Insuring against boiler problems
Insuring against boiler problems
The boiler 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. No one remembers about the central heating boiler in their house until that day when it breaks down. Its vital role in providing warmth and hot water becomes sorely missed; and fears arise of the costly repair bills to come.
You don’t need to save money for repairing your gas boiler if you stay in a rented home, that will be done by your landlord, check that they have landlords boiler cover. But if you own your home, a little money kept aside every month as an emergency fund will come in handy in such a boiler failure if you do not decide to invest in boiler insurance.
New high-efficiency boilers can reduce your fuel bills dramatically so if your heating boiler is over ten years old it may be time to think about investing in a newer model. Your choice of a heating boiler should be determined by the capacity required (based on family needs), the space available for the heating boiler and the existing heating system. If you have a compact family and need hot water at short notice, a combi heating boiler is a better choice. A combi boiler warms up the water as it flows through, removing the need to store the water in a hot water tank. Hot water can be created any time and very quickly, but be careful as they have a limited capacity so the hot shower you are taking might suddenly become cold if several other hot taps are turned on at the same time.
A single storage tank is used in a sealed system central heating system usually placed in an upstairs airing cupboard enabling a large number of people to have multiple showers and taps on the go at once, without compromising hot water accessibility or water pressure. Such a sealed system is convenient to install and also saves on space. The drawback with this boiler is that you cannot get hot water instantly as there is a storage tank which gets empty from time to time if a lot of hot water is used quickly.
If you live in an older home chances are that you have an open vent gas boiler system, which takes up more space with two water tanks which are in the loft and a storage cylinder which is usually in the airing cupboard. This central heating boiler too doesn’t give hot water instantly like the sealed system though once again it allows several taps and shower to work at the same time, water pressure is also not to good here.
A Back gas boiler is another central heating boiler which provides good water pressure, allows several water outlets but occupies quite a bit of space. Usually back boilers are kept in chimney breasts, but it is generally considered unwise to switch to a back central heating boiler if you don’t already have one due to the higher installation costs. It would save you a lot of money on installation of a new central heating boiler if a back gas boiler is already installed in your home when you moved in, as it is cheaper to replace an old back heating boiler rather than install a completely new heating system.
It is expensive to get the any of these types of central heating boiler repaired. A central heating boiler insurance policy can help a great deal by easing your repair costs in case your heating system fails at some point. A central heating boiler insurance policy including coverage for yearly gas boiler inspections and emergency servicing for repairs will go a long way in reducing your annual gas boiler maintenance expenses.