What are the advantages and disadvantages of a combi boiler?The combi, or combination, boiler is now the bestselling boiler type for gas central heating in Britain, but they are not for everyone. What are their advantages and disadvantages?
Pros of combi boilers.Instant, unlimited hot water supply – you never have to wait for your hot water tank supply to be replenished
An economical choice for smaller households with lower hot water demands. More efficient and cheaper to run for hot water supplies
Cons of combi boilers.
My new boiler has a Sedbuk energy rating. What does it mean?![]() The Sedbuk label is the boiler equivalent of the energy label found on domestic appliances such as washing machines, fridges and dishwashers.Sedbuk stands for 'seasonal efficiency of a domestic boiler in the UK', and has lettered ratings from A to G.The rating represents the average annual efficiency achieved in typical domestic conditions, making reasonable assumptions about how it's used, the climate, controls, and other influences. How Its Calculated.It's calculated from the results of standard laboratory tests together with other important factors such asboiler type and the kind of fuel used. This index, which was developed under the UK Government's Energy Efficiency Best Practice Programme with the help of boiler manufacturers, enables you to compare different models of boiler fairly.
What each letter means.Each letter rating represents a range of percentage efficiencies with A (efficiency of more than 90%) being the best and G (efficiency of less than 70%) being the worst. Conventional boilers are around 66-81% efficient, while condensing boilers are between 85% and 91% efficient.
New building regulations.New building regulations require that only gas boilers with Sedbuk A rating can be installed, unless it's too difficult or expensive, in which case an exception procedure must be applied for.
Click here to see the Sedbuk ratings of current boilers on the Boiler efficiency databse. Could I save money on my fuel bill?It's estimated that the average efficiency of boilers in UK homes is about 60%. This means they waste up to 40% of the heat they generate in the form of hot flue gases.
Using more of this escaping heat to warm your water, rather than the outside, would reduce the amount of gas you need to burn to keep your central heating piping hot. Using less gas will obviously save you money on your gas bill. The table below illustrates just how much a modern condensing boiler could cut your gas bills, suggesting savings of between £160 and £360 per year depending on the size of your house.
Annual fuel costs with different boiler types (source: Sedbuk)
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email - si240768@hotmail.com
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![]() Energy Efficiency Qualified Heating Engineer - Part L
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