It’s not something that we think about often, but your boiler is working hard, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Last week, we looked at the signs that you need to replace your boiler.
Your central heating system needs to be chosen with care; it needs to be efficient enough to heat your home, but not oversized, which can lead to a rise in fuel bills and wasted energy.
When considering which boiler you need, you should take into account:
- The size of your home;
- The usual number of occupants;
- If you use multiple showers and taps simultaneously;
- The type of fuel that you use;
- Your budget.
In this series, we look at the different types of boiler available, including condensing boilers, combi boilers, system boilers, regular boilers and the types of fuel available (gas, electric, oil fired and solid fuel boilers).
When they first hit the market, condensing boilers got a bad reputation. However, the product was developed and, since 2005, all new boilers installed in the UK have to be condensing boilers. Here’s why.
Condensing boilers
The Pros: Condensing Boilers are cost and energy efficient. They optimise the fuel that they burn, usually extracting more than 90% of the energy that they produce. Although condensing boilers cost a little bit more in the first instance, because of their efficiency and because they capture the energy from flue gases that would otherwise be wasted, they are better for the environment as well as your wallet in the longer term. Condensing combi boilers are a great idea if you are limited on space; you don’t need a water storage tank, and their compact, modern design makes them ideal for smaller houses and flats.
The Cons: Condensing Boilers are susceptible to freezing temperatures, when the pipe which leads from the boiler outside can freeze, stopping the boiler from working. This can be quickly fixed with warm water but can be inconvenient and could cause long term damage. It is worth insulating the external pipe to prevent this from happening. Because they are more complex, condensing boilers can be harder to fix than their older, simpler predecessors. The best way to avoid costly repairs is to get your condenser boiler serviced every year by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Need a boiler service? Check our directory for rated boiler engineers in your area. Next week we will look at the pros and cons of combi, system and regular boilers; follow Trust a Trader on Facebook or Twitter to make sure that you don’t miss it.