During Fall and Winter, your boiler will be your saving grace and yet, this is probably one of the most underrated and often ignored installations in the house. More often than not, most homeowners are only made aware of the importance of maintaining boilers when they’re already malfunctioning and has left their house a cold and empty void with shivering residents inside. Boiler installations cost a lot of money.
A boiler is a closed, usually metallic, vessel in which water is heated. The steam that comes from this is then pumped through the different parts of the house with pipes and vents thereby warming the insides.
For countries with harsh winters and snow seasons, it would be near to impossible and downright inhumane to live in a house with no boiler or any existing heating system. Not only are we talking about the discomfort felt because of the cold but the risk of catching hypothermia, a medical emergency that happens when a person loses body heat faster than it can produce heat. The normal body temperature of a healthy individual is around 37 C or 98.6 F. Anything below 95 F or 35 C is extremely dangerous and could have irreversible repercussions to the body.
According to Energy UK, a household’s heating system may be responsible for almost 60% of your bills. This is an absurdly huge amount that further emphasizes that your boiler must work as efficiently as possible to avoid any more unnecessary expenses.
Ofgem estimates that the average consumption of a UK household is between 8, 000 kWh and 17, 000 kWh which makes up for around £1, 123 for both gas and electric bills. Ofgem breaks this down so that £487 per year goes to electricity while £636 goes to natural gas. You can easily install a smart meter so you know just how much your boiler is consuming.
If your boiler has been in your house since a time you can’t remember then maybe it is time for you to consider getting a new one. Modern boilers are a hundred times better than boilers of the yesteryears. They are much more energy-efficient leading to higher savings as it uses less gas, have smart controls which allow users to be in control of exactly what temperature they want their house to be at, and all in all, are much safer in. Modern safety protocols are now more strict leading to fewer boiler-related accidents.
Here are some of the things that you need to know when getting a new boiler. Alternatively, you may consider renting a boiler.
Repairs vs. New Boiler
It is also important that you calculate whether the amount you spend on repairs is lower or higher than the cost of a new boiler. When talking about boiler installations, there are a lot of costs that come into play. Before deciding on getting a new boiler installed, it is only prudent to have a professional boiler engineer do a comprehensive check of your boiler and its condition. If it’s still good and working and works well with minimal repairs then you can consider that as good news. You can delay the replacement of your boiler for another year or two.
Quality Over Price
While everyone can easily be tempted with a low-priced boiler on sale, it must be noted that this boiler will be in your home and must warm up your family for years. Saving a few pounds now can quickly cost you hundreds of pounds in the future.
A low-priced boiler will break down much faster than a pricey one from a reliable and well-trusted brand for home appliances. This will then result in expensive repairs, high risk of accidents and injuries, and of course, the boiler not working properly leaving you with freezing cold showers and a night riddled with cold drafts of air waking you up.
According to statistics, a boiler bought from a well-trusted brand still works in tiptop shape even after 6 years has passed. On the other hand, cheaper brands need to be replaced every few years — another money down the drain scenario. Along with the new boiler cost, it’s best to check out reviews of the boiler you’re about to purchase. Make sure you check its features and efficiency rating to get the best value out of your boiler.
Know The Types Of Boilers
There are different types of boilers and it is best to determine which one would be the best for your household. The three most common boilers are a combination boiler, a heat-only boiler, and a system boiler. Each of them has its pros and cons and at the same time is best fitted with a specific type of house and use.
- Combination Boiler – this type of boiler heats up water and warms up your home when you turn it on. Unlike other boilers that already have hot water stored and ready to pump throughout your house, combination boilers do not have storage tanks thereby saving up space. It can take some time to warm up the house though as there’s no heat ready to instantly go around. This is perfect for those who live alone or for couples with only one bathroom.
- Heat-Only Boiler – this is the more conventional type of boiler. Equipped with a hot water storage tank, a heat-only boiler takes up much more space but is generally perfect for families as it has hot water ready at any given moment.
- System Boiler – a System boiler is very much like a heat-only boiler but with more components. This makes it much easier to install and thus take up less space.
Size Matters
When it comes to boilers, size definitely matters. Once you have decided to replace your old boiler, it is best to figure out whether you should take one that is roughly the same size or should you get a different size. Some factors that come into play with the boiler size are number of bathrooms, size of the house, number of rooms needed to be warmed, the heating capabilities, etc. It would be a waste of money to get a huge boiler for a comparably small flat. On the other hand, too small of a boiler will not be enough to properly warm up your house.
