01st July 2022
For anyone in an area with low water pressure, a conventional boiler could be the perfect choice. Unlike combi boilers, they require both a hot water storage cylinder and a water tank and can provide large volumes of hot water to multiple bathrooms. They’re also known as heat only boilers, traditional boilers, open vent boilers, and regular boilers, and are a great option for older homes with lots of extra space.
How Does a Conventional Boiler Work?
Cold water from the tank is heated up in the hot water storage cylinder, which feeds into the household’s taps and faucets. Conventional boilers are either sealed or open vented. In sealed systems, the boiler doesn’t have a feed and expansion tank and is closed to the atmosphere, whereas open vented systems are open to atmospheric pressure and do have a feed and expansion tank, helping to accommodate water loss from leakage or evaporation. The water tank in the loft maintains the right water level whilst a pump circulates the hot water to your home’s radiators.
Conventional boilers can provide water to multiple bathrooms at the same time, so if you’ve got a large and busy family, this might be your ideal home heating solution. In addition, they’re a great choice for homes which have older radiators, as they may not cope well with the higher water pressure supplied by system or combi boilers. A conventional boiler should also be the first choice for homes which already have a conventional system in place as relatively little pipework will need to be replaced, making the installation process quick and easy. Finally, conventional boilers are compatible with solar heating systems, allowing you to lower your carbon emissions and saving on energy bills.
Why choosing the conventional right boiler is important
Choosing the right boiler will ensure that your home is heating efficiently without any energy wastage. The wrong type of boiler will lead to high energy bills and long delays in hot water reaching your home’s outlets. It’s always important to double check which boiler directly suits your home based on its layout, but don’t worry; we can help with that.
Conventional boilers can heat homes with up to 7+ bedrooms and more than one bathroom. If your home is large in size, you can still enjoy hot water from all outlets without the flow of water getting weaker. Unlike combi boilers, conventional boilers heat incoming water to then be stored in a hot water cylinder for later use. Be aware though that you will need to programme your boiler to heat the water in your cylinder, so you have plenty for when you need it.
How do I know if a conventional boiler is right for my home?
There are a few ways to tell if a conventional boiler is suitable for your home. The most obvious way to tell is the current layout of your central heating system. If your home only has a boiler, and hot water cylinder installed but doesn’t have a loft-installed tank, your current boiler is a regular boiler. Like-for-like regular boiler swaps tend to be a lot easier for engineers.
Regular boilers are the most traditional form of heating in the UK. Although they are still in use today, their popularity has fallen recently in favour of combi boilers. Despite this, a regular boiler could still serve your heating needs effectively. There is also a feed and expansion tank, located in your loft, which is filled with water. It keeps your heating system’s water levels relatively constant. It also incorporates a safety device whereby if there is too much hot water in the system it will fill the tank then exit through the overflow.
