Storage combi boiler?

[quince2figs]

We have a 4 bed house, with bathroom and shower room upstairs, and downstairs wc and utility.
Current boiler is the original fitted 24yrs ago - yes, still going! - traditional with cylinder in airing cupboard and tank in loft. The controls for the boiler are starting to malfunction, and are too old to be be replaced - and the boiler must surely fail soon.

Mostly good water pressure, and both showers can be at on at same time without someone getting doused in cold. Issues are that I have been used to a combi in previous smaller house, and find it difficult trying to estimate how long we need water heating turned on for. Struggling for all 3 of us to have decent showers in same morning/evening as we then run out of hot water.

It would be great to have airing cupboard empty and tank out of loft for possible renovations. I have read about storage combi boilers - combi with tank fitted which boosts supply when needed, which sound like the best of both options. Could then remove cylinder/tank, I presume.

Have asked a couple of plumbers - one inexperienced guy just said fit a combi and didn’t discuss issues with insufficient supply.The other said just stick to current system and replace boiler when fails. neither knew anything about storage combis.

Anyone had experience of these? Any other options?

I don't know much about boilers but understand combi just heat up the water as and when needed so it's always hot.

We've just had a combi in and traditional cylinder out. So we have one shower on the combi and already had an electric shower in the other room.

We have replaced our 40 year old floor standing boiler and hot water cylinder (both working fine) this year with an unvented hot water cylinder and modern Vaillant boiler - condensing not combi. We have two bathrooms and the cylinder provides enough water for both bathrooms simultaneously with no loss of pressure. Our house has four floors. The cylinder is in the basement.

We also have a smart meter and the new boiler is so much more efficient. The cost difference is amazing. It's "cheap" relatively to have the heating on now. The cat is less impressed as what was the warmest place in the house next to the old boiler is no more.

@NigelHarmansNewWife that sounds a simpler option. Did you remove the old cylinder from an airing cupboard, and the tank from the loft?
Do you mind me asking the cost?

@EwwSprouts I’ve never used an electric shower, but am told they aren’t very powerful compared to those receiving water from GCH system. What do you think?

quince I’d agree with you except we bought thee most expensive mira electric shower we could find, and it’s fine. Don’t buy a cheap one, whatever you do!

Yes the cylinder was moved from the bathroom airing cupboard to the cellar where the water comes into the house - the new one is big - and the tanks in the loft are now redundant and will be removed. The cost was around £6k but it was complex. We had a load of lead pipework removed too.

Great, thanks all

We've got 3 showers and a combi boiler, I don't have any trouble in my shower. No one else whinges either and frequently I get in or out of the shower when someone else is in another one. I remember the builders doing a lot of calculations to prove it would work.

Thanks @Popopopipipi, do you know the details of your boiler, by any chance?

Worcester gas fired condensing combi boiler Greenstar 800 Life GR8300iW 45 C