MD Plumbing and Heating

What is the best combi boiler for a 2-3 bedroom house?

Whether it’s a one bedroom flat or a 3 bedroom house, combi boilers are sized according to the mains water flow rate coming into your property. If you have a low mains water flow rate for example of 9 litres per minute, a 24kw combi will easily handle that to give you sufficient hot water. There would be no added benefit at all of putting in a big 35kw combi, all this would achieve is a bigger hole in your pocket! Both from the cost of the boiler and the new gas run that would most likely be needed. Most houses are so well insulated these days so they don’t have the heat loss they did in the old days, so a 3 bedroom house with 10 radiators would only need 10-15kw for the heating so again a 24kw would be more than big enough for the heating side. Always get a gas safe registered engineer round to quote as he/she will best advise what boiler is suitable for your property.

What are the benefits of powerflushing?

Having a powerflush done will both greatly improve the efficiency and the life span of your heating system, saving you money on your heating bills and costly repairs. A powerflush will remove the sludge which has built up in your heating system. If a system is left untreated, the sludge will cause a range of problems such as: - cold radiators/ cold spots on them - Heating is slow to heat up - excessive system noise - cause your pump to keep burning out and need changing - cause 2 and 3 port zone valves to seize open or shut and burn the motor out - cause leaks/ pin holes on your radiators - cause automatic air vents to leak - blockage on main heat exchanger and pipework. - block the plate heat exchanger on a combi so the hot water doesn’t get as hot or runs hot and cold. A boiler and heating system install is one of the biggest purchases in a property. A powerflush should be seen as an investment in your heating system to protect it and keep it running smoothly and efficiently as is was designed to do. You wouldn’t buy a brand new car and then never change the oil inside it, same thought process should be taken with looking after your heating system to ensure the water inside it is as clean and protected as possible.

What are the benefits of installing an unvented cylinder?

Unvented cylinders are amazing if you like powerful showers as they use your incoming mains pressure to give it its power, without the need for having tanks in your loft which feed shower pumps to give you the pressure, this can take up valuable storage space and also the pumps can be noisy and cause an annoyance. They are also good for larger properties with more than one bathroom as they allow for multiple water draw offs to be used simultaneously without a noticeable drop in flow or pressure. Please bear in mind though, to achieve this the incoming mains needs to be of sufficient pressure and both the pipework coming into your house from the street and the pipework feeding the cylinder and your taps etc, needs to be a big enough diameter to cope with the larger flow rates. In short, if the pressure is too low, or the pipework is too small, your not going to achieve the desired flow rates and you won’t get the full benefit from the unvented cylinder. Always get a plumber who is qualified in G3 unvented hot water to quote you as he will have the knowledge to best advise you if an unvented cylinder is the right option for your property.