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What is a Heat Only (aka Immersion/Regular) Boiler? Pros, Cons & Costs.

A heat only boiler (also known as an immersion, conventional or regular boiler) is the traditional heating system found in the UK. If you have a large tank of water in the loft and a hot water cylinder in an airing cupboard, you have a regular boiler.

It’s important to understand the price to get a heat only boiler won’t be the same as your neighbour’s because each installation is unique depending on the house. If you’re looking for accurate and precise prices, get in touch for a no obligation quote of the range we can offer you to choose from


What is a heat only boiler?


Heat only boilers are one of the oldest types of boilers around. They are also known as ‘regular traditional’ or ‘conventional’ boilers. In the industry, they are known as ‘heat only’ boilers, because they will produce hot water for central heating system.

A heat only boiler is fed cold water from a water storage cistern (commonly called a ‘tank’) which is stored in the attic. It also requires a hot water storage cylinder to be able to provide hot water for daily use. If you’d like to learn more about how a conventional/regular version differs from combi and system boilers, you visit our article about different boiler types here.


How does a regular boiler work?


To provide heating, cold water from the cistern in the loft feeds down to the boiler. The cistern is usually as high above the boiler as possible to help improve the water flow in your system.


When you fire up the boiler (either by turning on the hot tap orswitching on the heating), that cold water is then warmed up by a heat exchanger. The heated water is then pumped to a hot water storage cylinder (which is usually in an airing cupboard) where it is stored and circulated until you need it. From there, valves will direct the hot water to either your heating or your taps/outlets.


Difference between heat only and system boilers


A heat only boiler and a system boiler are very similar in that both rely on a hot water storage cylinder to keep a store of hot water ready for your taps. The key difference, however, is that a heat only boiler is supplied with cold water via a cistern in the attic, while a system boiler takes its water supply directly from the mains. This means that you don’t need to have a cold-water cistern in your attic.


Difference between heat only and combi boilers


combi boiler is a more modern system, and the most installed type of boiler in the UK today. A combi boiler is an all-in-one unit that does not need a cistern in the attic or a hot water cylinder. The combi takes its cold-water supply directly from the mains and heats it on demand. This means that there is no large store of hot water, so they are generally only recommended for small to medium-sized homes which use less hot water.


Is a heat only boiler right for your home?


There are many things to consider when choosing which type of boiler is right for your home. It’s good to weigh up the pros and cons so that you get the most suitable set-up for your needs.


Pros of heat only boilers


Can meet high demand for heating and hot water


If you live in a home with several bathrooms or have an especially high demand for heating and hot water, a heat only boiler is a great choice. With its large storage capacity for hot water, it means multiple taps and outlets can be used simultaneously.


Simple to replace an older system


If your home already has a heat only boiler system, it will prove less disruptive and costly to simply replace it with a newer version.


They've become more efficient


Heat only boilers that are non-condensing should be replaced with a new condensing one, as it will make your energy consumption much more efficient and help to reduce the cost of your bills. Some heat only boilers can now reach efficiencies of as high as 97%.


Fit an immersion heater as a backup


To ensure that you won't go without hot water if your boiler breaks down, you can fit an electric immersion heater to the hot water cylinder for an alternative way to heat the water.


Solar compatible

Most new heat only boilers can work with solar thermal panels to generate warm water using energy from the sun. You will just need to ensure that the cylinder and model you chose is solar compatible.

Cons of heat only boilers


Take up a lot of room


Since you need space for a cold-water cistern and hot water storage cylinder, heat only boilers aren't suitable for homes with limited space.

Hot water isn't instant


Due to the hot water being stored in the cylinder, once it's used up you will have to wait for it to refill before you can use hot water again. It's important to think about how much water is used around your home when choosing a water cylinder as they come in different capacities. See our quick guide below:




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