Is the Alpha E-TEC PLUS 33 a combi, system or regular boiler?

The Alpha E-TEC PLUS 33 may be worth considering if you are looking for a combi boiler for your house or flat.

Traditional boilers would require you to install one or more storage tanks in your property. These tanks either kept the water warm or stored it for later heating. Manufacturers initially designed and introduced combi boilers to the market to offer homeowners the highest levels of warmth and unlimited hot water without taking up as much space.

Combi boilers provide hot water on demand for your radiators and taps. They take water directly from the mains, heat it immediately as it's needed, and then distribute the hot water around your home.

Combi boilers, however, are limited in terms of how much water they can heat at any given time. For example, if one person wishes to take a shower while another wants to turn on a hot water tap, the amount of water reaching each point drops. This results in a drop in the water pressure as well as the temperature.

Should I install a Alpha E-TEC PLUS 33 combi boiler in my house or flat?

It's best to choose a boiler whose size or "output" is right for your property. With a boiler, however, size does not mean how big the boiler is, it means how much power it has.

The amount of hot water you get from showers, bathrooms, and sinks and heat from your radiators depends on your boiler's output (measured in kilowatts). The higher the level of output, the better your home will be heated and you can be more certain that the water from your taps will be as hot as you want.

However, you must be careful. You might not get the hot water you want if your boiler output is too low. If it's too high, you'll be paying more than you need to for gas.

With the Alpha E-TEC PLUS 33 combi's output at 29 kW, which types of property would this Alpha E-TEC PLUS 33 Combi boiler be most appropriate for?

Most experienced Gas Safe boiler installers would recommend that a boiler with this output level would be most suitable for medium-sized homes and larger apartments with 10-15 radiators and two bathrooms.

With combi boilers like the Alpha E-TEC PLUS 33, you need to take the flow rate into account as well as the output rate.

Combi boilers draw water from the mains and then instantly heat that water and send it to wherever in your home it's needed. Flow rates, measured in litres per minute, are subject to the mains water pressure in your area. So, for example, if the local mains water pressure is 11 litres per minute and the flow rate of your boiler is 14 litres per minute, the boiler will not be able to process more than 11 litres per minute. The flow rate of this Alpha E-TEC PLUS 33 Combi boiler is 14 L/m.

If you live in a home with lots of radiators or bathrooms where many people want to use hot water at the same time, a combi boiler may not be able to cope. For reference, a power shower uses about 10 litres of water per minute. If two people want showers at the same time or one person wants a shower and the other hot water from a tap in the kitchen, your boiler may not have a large enough flow rate even if the local mains water pressure is high.

When our engineer comes out to quote you, they may recommend that you choose a heat only boiler or system boiler instead if your family's demand for hot water is higher than normal.

What dimensions does a Alpha E-TEC PLUS 33 have?

The Alpha E-TEC PLUS 33 is TBC mm high by TBC mm wide by TBC mm deep.

Is the Alpha E-TEC PLUS 33 non-condensing or condensing?

We recommend the Alpha E-TEC PLUS 33 as it is a modern condensing gas boiler from a trusted manufacturer with a reputation for supplying highly energy-efficient boilers.

Condensing boilers capture the heat still present in water vapour condensation and flue exhaust gases and recycle it back into the heating system. With this extra energy, your boiler can, among other tasks, reheat colder water coming back from your radiators without having to burn more gas.

Condensing boilers significantly reduce your quarterly gas costs and they're better for the environment.

What energy efficiency ratings have been awarded to the Alpha E-TEC PLUS 33 combi?

With environmental issues in the spotlight, more and more homeowners are becoming concerned about how they heat their homes and how much they're contributing towards combatting climate change.

The heating of our homes accounts for 14% of the UK's greenhouse gas emissions. Especially in the big cities, gas boilers are responsible for dangerous levels of nitrogen dioxide emissions.

Would choosing the Alpha E-TEC PLUS 33 combi be an environmentally-friendly choice? If so, let's look at its performance figures.

The energy efficiency rating of the Alpha E-TEC PLUS 33 is 93% with a SEDBUK band rating of "A".

Energy efficiency tests record how much energy is wasted on non-core functions during an operation.

By law, all boilers manufactured and supplied in the UK must have a minimum energy efficiency performance level of 92% (equivalent to a SEDBUK "A" grade). Up to April 2018, the minimum performance level was 88% (88% and 89% are equivalent to a SEDBUK "B" grade and 90%+ an "A" grade).

The ERP (Energy Related Products Directive) applies to all products that consume energy at any time in their lifetime, from manufacture to disposal and all points in between.

This European legislation intends to encourage manufacturers to offer end users products that are better for the environment through the creation of fewer harmful gas emissions at all points of a product's life cycle.

The ERP rating for the Alpha E-TEC PLUS 33 is "A" for heat and "A" for water.

What is the warranty period on a Alpha E-TEC PLUS 33 combi boiler?

On the Alpha E-TEC PLUS 33, the manufacturer offers a parts and labour warranty of 13 years.