Intergas Rapid 32 - a system boiler, regular boiler or combi boiler?

When looking for a combi boiler for your house or flat, the Intergas Rapid 32 might be a suitable option for you.

Traditionally, most boilers required you to find space in your property for one or more large storage tanks. These tanks would either keep water warm or hold it in reserve for later heating. Manufacturers originally introduced combi boilers to offer homeowners the same level of warmth and hot water without taking up as much space – remember that the UK has some of the smallest homes in the Western world.

With a combi boiler, the hot water needed for your radiators and taps is provided on demand. Water from the mains passes through your combi boiler and the technology within it instantly heats the cold water. It then distributes that hot water around your home.

The biggest drawback for combi boilers is that they have a maximum capacity in volume for heating water. This means that if someone wants to use the shower while another person wants to use a hot water tap, the amount of water reaching each point falls, resulting in a drop in water pressure.

Is a Intergas Rapid 32 combi a suitable choice for my house or flat?

Selecting the right boiler for your home means choosing a boiler that is the right size. And, by size, we don't mean how big it is, we mean how powerful it is - the "output".

Your boiler’s output is a measurement of the power it has available to it to heat the water you need for your radiators or for when you turn on a tap, bath or shower. A higher output rate means it has more power and can heat more water.

It's important to choose an output that matches the demand for water in your home because if your boiler has too low an output, you'll often find only lukewarm water comes out of your taps or heats your radiators. If it’s too high, you’ll be paying more for your gas than you need to.

The Intergas Rapid 32 combi has an output of 27 kW, so which types of property would this Intergas Rapid 32 Combi boiler be appropriate for?

A Gas Safe engineer would recommend that the Intergas Rapid 32 combi boiler is a suitable choice for smaller homes and apartments with up to 10 radiators and one bathroom.

With combi boilers, you need to consider the flow rate as well as the output rate. The flow rate (shown in litres per minute) measures how much water your boiler can draw from the mains which it then instantly heats and distributes to your taps and radiators.

However, a high flow rate is of little to no value if your local water pressure is low. If your local mains water pressure is 10l/m and your flow rate is 12l/m, your boiler will only be able to process 10l/m.

If you live in an area with high water pressure but your household has multiple bathrooms and/or radiators and many members of your household want to use hot water at the same time (like morning or evening baths or showers), it's unlikely that you'll be able to find a combi with a high enough flow rate.

As an indication, a power shower needs about 10 litres of water per minute, whereas the flow rate of this Intergas Rapid 32 Combi boiler is 13 L/ml/m.

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 are the proportions of a Intergas Rapid 32 boiler?

The Intergas Rapid 32 is TBC mm tall, TBC mm wide, and TBC mm deep in size.

Is the Intergas Rapid 32 non-condensing or condensing?

The Intergas Rapid 32 is a condensing gas boiler - we strongly recommend that you choose one of the latest condensing models if possible.

With a condensing boiler, you save money on your gas bills because your boiler captures and recycles the heat present in the flue exhaust gases and water vapour condensation for re-use, meaning they operate far more economically and efficiently.

Is the Intergas Rapid 32 combi boiler an environmentally friendly choice?

Many homeowners are now worried about climate change and the damage they do to the environment from heating their homes has become a subject of increasing concern.

As much as 14% of the UK’s greenhouse gas production derives from our domestic central heating systems. Gas boilers are responsible for dangerous levels of nitrogen dioxide emissions in Britain's largest cities.

Will installing a Intergas Rapid 32 combi be a positive contribution to the environment? Let's see what the experts say.

All boilers manufactured in the UK from April 2018 must achieve a SEDBUK “A” grade and an energy efficiency rating of 92% or above. Before that, the minimum was 88% - efficiency ratings of 88% and 89% were scored a “B” and 90%+ an "A".

A boiler's energy efficiency rating describes how much energy it uses and wastes during its standard operation.

The energy efficiency of the Intergas Rapid 32 was rated at 93% with a SEDBUK grading of "A".

The ERP (or Energy Related Products Directive) is a European regulation governing products which require energy to operate throughout their lives and encourages manufacturers to create products that are more environmentally friendly.

The legislation is designed to reduce the potential for harmful gas emissions during manufacturing and actual use right through to the point of final disposal.

For the Intergas Rapid 32, the ERP rating is "A" for heat and "A" for hot water production.

How many years does the warranty period cover on a Intergas Rapid 32 boiler?

A parts and labour warranty of 3 years is included when you purchase the Intergas Rapid 32 boiler through PlumbProud.