Back boilers how do they work

Also known as combination boilers, combi boilers provide both heating and hot water all through one single unit. No additional water tanks or cylinders are required, so they occupy minimal space.

Combi boilers are also condensing, which means that they can recover and recycle latent heat through water vapour condensation — making them highly energy-efficient.

Typically, the process will include:. Although this may seem to be a costly expense, you should bear in mind that there are potential savings to be made with a new and energy-efficient combi boiler. Not to mention the quality of heating and hot water that combi systems provide. Our expert advisors can provide you with answers to your questions and our Gas Safe registered engineers can conduct a professional installation of your new combi boiler.

Try our free online quote tool today to get a free quote for your new installation. Get a new boiler. Saving calculated when replacing G-rated with A-rated boiler in a semi-detached house. Interested in all things fashion, travel, culture and a sprinkle of lifestyle, Tyeish is a Content Writer with a lot to say. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Living is your place to learn and explore. Get FREE no-obligation quotes now! What work do you need? Back boilers are, to put it frankly, relics from the s, 70s and 80s. They sit behind a gas fire or stove, tucked away in the wall, providing heating and hot water for the home. Back boilers are no longer being manufactured and are being replaced by modern units that are more efficient, compact and safer.

A back boiler fits in the recess behind a fireplace or gas fire. It uses the heat generated to produce hot water for central heating and domestic use throughout the home. The boiler itself is hidden behind the fireplace but needs a separate water tank and hot water cylinder to be stored somewhere else in the home.

In the s, 70s and 80s a back boiler was the best choice for many homes when compared to the traditional floor standing boilers that were roughly the size of a washing machine! At the time a back boiler was the cheaper option to install and was more energy efficient.

The back boiler relies on a very simple system with few components when compared to modern boiler technology and, as a result, has a reputation for reliability and endurance with many still operating today. It can also improve the energy efficiency of the fire or stove it is attached to. If a back boiler is still operating safely, it is possible to maintain it with regular servicing and avoid the cost of changing to a modern combi system.

However, you also need to consider that sticking with a back boiler is less energy efficient and will cost more in energy bills. In , in an effort to improve both boiler safety and the UK's energy efficiency, the government introduced new regulations. From that point all boiler installations — replacements and new builds — had to be condensing models.

While its only competition used to be huge floor standing units roughly the size of 2 washing machines , the back boiler is now overshadowed by modern condensing combi boilers which are compact, safer and more efficient. The cold water comes into the main system from a storage tank, the main system starts to heat the water, and after heating the water at the desired level, a pump delivers the water to the output. To keep the necessary pressure for all the output channel, it reserves the hot water in a tank or storage.

When people became able to find well-furnished boilers, back boilers failed to keep their necessity to them. With the development of technology, people are finding many drawbacks or disadvantages of back boilers. If you have this type of boiler , you need to be more cautious and take suggestions from the heating engineers. Your fireplace is also existing beside the boiler, because of the heat and gas being trapped in the weaker pipework, without the flue system an explosion may happen.

The government formed some regulations in , in and later also to restrict the usage of back boilers and to ensure public safety because they are not gas safe.

Though the presence of back boilers in houses is notable still, the decreasing rate is reminding us about the upcoming decline of back boilers is not impossible. Get a Fixed Price. Get Boiler Cover. Open 7 Days 8. How Do Back Boiler Fires Work Many types of boilers are available on the market with a remarkable number of modern facilities, still, now notable households in the UK are using back boilers.

Back boilers were popular until the Building Regulations changed in , when it became a requirement to install high efficiency condensing boilers. Although many have been replaced with wall-hung condensing boilers, there are still a large number of back boilers still installed in UK homes.

When replacing a back boiler, there are several extra factors that need to be considered, which you should discuss with your Gas Safe registered installer. Notice x.

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