Hello World! Welcome Friends! During the colder months, it’s essential to have a reliable heating system. So, if your boiler is getting on in years or is prone to breaking down, you might be considering a new one. Although you may be keen to get it sorted, it’s wise to pause and think about a few things first. After all, a good boiler should last around 15 years. So, you want to be sure you’ve thought through all your options, rather than simply replacing it like-for-like. Here are some questions you might want to consider.
Are You Sticking with the Same Size Boiler?
If you’ve been content with how your old boiler has performed over the years, you may be happy just to replace it with a newer version. However, if your boiler struggles to warm the house effectively or you’re likely to extend your home in the coming years, it may be worth having something more powerful.
The bigger the size, the more radiators it can serve and the less likely you are to have problems getting hot water. For instance, a 24kW boiler is generally suitable for up to ten radiators or a home with one or two bedrooms. Meanwhile, a 28kW to 34kW boiler is better for bigger homes with ten to 15 radiators or three to four bedrooms.
Is a Conventional, System or Combi Boiler Your Best Option?
Replacing your boiler, like-for-like is usually the easiest option. But changing to a different type of boiler can sometimes be beneficial.
If you live in a small home or flat and have a conventional boiler and hot water tank, it might be worth switching to a combi boiler. As this type of boiler provides both heating and hot water, you can remove the tank and free up some space.
However, if you’re planning to use your boiler with other technologies such as solar thermal panels, you may want to stick with or switch to a conventional or system boiler with a hot water tank, as these tend to be more compatible. The same is true for busy family homes with multiple bathrooms. Conventional and system boilers are generally better at supplying multiple taps with hot water at the same time.
If you’re unsure what will work best for you and your home, ask your heating engineer for some advice.
Where Is It Going?
Next up, think about where the boiler is going. If it’s going into a sociable kitchen, then you don’t want a noisy boiler ruining the peace during mealtimes. The number of decibels a boiler produces should be listed on the specifications, but those that have been tested for low noise may also have a Quiet Mark certification.
There are other factors to consider in terms of location. If you want to fit your boiler inside a kitchen or utility room cupboard or other small space, then a compact model is going to be important.
Of course, it may also be a good idea to consider moving your boiler, especially if it’s in an awkward place such as a child’s bedroom. It will be safer and less disruptive to move it to another room such as the kitchen. However, this does come with a cost, so it’s important to work this into your overall budget.
Are You Getting New Radiators?
That’s not the only change you might want to consider when getting a new boiler. Are you going to keep your existing radiators or go with new ones?
If you’re planning to keep your current radiators, it’s wise to make sure they work as well as possible. So, you feel the benefit of your new boiler. That’s why power flushing the system is often recommended by heating engineers. This removes sludge and debris from the system, so your radiators can heat up properly.
Can You Increase Your Energy Efficiency?
If you’re keen to cut or reduce your household bills, energy efficiency should be a major consideration.
There are a few different ways to boost your energy efficiency. As we’ve already mentioned, you could consider getting a boiler that’s compatible with solar thermal panels. This would make it cheaper to heat your water. Or you may go a step further and switch to a heat pump instead of a traditional boiler.
However, if you want to stick with a boiler – whether that’s a conventional, system or combi boiler – there are other things you can do to boost your energy efficiency. First, research the makes and models that are in your price range and compare their energy efficiency ratings. Every boiler should have an ERP label. This rates their efficiency in terms of heating, and hot water if relevant, using a simple color-coded scale.
There are other things to look for too. Do they have eco-modes to streamline performance? What are their controls like? Digital controllers that are easy to read and simple to operate will mean you’re more likely to turn your heating down or off when you don’t need it or tweak your automated settings as the seasons change. So, you’re less likely to waste energy. If you want even more convenience, it’s also worth checking how good their smart controls are too.
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