Does Your Home Need an Oil Combi Boiler?

oil combi boiler

Combi boilers are ideal for small homes as they’re very compact compared to other types of boiler. But does your home need an oil combi boiler?

To help you decide, we’ve made a list of its pros and cons.

Pros

Energy-efficient

A great advantage to oil combi boilers is that they’re energy-efficient. This is because instead of storing hot water they heat water straight from the mains when needed. So an oil combi boiler doesn’t waste energy heating water that sits in a tank and cools down.

Compact

Combi boilers are also popular because they’re compact. They don’t have an external cold water tank and hot water cylinder like regular boilers do, which means they take up much less space. Combi boilers can usually fit into cupboard or be installed on a wall, which makes them ideal for small houses or flats.

oil combi boiler serviced by technician

An oil combi boiler can supply hot water on demand

Another advantage to combi boilers is that they supply hot water on demand. You don’t need to worry about setting it to come on using a timer, just turn on your tap and you should get hot water for as long as you need.

Cons

Unsuitable for large households

Unfortunately, combi boilers are not suitable for large households. This is because they can struggle to provide hot water at a good pressure to more than one outlet at the same time. If you’re unlikely to need hot water from different places at the same time this shouldn’t be a problem. But if you have more than one bathroom or lots of people in your home, a combi boiler probably isn’t the best choice for you.

Hot water supply can be delayed

Another drawback to combi boilers is that they don’t always provide instant hot water. You will probably need to run your tap or shower for a few moments before you get hot water. If this doesn’t bother you then a combi boiler is a good choice, but if you would find this annoying you may want to consider a different type of boiler.

So now you should know a little more about oil combi boilers. If you want more information, advice or someone to fit a boiler for you, complete our online form. We’ll connect you with up to 4 OFTEC-registered boiler engineers in your local area.

Price

£1,000-£3,000 depending on make and model

Installation time

2-3 days


Advantages and disadvantages
  • Energy efficient
  • Small and compact
  • Get hot water on demand
  • Unsuitable for larger homes with more than one bathroom
  • Incompatible with solar thermal panels
  • May have to wait a few moments for hot water