Gas Boilers Information

Avert the issues in a gas boiler maintenance

Heating your home isn’t that much of a problem in the summertime, but unless you’re in the strange habit of only taking cold showers and boiling the kettle every time you wash up, you could be left high and dry if your central heating boiler breaks down. It is strange though that the gas 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.

You don’t need to save money for repairing your central heating system if you stay in a rented home, that will be done by your landlord, check that they have landlords central heating system cover. But if you’re a homeowner, you may want to think about putting a little aside to cover the costs should anything go wrong.

It is advisable to buy a new model rather than getting your ten year old central heating boiler repaired, this will cut down the fuel costs too in future years. The type of gas boiler that you should buy depends on your family size and the available space at your home, the existing gas boiler also affects your choice. A small sized home housing a few people who want immediate hot water access at all times will be best served with a combi heating boiler. 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 will be available instantaneously on demand, but if a hot tap is opened by someone else while you are enjoying your shower, you better jump out fast unless you like cold showers!.

The other option is to have a sealed system central heating system which uses a storage tank, which allows bigger families to use different water outlets at the same time without affecting the water pressure or temperature. The system boiler is quick and easy to install, and doesn’t take up too much space. The main disadvantage, however is that you will have to wait for the water in the tank to heat up.

An open vent central heating boiler is the norm in most older homes, and takes up the most space; two water tanks in the loft and a storage cylinder in the airing cupboard. 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.

The fifth type is a back gas boiler which is bulkier, but can deliver hot water to several outlets under good pressure. Typically the chimney breast was used to store the back boilers, however consider switching to a new one only if you are already using an old one as the installation may be a challenge if the house was not designed for this initially. It is great if your new home has a back boiler already as this type of heating boiler costs less to install, if you need to replace your back heating boiler it is better to replace the old one with the same type rather than getting a new type of heating boiler installed.

No matter what type of boiler you have, it’s maintenance costs can be high if it has problems. 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 breakdown 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.