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These days, everyone seems to be switching to combi boilers, but have you thought about why you should actually keep your hot water tank system?
People are choosing modern combi boilers because you never run out of hot water, and they seem to be efficient too. There’s a misconception that hot water tank systems are old-fashioned and don’t run as well. But I’m here, alongside Hot Water Association, to discuss why you should keep your hot water tank heating system.
Good For Large Households
In our current three-bed home, a combi boiler would work perfectly for all our needs, but when we do move to the next house (full of potential blog renovation projects!), we’re hoping for 4 bedrooms, and 2 bathrooms.
If you’ve got a big family, and find the children are constantly fighting over who will go in the shower next, then you’ll find a hot water tank system is much more beneficial. You can have multiple showers and taps running, and the system will be able to cope without dropping too much pressure.
Although a combi never runs out of hot water, you’d see a huge difference in water pressure if someone was doing the dishes at the same time that you’re in the shower.
You Get To Keep Your Airing Cupboard…
This is a big plus for me because I love putting towels and bedding in the airing cupboard. Not only is it a useful storage space for these kinds of bulky items, but I find it keeps them fresher for longer once they’ve been washed, and they won’t start to smell musty either.
…But It Doesn’t Have to Take up Space
If you’re thinking of switching to a combi* just to be rid of the airing cupboard that’s taking up wardrobe space, then don’t make the switch just yet. Did you know your hot water cylinder can be moved pretty easily?
There are misconceptions that a new cylinder needs to stay in the same place as the current one. Newer cylinders can be placed in the loft, if your house is insulated enough, and would free up the old cupboard space for a shower, a new wardrobe, or something else.
So don’t let a bulky hot water tank put you off this type of system.
Provides More Eco Opportunities
Although, arguably, a combi boiler would run just as efficiently as a hot water system, you should keep your hot water tank because it opens up more opportunities for things like solar panels.
According to Stuart Elsy from the Hot Water Association, solar panels can supply up to a huge 60% of your hot water in a year, even in the UK when sunny days can be rare.
Why do I have a combi boiler and a water tank?
Have you noticed that your home has both a combi boiler and a water tank? It may be that you have a system known as a ‘storage combi boiler’.
Whereas a combi provides instant hot water when you need it, so you don’t need a hot water tank, a storage combi system has the ability to store hot water in a separate cylinder. This is ideal for large houses with multiple appliances or showers.
Do you have a combi or a hot water system? Have you had any issues with your current system?
Sarah is the creator and founder of Dream of Home, a website that began during Sarah’s first home renovation project. Since then, the site has grown and Sarah produces content around all things home, including home decor, DIY projects, renovation tips, inspiration and more. In her spare time, she loves to read and garden.
On the advice of a Valiant “Engineer” he fitted a combi feeding a cylinder and we lost our nice airing cupboard, We now have an ugly mess of pipes, (we are now in the process of getting rid of it all) The half truths about combi’s abound.
They are much bigger than in those pretty adverts and specs. The upper flue pipe system has to be added to the claimed height making a combie 700mm boiler almost a metre in height (so much for inside a kitchen cupboard).
They need a largish partical filter to be cleaned regularly as combi’s force radiator residue into the heat exchanger. They require larger gas feed pipe (22m-32mm instead of historic boiler’s 15mm dia). We think they liitle quieter than our previous small (500mm) Gloworm cast iron, heat only boiler.
They are complex and require regular watching and annual servicing. The efficency in reality is a matter of conjector, juding by the large gas feed pipe. They switch on and off every time you turn a hot tap on, They need a series of large 22mm copper pipes going to from the so called “small” boiler including a plastic 22mm problem prone condensation pipe, again not shown in those twee boiler photos. We have come to value our cylinder and immersion heater as a means of simple trust worthy hot water, we have doubts relying on our combi.
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Thank you for your comment. I do think many people feel the same way and are realising that the conventional systems are still the best way forwards, particularly for larger households with more demand for hot water.
Nice blog. Thanks for sharing.
Great insights! It’s easy to overlook the benefits of a hot water tank system, especially for larger households. The added advantage of maintaining water pressure and the potential for eco-friendly upgrades like solar panels really make a strong case. Plus, keeping that airing cupboard is a bonus! Hot water tanks, whether for residential or commercial water storage, offer more flexibility and long-term benefits than many realize. Thanks for shedding light on this!