Stop worrying about gas boiler breakdown
Stop worrying about gas boiler breakdown
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 gas 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. All of a sudden, following an unexpected problem, it becomes an essential and prominent piece of equipment but rather expensive to repair.
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. Should anything go wrong when you are the homeowner the situation is different so you might think of putting a little aside to cover this risk.
If your heating boiler has been in use for more than a decade, it is recommended that you buy a new model; you will be able to reduce your fuel costs significantly, especially by going for a high-efficiency one. Your choice of a heating boiler should be determined by the capacity required (based on family needs), the space available for the central heating system and the existing heating system. The most common type is the combi central heating system, it is perfect for small homes and for people who want hot water quickly. Unlike a storage heating boiler, a combi boiler warms the water directly at the mains, thus eliminating the tank section. 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!.
Another type of central heating system is the sealed system central heating system which has a hot water storage tank and is usually used for large families, as it allows several showers and hot water taps to work at the same time. The system boiler needs not much space and it is quick and easy to install. But hot water can get exhausted fast and not replaced quickly if used frequently because of the storage tank feature of the boiler system.
However the boiler which is most commonly used in older homes is the open vent boiler, it occupies huge space and consists of a storage cylinder and two water tanks. Like the sealed system, this type of central heating system can allow multiple outlets to draw hot water a the same time, but can also take a while to heat and doesn’t give the best water pressure.
The fifth type is a back gas boiler which is bulkier, but can deliver hot water to several outlets under good pressure. 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 gas boiler already as this type of gas boiler costs less to install, if you need to replace your back central heating boiler it is better to replace the old one with the same type rather than getting a new type of gas boiler installed.
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 central heating boiler insurance policy including coverage for yearly boiler inspections and emergency servicing for repairs will go a long way in reducing your annual heating boiler maintenance expenses.