Your central heating boiler failure worrys can stop now
Your central heating boiler failure worrys can stop now
Keeping our homes warm from May to September is not a problem but unless you have the habit of taking cold showers and boiling the kettle after you bathe, you could be left without help or hope of recovery if your heating boiler breaks down. It is strange though that the boiler is never considered to be an important piece of equipment 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.
Generally a tenant paying rent is not liable to repair a malfunctioning gas boiler as the landlord is responsible for maintenance and repair of his premises. But if you own your home, a little money kept aside every month as an emergency fund will come in handy in such a heating boiler failure if you do not decide to invest in boiler insurance.
If your central heating boiler is over ten years old, it might be worth investing in a new model; this can cut your fuel costs down considerably, especially if you get a high-efficiency model. Your choice of a central heating boiler should be determined by the capacity required (based on family needs), the space available for the boiler and the existing heating system. If you have a compact family and need hot water at short notice, a combi boiler is a better choice. Combi boilers eliminate the need for water tanks as it heats the water as it draws it through the plumbing system. With such a combi gas boiler, 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 single storage tank is used in a sealed system heating boiler usually placed in an upstairs airing cupboard enabling a large number of people to have multiple showers and taps on the go at once, without compromising hot water availability or water pressure. The system boiler needs not much space and it is quick and easy to install. But if hot water is used too quickly it would run out because the storage tank hot water would be depleted and is replenishment is not instant.
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. An open vent central heating boiler provides plenty of hot water that can be used simultaneously, just like a sealed boiler, but again here too heating takes time and the pressure is not as good as with a combi central heating boiler.
A back gas boiler takes a lot of space but it allows multiple outlets of hot water without loss of water pressure. Back boilers are normally placed in a chimney breast, but they are not the recommended type for your house unless your home already has one. But if your house already had a back 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 central heating boiler than getting a totally different central heating boiler system.
No matter what type of central heating 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. A gas boiler insurance policy including coverage for yearly boiler inspections and emergency servicing for repairs will go a long way in reducing your annual central heating boiler maintenance expenses.
