Is a system boiler right for you?

Combi boilers? System boilers? Regular boilers?! If you’re scratching your head over which boiler type will suit your home, we’re here to help. In this guide, we’ll be taking a closer look at system boilers. Unlike combi boilers, a central heating system with a system boiler installed includes a hot water cylinder for water storage. Combi boilers are mains-fed, which means that there isn’t a need for a tank or cylinder to be installed (as long as you have sufficient mains water pressure). Regular boilers (also known as heat only or conventional) also require a cylinder, with the addition of a loft-installed water tank. System boilers are an excellent choice for larger households with busy families, while also improving your home’s energy efficiency.

Why choosing the right system boiler is important

Choosing the wrong boiler can get pretty ugly especially when it comes to trying to save on energy bills or guaranteeing the correct flow of hot water. The wrong type of boiler will lead to extortionately high energy bills and long delays in hot water reaching your home’s outlets.

System boilers can heat homes with up to 7+ bedrooms, so the sky is almost the limit for this type of boiler. Unlike combi boilers, system boilers heat water to then be stored in a hot water cylinder for later use. This is great for homes that require a lot of hot water for several outlets.

How do I know if a system boiler is right for my home?

There are a few ways to tell if a system 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 a pressurised hot water cylinder like a megaflow installed but doesn’t have a loft-installed tank, your current boiler is a system boiler. Like-for-like system boiler swaps tend to be a lot easier for engineers.

If you haven’t got a system boiler installed, or still unsure about which size system boiler you’ll need, there are a few factors you’ll need to consider before you choose a boiler (don’t worry, we can help you find the boiler you’re looking for). Your household’s demand for hot water, which is essentially how much hot water you’re likely to use, will decide the size of the boiler you need installed. A system boiler will pre-heat water and store the heated water within a cylinder; therefore you can determine exactly the output you’ll need based on the demand for hot water and the size of your property.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of system boilers?

Pros of system boilers

• A system boiler can supply hot water to multiple outlets at once without dropping in water pressure. This is due to the fact that this is being supplied from the storage cylinder at a constant pressure.
• System boilers take up less space than regular boilers as they do not need a loft-installed cold water tank.

Cons of system boilers

• System boilers only heat water ahead of time, so you will need to make sure that your boiler is on a regular timer to fit around your routine to ensure you have hot water when you need it.
• You can run out of hot water as your cylinder can only hold a certain amount of water. Once you run out of hot water, you’ll have to wait for the cylinder to fill before you can use hot water again.
• System boilers take up more space than combi boilers, which do not require a hot water cylinder.