Stop worrying about boiler breakdown
Stop worrying about boiler breakdown
The central heating system in your home is generally ignored in the summertime when warmth is plentiful, but if it does suddenly stop working, you may be stuck with measly kettle fulls of hot water and chilly cold showers everyday. The central heating boiler is a part of the home which is rarely, if ever, thought of, until it stops working. Its vital role in providing warmth and hot water becomes sorely missed; and fears arise of the costly repair bills to come.
If you rent your home, you won’t have to worry about having some money aside for the heating boiler repairs; your landlord will cover it. Should anything go wrong when you are the homeowner the situation is different so you might think of putting a little aside to cover this risk.
Instead of repairing a ten year old central heating system, consider installing a newer and more efficient system which could significantly cut down your utility bills and pay for itself in a number of years. Depending on the amount of space in your home, the size of your family and the existing boiler, you would have a choice as to the type of central heating system to go for. For smaller homes with fewer people a combi gas boiler tends to be the most common choice, especially if you want instant hot water at mains pressure. A combi heating boiler warms up the water as it flows through, removing the need to store the water in a hot water tank. Hot water is instant and on demand; but if someone runs a hot tap while you’re having a nice hot shower, be prepared to jump out quickly!.
Another type of gas boiler is the sealed system gas boiler which has a hot water storage tank and is usually used for large families, as it allows several showers and hot water taps to work at the same time. The system heating boiler is quick and easy to install, and doesn’t take up too much space. The main disadvantage, however is that you will have to wait for the water in the tank to heat up.
Older models of boilers are generally of open vent type - requiring a couple of loft mounted water tanks as well as a storage section installed in an airing cupboard. An open vent central heating system provides plenty of hot water that can be used simultaneously, just like a sealed central heating system, but again here too heating takes time and the pressure is not as good as with a combi boiler.
Lastly, what’s known as a back gas boiler gives simultaneous access to hot water from several outlets with sustained pressure; but it may need a large area for installation. The space inside a chimney breast is often used to accommodate a back boiler; but installing a new back boiler system to replace another type of central heating boiler is not cost effective. It is great if your new home has a back boiler already as this type of boiler costs less to install, if you need to replace your back heating boiler it is better to replace the old one with the same type rather than getting a new type of central heating system installed.
No matter what type of boiler you have, it’s maintenance costs can be high if it has problems. So it is important to get a central heating insurance so that your costs are covered even if something goes wrong with your system. As a final thought remember that you can save yourself an extra amount per year if you take out a boiler breakdown policy that covers annual gas boiler inspections as well as call-outs and repairs.