Combination boilers can save you money in the long run, and can be great if you need a small boiler, or one that can heat hot water virtually at the moment you need it, says Jeff Stienstra of Stienstra Heating and Cooling in Hudsonville, Michigan.
A combination boiler is a boiler that produces either hot water heat or steam heat, as well as domestic hot water. Its advantage is that you do not have to have a separate water heater. They are more compact and quite efficient. In fact, they are actually small, and some are so compact that you can hang them from the wall in your kitchen.
A combination boiler is also more energy efficient because it does not store so much of the water and keep it hot even if it is not being used. It heats water directly from the cold water main as water is needed. It is similar to standard boilers except it has a separate heating system that runs to your hot water appliances.
More Expensive To Buy
They are generally a little more expensive because they have additional engineering to allow the insertion of a coil for use with domestic hot water. The standard combination boiler heats water in about 40 seconds. That is continuous, which means that the water enters and leaves the heating coil in about four seconds. So you can have a continuous two-hour shower, or if you have a large family, they can all have showers one after one another without worrying that the hot water will run out.
Less Expensive To Run
Some people argue that combination boilers are more expensive to use for domestic hot water during the summer when the boiler would normally be off completely. But the money you save not storing 60 gallons of domestic hot water when it not being used will offset the cost of using the boiler during the summer.
If you are constantly running out of hot water or want to save costs in the long run, speak to your heating and cooling specialist about whether investing in a combination boiler is really the right choice for you. It will depend on your own requirements as well as the specifications of your home, so get a professional to help you make the right choice.
