Can anyone comment on the implications of installting a combi in a property which has a water meter?. My initial feeling is to retain the current hot water storage system due to wastage/run off from the combi on initial fire up,,thoughts anyone/recommendations?
Depends on the difference in distance from the storage tank and the combi to the taps - it may be that some taps will be further away and some nearer. I doubt it will make much difference in the end - you use a lot more cold water than hot in any case.
Combi's are available with small storage vessels to give fast water at the taps. You can fit a pumped secondary circulation loop, but you need to know what you are doing and they only work with certain combi's.
The poor flow rate of combis will encourage you to have water saving showers instead of baths and would probably save you significant amounts of water.
When turning a tap on, only open it a small amount, just enough to fire the boiler. Then open all the way when you hear the whoof of the gas igniting. That way, you only waste the cold water in the pipe, which is no different from a storage based system.
Christian.
Some people report a reduction in flow rate when they have a meter installed. You may want to check you are getting enough mains flow at the kitchen tap before deciding if a combi will be the best solution.
I had one customer who moved within the village from an old house with meter and a storage system to a new house with a combi and a water meter. His water consumption went up because of the run-up period of the combi every time it was asked for hot water. In fact his water bill in the new house was higher than the gas bill! Mind you the combi was a "simple" one without any preheat or internal store. In the end he installed a cylinder and storage tank as he wanted a decent airing cupboard as well a rapid bath fill. Afterwards his water bill went down significantly. The use of a combi with a hot water store would probably have overcome the water wastage but he wanted to go back to what he knew.
YMMV
Absolute madness.
Do you tango in Baggy Trousers?
The customer got something that worked better, and cost less... That would be madness how exactly?
No. well tailored.
It never worked better.
He paid a lot of money to have an antiquated system re-installed, which is madness. Stored water systems (cold tank in the loft) are virtually unique in the world to only the UK & Ireland. The rest of the world look at us and think we are mad and living in the past. They are right. If you have a decent mains flow, then a mains pressure system is the way.
This old geezer was either ripped off or poorly advised on what mains pressure appliance to use in the first place.
To rectify the problem he could have:
Additional, he says! Additional!!!!
Yep. It was all clear. Do you understand?
Since you've been running the duo-combi promotion for three months now, it must mean that you have a lot in stock or people aren't buying.
By now, we should all have six at the rate of two a time.....
You're not helping the manufacturers offload surplus stock before next April are you?
.andy
To email, substitute .nospam with .gl
One step beyond?
Do you have crystal balls? Did you not read John's post? He said "In the end he installed a cylinder and storage tank as he wanted a decent airing cupboard as well a rapid bath fill. Afterwards his water bill went down significantly."
Faster fill, lower cost = worked better, not open to debate.
Lets face it, a good proportion of the installed combis in this country are crap, underpowered, poor flor rate, non modulating, and inefficent. Just because you or I take the time to specify and install something that works better does not mean everyone else does.
I couldn't care about their stocks.
Yep and he doesn't too much either.
A decent airing cupboard is had by installing a small rad inside it, not by having half a cupboard filled with a large cylinder.
You didn't read. he was misadvised by a cowboy. The original combi could have stayed and an additional one installed for far much less than going back to Fred Dibnah technology.
About 90% modulate. Most are crap because the wrong models are fitted.
Combi's are efficient
I can't comment for fool, cowboys and idiots....and there are a lot of them around.
Of those available now, quite likely. Of those more primitive devices that loads of people have had stuck on the walls for the past 10 to 20 years, unlikely.
A sweeping statement that is not justified.
Of the 811 boilers listed in the SDA SEDBUK database, at least half the combis listed have an efficiency of 80% or less, and that is including all fuel types. If you restrict to just gas then getting on for 2/3 are
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