Stop thinking about heating boiler breakdowns
Stop thinking about heating boiler breakdowns
The central heating 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. It is strange though that the heating boiler is never considered to be an important piece of equipment until it stops working. Right away it comes to the front of the agenda with a recognition of its importance and the costly nature of its maintenance.
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 things are different if you own the house, you then need to keep aside some money for getting the central heating system fixed in case it breaks down, unless you take out a central heating maintenance and repair plan.
Instead of repairing a ten year old heating boiler, 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 boiler to go for. The most common type is the combi gas boiler, it is perfect for small homes and for people who want hot water quickly. In a combi gas boiler water is drawn through the mains and heated immediately eliminating the need of storage tanks. 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!.
A sealed system central heating boiler uses a single storage tank, usually in an airing cupboard, and enables a large family to have several taps or showers on the go at once, without compromising hot water or water pressure. Such a sealed system is convenient to install and also saves on space. The main disadvantage, however is that you will have to wait for the water in the tank to heat up.
The most space is taken , two water tanks in the attic and a storage cylinder in the upstairs airing cupboard, by a open vent gas boiler normally found in older houses. Though it does not give the best pressure and takes a while to heat, it is very like a sealed system that can provide hot water to several outlets.
Finally, a back central heating 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. Usually back boilers are kept in chimney breasts, but it is generally considered unwise to switch to a back 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 boiler is already installed in your home when you moved in, as it is cheaper to replace an old back central heating boiler rather than install a completely new heating system.
But, no matter what kind of central heating system you have in your home it can be very expensive to repair. So it is important to get a central heating insurance so that your costs are covered even if something goes wrong with your system. Buy an insurance plan that includes an annual maintenance contract and emergency house calls and repairs when needed; you will save some extra money and mean you never have to shiver in your shower again.