The Spruce / Kevin Norris
Boilers andwater heatersare important to the heating and water supply operations of the home.
What Are Boilers and Water Heaters?
Aboilerprovides non-potable hot water throughout the house to radiators for space heating.
The Spruce / Kevin Norris
A water heater provides domestic hot water for cleaning, personal use, and appliances.
A circulating pump pushes the hot water through a online grid of pipes in a loop throughout the house.
Some types of boilers push steam through the pipes.
Radiatorsare termination points or waypoints along the hot water loop.
Hot water leaves the water heater from the top.
The hot water is delivered to various parts of the house through 1/2-inch pipes, usually PEX or copper.
What Is Domestic Water?
However, this doesn’t mean that boilers aren’t efficient.
On the other hand, water heaters are significantly less expensive.
A new water heater costs $1,200 on average, including installation.
Maintenance
Water heaters are significantly easier to maintain compared to boilers.
you’re able to also purchase a water testing kit to check the quality of the water.
Boilers require more maintenance and are more expensive to repair and replace.
A monthly safety valve check will also help to assess performance.
Lifespan
The average lifespan of a boiler is much longer compared to that of a water tank.
Water heaters are also more likely to have a warranty compared to boilers.
Boiler and Water Heater Services Combined
Boilers heat water for space heating.
Water heaters heat domestic water.
These two separate systems do the same thing: heat water.
This redundancy means wasted energy.
Plus, having two separate large devices uses more room in the basement, garage, or utility room.
Can the two be combined?
Domestic water is always prioritized with combi heaters.
So, when a tap is opened in the house, water flows through the heat exchanger.
Instead, the water is heated indirectly, using the boiler’s heat.
A pipe from the boiler bearing hot water enters the bottom of the indirect water heater.
Both the boiler and the water heater remain separate devices.
Water from the boiler’s pipe never touches the water in the water heater tank.
No, not every house has a boiler.
To see if you have a boiler, find your heater and check the fixtures attached to it.
If you see small pipes attached to the heater, then you have a boiler.
Yes, certain types of boilers can provide heat to your hot water tank.
As separate devices, boilers and water heaters cannot substitute for each other since they perform different functions.
Homes do not need boilers but they do need water heaters.
Water Heaters vs. Boilers: What’s the Difference?Angi.
HUD HOC Reference Guide.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
