When does a boiler become commercial?
There are two main considerations that determine when a boilers is classified as commercial. The first consists of the output capacity being 70Kw or more (Whether it is being produced by a single boiler or through a multiple-boiler system). The second factor is simply if the intended use of the unit is for commercial purposes.
The difference between domestic and commercial boilers
Domestic boilers
IMPORTANT: Keep in mind, if your business uses a domestic boiler and it hasn’t been installed in an appropriate domestic type installation then the warranty could be rejected by the manufacturer.
Commercial boilers
Individual commercial boilers tend to be in the 30 to 150Kw range. They can be mounted on a wall and look similar to domestic units, however, their uprated components are significantly different to the domestic range of boilers, this is to cope with increased duty placed on these boilers working in a commercial environment.
Additional items that would be found on commercial boiler installations would be low loss headers, compensated mixing circuits and flue fan dilution systems. They have been designed to withstand this increased flow rate thanks to their bigger heat exchangers. Thus, allowing for additional radiators to be added to the heating system without any circulation issues.
The intended use for commercial boilers is for large domestic homes, hotels, offices, care homes, and other establishments. A heating engineer that holds a domestic gas qualification can carry out work on commercial boilers. However, the total installation output must be below 70Kw, with gas installation pipework below 35mm and most importantly be competent to do so.
IMPORTANT: Any commercial boilers that are linked to the same heating system and generate an output of over 70Kw must be installed by an engineer that holds a commercial gas qualification. Along with, either a full domestic qualification or a certification allowing them to work on domestic gas appliances under 70Kw.