The Benefits of Choosing a System Boiler
Choosing the right boiler can feel overwhelming, especially with so many models on the market. If you’re thinking of investing in a system boiler and researching why it might be the best choice for your property, you’re in the right place.
System boilers are a popular choice for homes that need reliable water and efficient central heating. This guide explains the benefits of a system boiler and the type of homes it suits.
We’ll walk you through the key benefits, typical installation considerations, and how system boilers compare to alternatives like combi or heat only. We’ll also explain which alternatives would be your best bet if a system boiler isn’t right for you.
H2: What is a System Boiler?
A system boiler works together with a hot water cylinder to provide central heating and hot water to our homes. The boiler heats water directly from the mains to warm our radiators, and fills the cylinder with boiling water for our sinks, showers and more.
To boil the water required to keep us warm and comfortable, system boilers use the mains as a heat source — or sometimes bottled gas or oil. System boilers are best suited to larger homes with several radiators and bathrooms, which always create more demand for hot water.
For a family of four or more, a system boiler could be the most efficient and convenient way to heat your home and your water.
H2: The Benefits of Choosing a System Boiler
H3: Provides hot water to multiple rooms at once
System boilers are a great choice if you live in a busy household that needs reliable hot water in multiple rooms at once. Because they store hot water in a separate cylinder, they can supply hot water to multiple taps, showers, or appliances without the pressure dropping or the temperature fluctuating. This makes them a good choice for larger families, homes with more than one bathroom, or households that need consistent hot water throughout the day.
H3: Compatible with renewable energy
The separate hot water cylinder also makes system boilers more compatible with renewable energy sources, like solar panels. Because the cylinders can store pre-heated water from a renewable energy system, they reduce the amount of gas your boiler needs day to day, helping lower your energy bills. When there isn’t enough sunlight to heat your water, your system boiler will step in to top up the temperature, so you always have a reliable supply of hot water.
H2: Benefits of a System Boiler vs Other Heating Systems?
The system boiler has several advantages over combi boilers and heat-only boilers. Let’s look at them individually.
H3: System boilers vs combi boilers
Like system boilers, combi boilers use circulating hot water to both power radiators and heat water, but they don’t use a hot water cylinder. Although the hot tap and shower water is heated up incredibly quickly, there are several reasons a system boiler might suit your home better than a combi:
If several people in a household all want hot water at the same time (for example, a kitchen sink, a bath and a shower), with a system boiler, they’ll all be able to get it without a drop in flow or temperature.
Electric immersion heaters can be fitted to the cylinder to heat water. These can be used to take advantage of cheap overnight or solar-generated electricity. They can also act as a backup should the boiler break down or need servicing.
If you have a greater need for hot water, you can install a bigger cylinder with a system boiler, whereas combi boilers have a limited flow of hot water — and that’s the most you’ll ever get.
H3: System boilers vs heat only boiler
The heat only boiler (also called a conventional, traditional, or regular boiler) is similar to the system boiler in that it stores its hot water in a cylinder. The biggest difference is that it requires another tank to store cold water, which in turn feeds the hot water and acts as an overflow for any excess hot water and to relieve pressure in the system.
Because it’s gravity-fed, this cold water tank is normally in the loft, and the system is not under pressure. There will often be a second cold-water tank up there to maintain radiator levels, too.
Here are some reasons why a system boiler may be a better choice for your home than a heat only boiler:
Because there’s no need for loft tanks, system boilers take up much less space. That’s ideal if you have a converted loft or are limited for storage (or, of course, if you don’t have a loft).
If you’re installing a new central heating system from scratch, a system boiler is generally cheaper than heat only because there’s less pipework and fewer tanks to install.
H3: System boiler vs heat pump
If you live in a house with a small garden or no exterior space, a system boiler may be better than a heat pump.
Heat pumps require sufficient exterior space for an outdoor unit, so properties without this space might find a system boiler the most practical choice.
For more information on the differences between a system boiler and a heat pump, read our comparison guide.
H2: When would a different type of boiler be better?
H3: When a combi boiler is the better choice
If you live alone, have a smaller household, or simply use less hot water day to day, heating a full cylinder of water may not be the most cost-effective. A combi boiler can be a more economical choice for low-usage or single households.
Our guide on combi boilers explains all the need-to-know information on what a combi boiler is, how it works, and its advantages, while our
H3: When is a heat only boiler better?
System boilers are enclosed, so they work at main pressure. Heat only boilers deliver hot water by gravity as they are not under pressure. If you don’t have high water pressure where you live, a system setup might not work very well.
If your home already has a heat only boiler installed (as is the case in most homes built before the 1970s), you might save money by replacing the heat only boiler and keeping the rest of the equipment in place.
If you want to learn more about why a heat only boiler might be right for you, read our helpful guide on all things heat only boilers.
H3: When is a heat pump better?
If you live in a new build or are updating your heating system, a heat pump might be a better heating system. They are most effective in homes with modern radiators or underfloor heating, whilst older radiators are often more compatible with gas boilers. This is because heat pumps are more effective at providing low levels of heat consistently rather than large, quick bursts like a boiler.
Heat pumps are also best suited to homes with some outdoor space, as they have both an outdoor and an indoor unit. This unit may require some garden space or just a large outdoor wall space with clearance from doors and windows, depending on the size of the outdoor unit.
If you’re considering whether a heat pump or a gas boiler is better suited for your home, take a read of our comparison guide to learn more about the differences.
If you need help deciding which boiler is best for your household, why not try our quick and easy boiler selector tool? Or for further advice, you’re always welcome to talk to our experts about choosing a boiler that meets all your needs.
