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A combi boiler is a ‘combination’ boiler. It refers to a type of boiler that can both heat up your water and distribute it through your central heating system.
It’s the most popular type of boiler in the UK, and actually a kind of condensing boiler.
The main advantages of combi boilers are that they’re compact – there are no water tanks taking up space – and they’re energy efficient, as they only heat up water as and when you need it.
Getting a new combi boiler for your home is easy with MoneySuperMarket, as we do all the work for you.
Answer a few questions about your home, and we’ll show you suitable models from our partners
Find a deal you like, click through, and give them your details so you can arrange your installation
A gas safe engineer will arrive on the day you choose and install your new boiler for you – and you’re done
A new combi boiler can cost anywhere between £1,000 and £3000, depending on the model, manufacturer, and features – plus installation costs.
To see how much it may cost for your home and find the best price, compare quotes with MoneySuperMarket now.
Combi boilers consist of two main parts: a water heater for your taps, and a central heating boiler for your radiators. When your central heating is switched on, it’s heating up the water and pumping it into the central heating system. Then when you turn on a hot tap, a valve diverts the heat to the water supply.
They’re a type of condensing boiler. This means the water is heated up using gas, with the hot air captured and recycled back into the system – which is what makes this kind of boiler so efficient.
They’re energy efficient
Lots of choice
Easy to install
Small in size
Less effective if your water pressure is poor
Lots of moving components that could break down
Not good at providing water to multiple showers at once
Combi boilers are a type of condensing boiler. In reality, almost all condensing boilers you can get in the UK these days are combi boilers, as they provide hot water for both your taps and your central heating.
Conventional boilers are an older type that take up much more space than combi boilers, as they rely on big water tanks. They’re also less energy efficient than combi boilers. On the other hand, a conventional boiler means you have a good supply of water ready at all times – great for large homes, or if you often need to use a lot of water at once.
System boilers are much the same. They use a water tank so they take up more space, and aren’t as efficient, but do have fewer moving parts so they’re less susceptible to breakdowns. And again, system boilers give you a supply of hot water ready at all times.
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When you order a boiler replacement, most boiler installers will be happy to take your old boiler away too. Some may include this in their service as default, but be aware that most will charge an extra fee to remove it for you.
You can request this service when you sign up to your new boiler installation.
Yes, combi boilers are much more energy efficient than older types of boiler. By only heating water up as and when you need it, they’re able to be more efficient than boilers that rely on water tanks.
Combi boilers – and condensing boilers in general – can achieve over 90% energy efficiency. Older types, meanwhile, can’t get above 70-80% efficiency.
Yes, you can.
Use our tool to compare quotes, and you’ll find a number of providers who will let you spread the cost of a new combi boiler over a longer period of time.
Some pipework will need to be adapted if you’re switching to a combi boiler from an older boiler type.
If your replacement boiler going in the same location as your old one, the engineer will need to fit new hot and cold water pipes to run into the boiler, as well as a new flue, and a new blow-off pipe to run outside. This is all part of a standard combi boiler installation.
You shouldn't need any new pipes for your radiators or the rest of your central heating.
Warranties on combi boilers are usually between seven and 10 years for a new one, but you can generally expect your boiler to last up to 15 years.
