Ward Off the problems in a central heating boiler breakdown
Ward Off the problems in a central heating boiler breakdown
Although you don’t have to worry about heating in the warmer months, everybody needs hot water for washing up, showers and so on, which is why you never want to be caught out with a broken boiler. A boiler is that hidden part of the home which is rigorously used and not noticed until it stops working. All of a sudden, following an unexpected problem, it becomes an essential and prominent piece of equipment but rather expensive to repair.
For those of you who are renting, of course you don’t have to worry about repairs and maintenance as the responsibility lies with your landlord and they probably will have landlords central heating boiler cover. However, for homeowners it is always a good idea to make sure you have a little money saved to pay for any unforeseen malfunctions.
New high-efficiency boilers can reduce your fuel bills dramatically so if your boiler is over ten years old it may be time to think about investing in a newer model. There are different options when it comes to choosing a new central heating boiler and you should consider the space in your home, number of people you live with and your current central heating system when it comes to figuring out which one suits you best. 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. In a combi central heating boiler water is drawn through the mains and heated immediately eliminating the need of storage tanks. With such a combi central heating system, a hot shower is instantly available; however if another hot outlet is opened, your share of warm water will quickly run out and you shower could be a cold one.
A sealed gas boiler system has a storage tank, often in ventilated closet, and allows a big family to simultaneously use the hot tap and take showers without diluting hot water or reducing the water pressure. This central heating system can easily be installed within hours and doesn’t require excess space. The main disadvantage, however is that you will have to wait for the water in the tank to heat up.
If you live in an older home chances are that you have an open vent central heating system 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. An open vent gas boiler provides plenty of hot water that can be used simultaneously, just like a sealed central heating boiler, but again here too heating takes time and the pressure is not as good as with a combi central heating boiler.
Finally, a back gas boiler can allow multiple outlets of hot water at the same time, without loss of pressure; but they can take up a lot of space. The space inside a chimney breast is often used to accommodate a back heating boiler; but installing a new back heating boiler system to replace another type of central heating boiler is not cost effective. But if your house already had a back central heating boiler when you bought it, you can gain a lot of savings by replacing it with the same type; if it requires replacement, it’s much more cost effective to get a new back boiler than getting a totally different central heating boiler system.
Whichever central heating system your home has, it can be costly to repair. That is why it is important to get heating insurance so you can be confident that any costs will be taken care of if something breaks down, costs which cover labour and spare parts for your heating boiler. Buy a good central heating boiler breakdown policy which not only covers the labour, repair costs and also provides annual inspections with no call out charge.