Combi boiler

[Tilly2]

Why do you have to wait so long for the hot water to come through? Our other boiler wasn't like that. What a waste. They don't tell you about that before you buy them.

[VHG]

A combi boiler heats the water as and when you need it.

Your old boilder probably had a hot water tank that was warmed up a couple of times a day so you had hot water on demand.

>>>They don't tell you about that before you buy them.

If you do a bit of your own research before they fit a new boiler the fact the water is heated "on demand" in a combi would have been explained very early.

Not there fault if you did not do any research yourself (or even ask some basic questions).

I considered a combi a couple of years ago when my boiler was changed and "heat on demand" was the reason I did not fit one.

[The Builder]

If you leave a combi on (hot water) it incorporates a small storage vessel that gives you some "instant" hot water.
If you turn it on from cold, it'll take some time to replenish the vessel.

[jomifl]

You could try insulating the hot water pipe that supplies your hot taps, it's cheap and could be quite easy.

[Tilly2]

We do still have a hot water tank. The water is on twice a day but it still runs cols for a minute or so before the hot water comes through.

[Tilly2]

^cold

[bednobs]

it might be just your boiler then - ours doesn't run cold for anything like a minute - more like 10 seconds

[Tilly2]

Perhaps, I'm exaggerating a bit, boxtops. However, I still do not understand why we have to wait for the hot water.

[bednobs]

what do you mean you don't understand? Do you know how a combi works? have you read any of the helpful replies from vhg/the builder?

[Tilly2]

Are you telling me off bednobs?
Sorry I got your name wrong previously by the way.
Well, I didn't understand VHG's response because my boiler does not heat up water as and when I want it. We have a hot water storage tank. I thought it was a condensing boiler that heated on demand.

[carrot99]

My combi boiler gives instant hot water in the kitchen where it is sited but the hot water tap in the bathroom upstairs is cold for about 10 seconds but I add cold to the basin anyway as when it comes through hot it is too hot. I could turn the water temperature down but I've never really thought about it...

[bednobs]

i am not telling you off at all. Actually i don't understand now - i thought you didnt have a tank with a combi - we certainly don't. As far as i know (of course i could be wrong) my boiler runs of the cold mains supply, and when i turn the hot tap on, cold water comes out of the mains and gets heated by my boiler immediately. this means if i had unlimited fuel i could have as much hot water as i needed/wanted, whereas with a tank i am limited to how much the tank holds

[Tilly2]

I have just googled the model of my boiler and it's a Baxi Solo 15 H REGULAR boiler. So it's not a combi or a condensing one.
We bought it in 2008.
Sorry, I did think it was a combi. I tell everyone it's a combi. I thought they had to be combi. How little I know!

[bednobs]

ok - actually i have no idea about any other types of boiler than combi because we've always had combi boilers (i have no idea what condensing means in this context for example)

[baza]

had kitchen done last year with a new boiler fitted, choice of combi take out hot water tank or condenser leave water tank, went for condenser type.
our old boiler lasted 20 years.
the condenser type i think burns off the fumes or something anyway its all to do with GREEN stuff and ripping off the public.

[Sipowicz]

http://www.boilerguid...hat-is-a-combi-boiler

[Sipowicz]

More info.
http://www.boilerguid...ndensing-combi-boiler

[Tilly2]

Thanks for clearing that up, everyone. I obviously don't have either a combi or a condensing boiler (but I still have to wait for the hot water to come through and I didn't before.)