A good boiler is an essential part of any home, providing it with heat and hot water, and turning your house into a cosy and comfortable home. If you’re planning on having a new boiler installed, because you’re ready for an upgrade or because your existing boiler has packed up for good, you’ll no doubt be keen to choose a unit that best meets your needs.
There’s a lot of choice on the boiler market, but this can make deciding on your chosen unit a little overwhelming. In this post, we offer guidance on two of the most popular boiler types: system and regular boilers, so you can work out which is the right one for you.
System boilers - the facts
System boilers are newer to the market than regular boilers and are a popular choice for many new builds. One of the reasons for this is that they don’t require a separate cold water tank (or header tank) in the loft.
System boilers work with a hot water cylinder, which can usually work directly - heating water without running the boiler, or indirectly - through your boiler.
System boilers suit homes with a high demand for hot water, including homes with more than one bathroom. They tend to offer good water pressure and can run to multiple water sources at the same time.
With system boilers, hot water needs heating in advance but can then be stored in the cylinder for use throughout the day, which can be topped up again if your family needs extra for a shower or bath.
Regular boilers - the facts
Regular boilers are similar in some ways to system boilers, working with a hot water cylinder but also a separate cold water tank, or header tank, located in the loft.
Regular boilers suit large homes too and can run water to multiple water sources at once. Some people find the shower pressure is better with a system boiler, due to water from a regular boiler being influenced by the header tank above.
Regular boilers also need programming in advance, the same
as system boilers. This means you can’t just run a shower without planning it
advance as you can with combi boilers, which run directly from the mains.
Regular boilers have timers so you can set these for morning or evening - or both depending on your needs. This means you’ll have hot water for a bath, shower or the washing up when you need it.
Regular boilers are also sometimes referred to as traditional or conventional boilers, but these names mean the same thing.
Which one is right for you?
There are lots of advantages to both system and regular boilers. Each can work well in larger homes and homes with more than one bathroom.
If you are installing a boiler from scratch, for example in a new home, a system boiler can be the preferred option as you won’t need to install a separate header tank. A system boiler can also be the better choice if you are planning a loft conversion in the future.
The other thing to consider, however, is the installation cost. If you already have a regular boiler and have been happy with it, upgrading like for like can make the installation less costly and simpler. However, if your regular boiler isn’t working as well as you’d like in terms of pressure or you want to free up space in your loft, switching to a system when it’s time for a new boiler will make the most sense.
In addition to choosing between a system and regular boiler, you’ll also have a choice of size. Boilers are available in different outputs and, generally speaking, the more hot water you need, the more of a powerful output your boiler will require.
Boiler installation specialists in Wolverhampton
At Bog Standard Plumbing and Heating we offer system and regular boiler installation across Wolverhampton. With skills and experience in all elements of boiler installation, maintenance and repairs, we have the expertise required to fit your boiler safely.
If you’d like to arrange a quote or find any further information about system or regular boilers, get in touch with our Gas Safe registered engineers. We can be contacted by telephone on 0330 113 2248, by email at info@bogstandardplumbing.co.uk or by completing our contact form right here on our website.