Maintaining an efficient central heating system is a must if you want to keep your energy bills at a minimum. You can save a lot of money by utilising an efficient boiler to support heating the interior of your house. Maintaining that high level of efficiency, however, is not always possible, especially if you have an older boiler.
In this case, upgrading to a new boiler is the logical thing to do. You can benefit from newer features, higher energy efficiency, and lower overall running and maintenance costs. Before you decide to upgrade to a new boiler, however, there are a few things you need to know first.
Types of Boilers
The first thing you need to understand about upgrading to a new boiler is the fact that there are now several types of boiler to choose from. You can go with another conventional boiler to keep the upgrade project straightforward. A conventional boiler provides heat by heating a tank of water, making the whole system simpler and easier to maintain in the long run.
You also don’t have to worry about upgrading other parts of the system, mainly the radiators and pipes. However, you miss out on the higher energy efficiency offered by combi boilers. The main feature offered by combi boilers is the ability to supply not only heat but also hot water. You don’t need a separate water heater for your property.
Size Matters
Combi boilers may not be suitable for houses that consume a lot of hot water. The type of boiler is more suitable for smaller houses and apartments with higher energy efficiency. That said, the right size of combi boiler can provide you with the maximum value for money.
Calculating the right size to get is something that can be done using a heat loss calculator. There are several tools you can use and this guide to boiler costs from Boiler Central will help you understand how to calculate the size you need accurately to reduce your new boiler cost.
Boiler Central also has guides on how to pick the right size based on your heating needs. On top of that, the site lets you figure out the best boilers to get and even grants you access to boiler advice and boiler cover, both of which will help reduce your upgrade and maintenance costs.
Determining Factors
As you calculate the right size of your new boiler, you will come across additional factors to consider before following through with an upgrade. For starters, you will have to consider the number of radiators you have – or the number of radiators that you need to install – for rooms in your property.
Insulation is the next thing to consider. Remember that the level of insulation your house has affects the cost of keeping the interior temperature in check. Insulation also determines the size of boiler that you need since insulation affects the heat loss rate.
Other factors to take into account is the number of bathrooms in the house and the number of people using the property. These are details that will determine the size of the boiler you need (especially if you decide to upgrade to a combi boiler), as well as the overall costs of heating the property.
Checks and Installation
Before deciding to upgrade your boiler, make sure you have a boiler engineer do a thorough inspection of your central heating system. If there are issues to solve, it is best to either address those issues before the upgrade or have it done while upgrading the system entirely.
Leaks from pipes and broken radiators are the most common issues faced by homeowners. Leaks could also lead to more severe issues when not addressed properly. While you are doing inspections, be sure to also check the insulation and issues that may affect energy efficiency, including cracked windows and gaps.
The inspection will also help the engineer – and you as the homeowner – understand how the upgrade can be done with minimal disruption to the property. Additional preparations can be made before the project starts.
Know Your Options
Last but certainly not least, make sure you choose the right boiler for your property. Now that you know the type and size that you need – and the challenges you face with the upgrade – you can browse through different brands of boilers and find the one that suits you best.
Boilers now come with different features. You also want to look into the warranty that covers the boilers you are comparing. Some boilers now come with up to 10 years of warranty, which means you don’t have to worry about expensive repairs along the way.
By taking these details into account, you will find upgrading your boiler to be an easy process to complete. With so many options on the market and more resources and tools to help you, upgrading to a new boiler is an easy decision to make.