always running the hot tap for ages to eventually get a bit of lukewarm water.

Gosh, what is wrong with combo boilers? We have one in a 3 bed with 4 people (3 adults) and it's brilliant. Constant hot water, very economical, no problems at all.

A Megaflo is just a particular sort of cylinder, it has the feature of being pressurised. It needs a boiler to heat the water in it. A System Boiler is one kind of boiler that can heat it. A system boiler on its own does not provide hot tap water.

You can also heat a Megaflo, or other cylinder, with a conventional, or even a combi boiler if you prefer. A conventional is the least complex of the three; a combi is the most complex.

Extra complexity gives extra opportunity for faults.

A combi boiler needs replacing more quickly than a conventional boiler. If you get a combi now then its quite likely that you will have to replace it after ten years.