Combi or Baxi Boiler?

At My Beautiful Kitchen we believe there are times when a back boiler is best

Today, when someone’s in the market for a new boiler the ‘go-to’ appliance of choice, is usually the combi boiler. And yes, this is an excellent type of heating system for your home. But combi boilers are not – and shouldn’t be – the first choice for every homeowner.

That’s because it’s far simpler and much less costly for some householders to opt for a back boiler instead. At My Beautiful Kitchen we believe that those who already have existing baxi boilers are far better going down this route. Why? Not just because it’s easier to replace a baxi boiler with a newer version rather than install a combi boiler, but it’s also down to the fact that the design of baxi boilers has come on leaps and bounds in terms of cost savings and energy efficiency over the last ten years or so.

When the original Baxi back boiler was introduced in the mid 60s, more than 80 per cent of homes with heating had one installed. However new building regulations in 2005 meant the appliance no longer complied with standard building regulations in terms of energy efficiency. And that’s when the upgrade – the Bermuda HE came into being (more on this later).

Baxi boiler heating systems – probably like the one most of us grew up with – consist of the boiler hidden behind the fireplace in the chimney, a cylinder in the airing cupboard and two water tanks in the attic. Like most appliances there are pros and cons to having one. These include:

Good points

• Can get hot water from more than one outlet at a time ie can run the bath while doing dishes
• Extremely reliable form of heating and hot water
• No need to re-site the boiler and alter pipework
• No major redecoration of your home necessary
• No need for air vents in the room
• Easy to use controls for boiler are located in the fireplace
• No need for flue inspections because it’s a one-piece
  Quiet

Drawbacks

• The boiler, cylinder and tanks necessary to run a back boiler can take up a lot of room in your home that you might have had earmarked for something else ie another bedroom in the attic
• Water pressure tends to be low

As we mentioned, one of the top condensing back boilers on the market is the Baxi Bermuda HE. The only highly efficient version currently available in the UK, its performance is down to the range of Valor Dimension fire fronts. It’s more compact than its predecessor the Baxi Bermuda and any of its competitors. And so efficient that the Energy Savings Trust claim fitting a highly efficient Band A back boiler such as the Baxi Bermuda HE can result in savings on heating for a typical household of around £375 a year. The LED illumination fire itself can cost as little as £6 a year to have on.

Hope this helps,

Team My Beautiful, x