HIGH EFFICENCY BOILERS
Most types of boiler can be high efficiency or `condensing` boilers. There are high efficiency boilers, system boilers or traditional open vent boilers. The term `condensing` or high efficiency applies to the technology which is used. This means the boiler recovers more heat from the ammount of gas that is burnt thereby making it more efficient than conventional boilers.
If your existing boiler is more than 15 years old, replacing it with a high efficiency boiler could save you as much as 35p in every £1 on the gas used for heating and hot water.
The high efficiency combination boilers are becoming an increasingly popular choice in UK homes and now account for well over half of all the new domestic boilers installed in Britain every year.
The major difference between a combination boiler and any other type of boiler is that a combi eliminates the need to store hot water, so there is no hot water cylinder in the airing cupboard. It is both a high-efficiency water heater and central heating boiler, hence the name. The space saving is due to the fact that there is no hot water storage cylinder, cold water storage cistern or other familiar components of a regular (conventional) heating system.
System
System boilers are often referred to as sealed system boilers, provide central heating and hot water via a storage cylinder housed in an airing cupboard. There is no need for water tanks in the loft, as with an open vent boiler.
Open vent
Open vent boilers, sometimes known as heating only boilers, provide central heating and hot water via a boiler, a storage cylinder housed in the airing cupboard and water tanks in your loft. If you are looking to do a full system overhaul most people opt to remove the tanks from the loft.
HOW SYSTEM BOILERS WORK
