Why does my house have 2 boilers?

[HouseSquirrel]

I recently bought a 3-storey, terraced house that is about 15 years old. There appear to be 2 boilers: a smallish one in a kitchen cupboard on the ground floor and a much bigger one on the first floor. Photos attached. Does anyone know if I actually need 2? I'm considering, at some point, updating them and hopefully getting a single, smaller, more efficient boiler ... I could certainly use the space in the cupboard on the first floor that is currently taken up by the big boiler.

Are they both in use?

The second picture isn't a boiler - it's a boiler mate. We have a similar system - but I can't claim to understand it. You could probably replace with a Combi boiler if you want, but system works well for us.

Yes! 🤷

How is recently 15 years ago ? And you only question this now ?

Ok apologies I read wrong

Is it a boiler and an immersion heater?

This might help www.gasapplianceguide.co.uk/Gledhill%20Boilermate%20explained.htm

Is that big thing a hot water storage tank?

No - it's a boilermate

So it is to do with heating water. Think we had one of them in the villa we went to in Spain this year

It helps provide mains pressure hot water

I think the idea is that it means you can have mains pressure hot water.

Cross posted!

Oooooooooooooh!!! What an education - thank you, wise people! @ffsnosexallowed that link was useful, thanks. Ok so it looks like I should probably leave everything as it is until the system expires. The previous owners of the house had made some modifications and I had been wondering if one of the 'boilers' was unnecessary, but it sounds not

We had our boiler replaced last year, and kept the boiler mate. Apparently they last for years, and although it's looks a bit like spaghetti junction it works fine.

Now I know there's nothing wrong with the set up I'm thinking that maybe I will treat myself to the Hive/Nest I've been eyeing! Off to read the threads about them!

I got a nest a week ago, I’m unconvinced so far. The first night I declared it to be utter crap and threw a massive strop. I’ve warmed to it a little (pun intended) but not being able to set a time the heating turns off is more than my simple brain can handle.