Cut your repair costs with a heating boiler protection plan
Cut your repair costs with a heating boiler protection plan
The boiler in your home is generally ignored in the summertime when warmth is plentiful, but if it does suddenly stop working, you may be stuck with measly kettle fulls of hot water and chilly cold showers everyday. A central heating boiler is that hidden part of the home which is rigorously used and not noticed 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.
If you live in a rented house, your landlord will take care of all the finances related to gas boiler servicing. However, for homeowners it is always a good idea to make sure you have a little money saved to pay for any unforeseen malfunctions.
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. You can select a new central heating system type based on the size of your house, the number of family members and the current gas boiler type. For smaller homes with fewer people a combi gas boiler tends to be the most common choice, especially if you want instant hot water at mains pressure. This boiler heats up the water through the mains as used and therefore a storage tank is not required. With a combi hot water is available instantly but if some one runs hot tap while you are having a hot shower be ready to jump out quickly as it turns cold.
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. Such a sealed system is convenient to install and also saves on space. 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.
An open vent 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.
A Back boiler is another heating boiler which provides good water pressure, allows several water outlets but occupies quite a bit of space. 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 central heating boiler already as this type of gas 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.
But, no matter what kind of heating boiler you have in your home it can be very expensive to repair. Taking out central heating insurance can provide peace of mind that if something goes wrong with your heating system, your costs will be covered. As a final thought remember that you can save yourself an extra amount per year if you take out a heating boiler breakdown policy that covers annual boiler inspections as well as call-outs and repairs.