Which boiler is right for me? Combi, system or regular
Choosing a new boiler usually comes down to three questions: how many bathrooms do you have, how much space do you have, and how good is your mains water pressure? In short: a combi boiler suits a flat or one-bathroom home, a system boiler suits a home with two or more bathrooms, and a regular (heat-only) boiler suits a larger or older property already set up with a hot water cylinder and loft tanks.
Here is how the three compare.
How each type heats your water
- Combi: heats water on demand, straight from the mains, the instant you turn on a tap. No hot water cylinder, no loft tanks. One compact unit does heating and hot water.
- System: heats and stores water in a hot water cylinder, so several taps and showers can run at once. It is a sealed, pressurised system, so there are no tanks in the loft.
- Regular (heat-only): the traditional open-vented setup, heating a cylinder that is fed by a cold-water storage tank and a feed-and-expansion tank in the loft.
Which boiler suits your property
- One bathroom, flat or smaller home → a combi. It is compact, gives instant hot water and is usually the lowest-cost option to install.
- Two or more bathrooms, busy household → a system boiler. A stored cylinder keeps the flow strong when showers overlap.
- Larger or older home on a traditional system, or low mains pressure → a regular boiler. A like-for-like swap keeps disruption and cost down, and it copes well with older pipework.
Pros and cons at a glance
Combi: compact and cheapest to fit, with endless on-demand hot water; but flow can dip if two outlets run together and it depends on good mains pressure.
System: great simultaneous hot water and no loft tanks; but it needs cupboard space for a cylinder, and hot water is limited to the cylinder before it reheats.
Regular: handles high, simultaneous demand and works with low pressure and old pipework; but it needs the most space (cylinder plus loft tanks) and has more parts than a sealed system.
What it means for the price
Our package prices are fixed and VAT-inclusive, with the flush, filter, thermostat and guarantee all inside the headline figure. A combi is typically the lowest headline price, a regular boiler sits in the middle for a like-for-like swap, and a system boiler is a little more because of the cylinder. Converting from one type to another (for example, a regular system to a combi) costs more because of the extra pipework, and an honest survey will always tell you so rather than hiding it. For real figures, see our guide to what a new boiler costs in Newport.
Still not sure?
That is exactly what our survey is for. Tell us about your home and how you use hot water, and we will recommend the right type, never the most expensive one. Start on the boiler installation page or get a fixed price, or call us on 01633 257230.