immac

From Turkish Daily News:

"Combination boilers becoming heater of choice
Monday, January 15, 2007


We have moved from central to unit specific heating and expanded in the market with “smart” combination boilers

ISTANBUL – Hürriyet

The combination boiler heater industry, known as kombi in Turkey, has benefited from the fact that natural gas investments became widespread in Anatolia and that unit specific heating systems, became widely used in residences. Today digital combination boiler heaters, which are small in size, work with solar power and can diagnose problems on their own, are standing out more in the sector that is growing 20 percent each year. Their prices go for as high as YTL 10,000. The combination boiler sector has become more active with the diffusion of natural gas in Anatolia and the conversion to unit specific heating systems from centralized heating systems. The industry that manufactures products that work with natural has been growing 20 percent yearly, since natural gas has become a commonly used commodity. The development of different kinds of products for different types of residences has also helped the sales of various product lines. Now, compact, digital, and “smart” combination boilers that work with solar power and can self-diagnose a malfunction are becoming more popular in the market. Today, nearly 25 companies are in business in the heating/cooling sector in Turkey. The combination boilers with condensation characteristics - a unique combustion and convection technology which can recycle the energy that was let out from the shaft with gas- are the most popular products among all combination boilers with prices ranging from YTL 800 to YTL 10 thousand. Combination boilers with the condensation characteristic can provide 20 percent more energy in comparison to other combination boilers and are preferred by 70 percent.

From central to unit specific:

Chairman of the Baymak-Baxi Group, Murat Akdoğan, said that with the convenience of natural gas, the tenants of an apartment previously using a central heating system could now heat their apartment individualy. Akdoğan explained that among all natural gas heaters, combination boilers were the most favored ones. He added that combination boilers have helped make unit specific heating systems more popular and that the fact that each user could control their own heating has made the conversion from central heating to unit specific heating systems easier. “Combination boilers are widely used in new residences for both heating and hot water. This helps the sales numbers of combination boilers go up” said Akdoğan, adding that if heat-loss is limited by utilization of insulation on the exterior walls and double glazed windows, using combination boiler at minimum levels would suffice to heat the apartment. According to Akdoğan, for apartments with good insulation, it is smarter to choose condensational combination boilers instead of conventional ones, as up to 35 percent can be saved on gas and electric bills."

parrot

Has anyone installed a combi boiler.We had a problem with our water heating boiler in Akbuk,it was repaired quickly so was merely an inconveniance for a day or so.We were told it's a common problem in the area because of the high limescale content in the water that combined with the fact the house is empty for long periods,tried to empty the boiler before leaving but only got about a litre out.Would a combi solve this problem as the water is being used as it is heated?