PHAM NEWS | FEBRUARY 2026 28 DomesticBoilers
Keep the cylinder T
he combination of cost-of-living concerns and the continuing climate emergency means
many homeowners are thinking about what they can do to lower their bills and emissions. While heat pumps often
dominate the decarbonisation conversation, there is a real need for installers to take a more holistic view and ensure they – and their customers – are considering all viable options. Some homeowners will want
a heat pump but won’t be ready to make that leap just yet. As the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) continues providing grants that encourage air source heat pump (ASHP) uptake, installers can advise customers on staged upgrades. Installing the right boiler now will ensure customers are comfortable until they are ready to make the switch to an ASHP.
Heat-only headstart From a practical perspective, heat-only boilers have a clear advantage with the simplicity of installation. Because expansion vessels and pumps are typically located away from the boiler (often in the airing cupboard), many heat-only swaps avoid lifting and replacing these elements. Instead, the pump and expansion vessel remain in-situ with the new unit connecting to existing pipework. This reduces labour time and keeps materials spend down, which is good for margins and for customers
Andy Speake Portfolio manager at Baxi
cylinder with a heat-only boiler option
Heat-only boilers make practical sense for many UK homes, and yet they are sometimes overlooked by homeowners and installers. Here, Andy Speake from Baxi explains why a heat-only approach is often the right choice when balancing install time, disruption and a customer’s needs.
Baxi 800 Heat Only boiler
comes with a 10-year warranty and fi lter in the box
customers. Most of the latest heat-only appliances on the market operate quietly, which matters in open-plan fl ats and houses and where occupiers work from home or have young children. Quiet operation is a straight value-add installers can discuss with homeowners during an initial consultation.
who want a cost-eff ective replacement. Wiring is usually simpler too.
In most common layouts there is no pump overrun or permanent live feed to worry about. Thanks to this, installers don’t have to run new wiring from the boiler to a remote pump, which means they can focus on safe, fast connections. Flexible fl uing options, such
as top or in-case rear fl ues, and positive-fi x hanging brackets on modern units speed up positioning in tight airing or kitchen cupboards. Those small effi ciencies add up across a day’s workload. Noise and comfort are
some practical selling points engineers can relay to their
Keep the cylinder A heat-only installation will really pay off when installers keep an eye on the future. Keeping a hot water cylinder preserves space and plumbing layout for a future air source heat pump (ASHP) cylinder, should a homeowner choose that route. For many properties, reserving the cylinder space avoids a disruptive system redesign later. This forward planning is a useful conversation for engineers to have with homeowners so they can ensure that they have a clear idea of how the use of the home may change. This will enable them to provide the service and solutions that best support their customers’ needs.
What’s available The latest heat-only range from Baxi includes installer-centric features such as being lightweight, having a compact footprint, fl exible fl uing options and a simple hanging bracket. These are combined with
advantages for the customer, which include high sustained outputs, low noise and good warranty cover. For example, the Baxi 430
can meet demand for higher output heat-only solutions and off ers an option for a fi ve- year warranty, while the Baxi 819 Heat fi lls out the range
fl exibility between 16kW and 30kW and includes an Adey Micro2 magnetic system fi lter and a 10-year parts-and-labour warranty. These specifi cations – high outputs, fi ltration and warranty terms – are useful to cite at quotation stage because they answer technical issues and off er peace of mind right from the start. For straightforward swaps,
minimal disruption and clear sequencing toward future low- carbon measures, heat-only boilers remain a solid choice for many installers. The customer benefi ts from the unit’s quiet running, retained cylinder for future ASHP integration, as well as less disruption for the job to be carried out. These make heat- only boilers not only an easy sell for many installers, but also the right choice for countless homes. ◼
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ADVANTAGES OF HEAT-ONLY BOILERS
Simple installation due to external pump and expansion vessel, reducing labour time and materials costs
Compatible with existing hot water cylinders, avoiding disruptive pipework or system redesigns for future upgrades
Flexible fl uing options allow easy placement in tight airing cupboards or kitchen spaces
Lightweight, compact footprint simplifi es handling and positioning, improving installation effi ciency for engineers
Wiring is straightforward, eliminating complex permanent live feeds or pump overrun connections
Retains cylinder space, enabling future air source heat pump integration without major modifi cations
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