Gas Boilers Information

Insuring against central heating boiler failures

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 heating boiler. Boilers are one of those things in life that we rarely think think of, until they stop working that is. And then you realise how important, not to mention expensive, it really is.

If you rent your home, you won’t have to worry about having some money aside for the central heating boiler repairs; your landlord will cover it. But if you own your home, a little money kept aside every month as an emergency fund will come in handy in such a gas boiler failure if you do not decide to invest in central heating system insurance.

Instead of repairing a ten year old central 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. The type of heating boiler that you should buy would depend upon your existing central heating system type, the size of your family and the amount of space in your home. 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. Combi boilers eliminate the need for water tanks as it heats the water as it draws it through the plumbing system. 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!.

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. It is quite easy to install the system boiler and it can also easily fit into your home. Compared to a combi boiler, a storage central heating system heats water slowly; after depletion, a fresh tankful can take some time to be replenished.

Older models of boilers are generally of open vent type – requiring a couple of loft mounted water tanks as well as a storage section installed in an airing cupboard. This type of heating boiler is similar to the sealed system in that it lets hot water to come out of more than one tap at the same time, but it also takes time to warm up and has wavering water pressure.

Lastly, one heating boiler type that lets many outlets to be used at once without losing any pressure is the back heating boiler, however it can take up a lot of room. Traditionally back boilers are stored in a chimney breast, but unless you already have one, it’s probably not worth switching to one. It is great if your new home has a back boiler already as this type of boiler costs less to install, if you need to replace your back boiler it is better to replace the old one with the same type rather than getting a new type of central heating system installed.

No matter what type of gas boiler you have, it’s maintenance costs can be high if it has problems. Taking out central heating insurance can provide peace of mind that if something goes wrong with your heating system, your costs will be covered. 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.