Choosing a new boiler for your home to supply your home with heating and hot water can be a daunting task given the wide variety of different makes and models with boiler insurance included. This becomes even more complex when you have to choose from a range of fuels such as main gas, LPG or low-pressure gas, oil, and even wood pallets, and the decision becomes even more stringent.
Installing a new boiler can be difficult, especially when you have to consider both your current and future needs. Just think about how much water you and your family can expect to use, the types of fuel supplies, and even the size of your home, all these are essential aspects you should bear in mind when shopping for a new boiler. Ratings for boilers range from A to G and A is the most efficient for energy consumption. If your boiler is one of the least efficient on the scale, a new boiler on finance will be better for your wallet over time.
Moreover, you will want to consider other factors such as energy efficiency and alternatives for renewable energy use. To help you decide which type of boiler suits your needs, we have arranged this at a glance guide.
Consider the size of your property
Before throwing yourself on the first breath-taking offer, consider the size of your property. As well as providing you with hot water, your new boiler will probably be the primary source of heat in your home. What does that mean? It is crucial to choose a boiler that is large enough to provide enough heat output to supply your whole property. Usually, domestic boiler size is measured in terms of how much heat they produce, which normally ranges from 5 to 35. There is no economy if you choose a boiler capable enough to supply fifteen radiators for a dwelling that only uses a few. Keep in mind that, however, the size of your home alone is not the most efficient way of identifying the right size- it is way better to calculate heat loss. Moreover, heat loss is a more advanced calculation that not only takes into consideration the size of your home and the number of radiators, but also the insulation and other factors that might impede the effectiveness of your new heating system. Click here for more information regarding your options and how to make sure you take home the best boiler and service possible.
Getting the right type of boiler
As we have previously mentioned, the size of your dwelling is just one of the many factors which may affect the type of boiler you choose. For this reason, combi-boilers tend to be one of the most popular choices in the UK as they most smaller properties have a minimal storage space, which makes it difficult or even impossible to store a separate hot water tank. In case you are planning to upgrade your current boiler to a larger model, also make sure you have enough space for this to be stored in the current location.
Heating Controls
The old traditional single thermostat has long been replaced with the intelligent zoning control that enables different temperatures and timing programs to be set around your home, avoiding heating empty rooms. This allows us to remotely control and monitor energy usage by only using a smartphone app.
For instance, the weather compensation controls can boost the efficiency of a steam boiler by as much as 15%. Thanks to a small sensor placed on the exterior for your home, the boiler increases or decreases the temperature of the radiators in order to compensate for swift outdoor temperature changes. Contrary to many inexperienced beliefs, weather compensation controls can fit on old properties as well, as long as the installer has properly set the boiler’s functioning gradient. However, this is mainly determined by how well the dwelling is insulated.
Regulars Boilers
Regular boiler, as you probably know, includes all series of essential parts such as the boiler heating controls, a hot water cylinder, cold-water storage plus an expansion cistern. Regular boilers can usually be found in larger, older homes and less accessible as time goes by.
A regular boiler is supplied by two tanks, which are located in the loft. One of them draws cold water from the main supply, while the other is the expansion and the feed tank, which supplies the boiler system and operates any water that expands in the system shortly after being heated.
Steam Boilers
As we know, steam heating is one of the oldest technologies, although less efficient than some more modern systems they are still in high demand all over the country. Even though some systems required a lot of manual input to control them, today, we can find a wide range of automated control for temporary steam boilers. Steam boilers usually extract over 90% of the heat, making them both energy-efficient and cost-effective. Why are steam boilers so effective? They extract heat from flue gases, which would have been otherwise lost by a regular boiler. In case you opt for a steam combi boiler, there is no need for water storage tanks, making it ideal for those with a smaller property.
System Boilers
A system boiler is meant to heat your central heating directly and also produce hot water for your storage cylinder. This is a heat-only boiler and works in a similar way to standard boilers, however, the system boiler includes extra units within the boiler itself, such as a pressure release valve and an expansion vessel. Because the system boiler requires a nominated place to store the heated water, a hot water storage tank will always be needed. Keep in mind that a system boiler doesn’t however, necessitate a cold-water tank, making them a suitable choice for smaller homes.
Electric boilers
This can be an excellent option for someone looking for a compact product for smaller dwelling. This can also be a great alternative for homes that cannot install a gas boiler since they are not connected to a gas supplier.
An average electric boiler works by heating water that runs through it with a heating element, and this hot water is, in turn, pumped where it is needed. Given the way they heat water, electric boilers are considered one of the most wasteful options because there is very minimal heat loss similar to a gas boiler.
