Is the Intergas Rapid Plus TBC a combi, system or regular boiler?

The Intergas Rapid Plus TBC is a gas combi boiler.

In the past, most boilers needed one or more storage tanks to operate - one to store warm water and the other for storing water to be heated later. But storage tanks are problematic in properties where space is at a premium and particularly where there is no loft. Many properties in the UK are small and so manufacturers introduced combi boilers in the 1970s to eliminate the need for tanks.

With a combi boiler, the hot water for your radiators and taps is delivered on demand. The boiler instantly heats water it draws directly from the mains internally. It then distributes the heated water around your home at mains pressure as you need it.

It is important to bear in mind that, while combi boilers have many benefits, they can only heat a certain volume of water at any given time. This means that, if you run a shower at the same time as someone else is doing the washing up in the kitchen, the volume of water passing to each point will drop, causing a fall in pressure.

Is the Intergas Rapid Plus TBC combi boiler suitable for my house or apartment?

To determine that, we need to consider the size of the boiler. Size doesn't mean how big it is - it means how big its "output" is.

The output rate of a boiler tells you how much power it has available to it for heating the water that comes out of your taps and warms your radiators. A higher output rate means that your boiler has more power at its disposal.

You need to make sure you select a boiler with the right output rate. That's because, if your output rate is too high, then your boiler will have more power than it needs but it will cost too much to run. If the output rate is too low, your water may often not be hot enough.

The Intergas Rapid Plus TBC combi's output is 32 kW, so which types of property would this Intergas Rapid Plus Combi boiler be appropriate for?

An experienced PlumbProud heating engineer would recommend that the most suitable type of property for a Intergas Rapid Plus TBC combi would be medium-sized homes and larger apartments containing 10-15 radiators and providing hot water for two bathrooms.

With combi boilers like the Intergas Rapid Plus TBC, 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 Intergas Rapid Plus Combi boiler is 18 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.

Intergas Rapid Plus TBC dimensions

The Intergas Rapid Plus TBC stands at TBC mm tall, TBC mm wide and TBC mm deep.

Rapid Plus TBC – condensing or non-condensing?

The Intergas Rapid Plus TBC is a condensing gas boiler - where possible, we always recommend to clients that they choose one of the very latest condensing boilers to take advantage of this technology, which improves year after year.

Condensing boilers are more energy-efficient as they capture and recycle the heat contained in flue exhaust gases and water vapour condensation. They then use this heat to perform tasks like warming up colder water returning to the boiler from the radiators.

By choosing a condensing boiler, you'll help the environment as well as save money on your gas bills.

Is the Intergas Rapid Plus TBC combi an environmentally friendly boiler?

With so many of us worried about the environmental impact of our personal choices, the relationship between how we heat our homes and climate change has become an important issue for many homeowners.

About 14% of the greenhouse gases we produce in the UK come from the power needed for central heating. In bigger British cities, gas boilers are a significant source of nitrogen dioxide emissions.

Would choosing a Intergas Rapid Plus TBC combi help in the fight against climate change? What do the performance statistics suggest?

An energy efficiency rating of 92% or above is a legal requirement for all boilers manufactured and installed in the UK today. 92% is equivalent to a low-to-middle "A" grade on the "Seasonal Efficiency of Domestic Boilers" (SEDBUK) scale.

Energy efficiency measures how much energy a boiler uses and wastes in the course of its normal operation. The lower the waste, the lower your gas bills.

The Intergas Rapid Plus TBC was awarded an efficiency rating of "93%", equivalent to a "A" rating on the SEDBUK system.

How long is the warranty offered by the manufacturer for the Intergas Rapid Plus TBC boiler?

The Intergas Rapid Plus TBC boiler comes with a parts and labour warranty lasting 6 years.