Domestic hot water and water economy

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My old house had a "conventional" gas fired heating/ water system using a system boiler and indirect storage tank. This was designed and installed by myself many years ago and I felt suited  the  house; the boiler was in the front porch, cylinder mid house in an airing cupboard, kitchen at the rear with bathroom above. When hot water was needed in either bathroom or kitchen only a couple of pints of water was run off to deliver hot. Most of my friends thought I was really old fashioned in not having a combi. 

A few years ago I bought a bungalow which has a good (Worcester Bosch) combi in a utility room adjacent to the kitchen. When hot water is required now, a large amount, perhaps up to a gallon, has to be run off whilst the boiler goes through its purge/start/heat up cycle, before hot water appears at the tap. Turn it off, then want more hot a few moments later and the whole cycle has to repeat. 

The bathroom, further away, is obviously slightly worse.  

This  seems to me an unfortunate waste of water. I've only just realised how much is being wasted as I've started saving it for the garden, given the dire warnings coming from UU.

What does anyone else think about the combi systems, which seem to be the norm now?  

Obviously there are savings in installation cost and in stored heat losses, and there is the advantage that you can run it for as long as you wish without running out, but I still hate both the routine wait and the waste of water.

 
what or who is the UU?

I hate to waste water but everyone else in this household seems to think it just falls out of the sky! 

And yes I've nearly died of boredom waiting for my combi (vailant) to heat up! 

 
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We still have a hot water cylinder, plus a back up immersion heater. And a mixer shower off the tanks plus an electric shower off the rising main. So we have never been taken short with no hot water, even when the children return home and stop over for events like Christmas, Easter, Family birthdays etc.   Combi's only advantage: easier for the installer, everything else is better off with a traditional boiler and a sufficient Zones and thermostatctic vales.

Doc H.

 
.   Combi's only advantage: easier for the installer, everything else is better off with a traditional boiler and a sufficient Zones and thermostatctic vales.

Doc H.
Thanks. I'm glad I'm not alone in this train of thought. I doubt if I'm going to start re-plumbing the bungalow now though. 

 
I like our combi.

As said instant hot water, we don't have to wait "for the water to heat up" to have a bath or shower or the washing up come to think of it.

save money on not heating water we are not using

Yes they dont last as long as traditional boiler, we are on our 2nd one, but this one is more efficient than the last one.

 
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