In the UK, January and February are usually the coldest months according to the stats, and so it’s the time when the temperature dial for the central heating gets turned up by quite a few degrees. We’ve become so reliant on instant heat these days that any breakdown in the system is a major incident in the household, so you’d better get it fixed quick. Avoiding a breakdown in the heating system in the first place is the most obvious course of action, and at the centre of it all is the boiler. Whether the boiler is gas- or oil-fired, annual maintenance by a professional, and well ahead of the cold snap, should be the plan.
For reliability, having a new boiler installed is often the way to go, because modern boilers are more efficient than they used to be, and their carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are low, as is now required by the latest regulations. Best advice is: if your current boiler is 10 years or older, replace it. In the long-term this will be a cost-effective investment, as you’ll make a saving on energy efficiency. You will also be reducing your gas emissions and will therefore be helping to protect the environment. All high efficiency (HE) boilers are environmentally friendly and operate at up to 96 percent efficiency compared to standard boilers at around 80 percent efficiency. They recover heat that is normally lost to the atmosphere via the flue gases.
Installation
The installation of a boiler is definitely a job for a qualified professional. However, even if you’re seeking pre-purchase advice it is well worth understanding some of the basics, so you can at least give your dealer the appearances of knowing something about the subject. There are three main types of boiler: combi boilers, system boilers, and conventional boilers. The combi boiler is suitable for the smaller home or apartment because it does away with both the traditional cold-water tank or hot water cylinder, so it’s a great space saver. This can also be an economical option as you’ll only heat the water you use when the tap is turned on.
System boilers and conventional boilers both work in a similar way, except the system boiler doesn’t require a separate feed-and-expansion tank that would normally be housed in the roof space or loft. This is a good option for the larger property and, with a free loft space, this would be the boiler type of choice if you’re also thinking about a loft conversion. If you have a large house with, perhaps, two bathrooms, your supplier will recommend a conventional boiler, which is also known as a heat-only regular boiler. You will need loft space for the hot water cylinder and cold-water tank. An electrical immersion heater can also be fitted to the hot water tank as a back-up, should your boiler break down.
Making your choice
There are well over a hundred manufacturers of boilers for the UK, and while we are spoilt for choice, that doesn’t make the choice any easier. One of the market leaders is the Potterton brand, a British company that has been in business for around 150 years, and today they put a strong emphasis on the energy efficiency of their boiler products. The company says, ‘As a result of extensive research and development, the Potterton range of boilers are all SEDBUK Band A or SEDBUK Band B rated. This ranks them amongst some of the most efficient appliances on the market. In fact, the Potterton Promax 15 SL is quite simply the most efficient boiler you can buy, with a SEDBUK rating of 91.3 percent.’ SEDBUK stands for the Seasonal Efficiency of a Domestic Boiler in the UK and is the national standard for energy performance and it has become a government requirement that every new boiler installed must carry either a SEDBUK Band A or SEDBUK Band B rating. This means that they have to be 90-95 percent efficient at all times.
Heated Debate
Whether you should chose gas or oil to heat your system is a much-debated topic across the country—when oil prices rise we opt for gas but when oil prices fall…
However, your final choice is likely to be governed by your location. Town and city properties will usually be connected to gas mains as standard whereas country properties frequently have no access to mains gas and therefore the options are either oil or bottled gas (PPG). If your property has no access to mains gas and you’re opting for oil, oil-fired boilers can be extremely efficient, user-friendly and highly reliable, but remember, you will also need to consider where your oil tank will be sited for the best gravity-fed delivery of the oil to your boiler system—and do have the tank positioned so that it is also easily accessible to your oil delivery company. The range of oil-fired boilers offer the same boiler types as those mentioned above. A leading manufacturer is Worcester Bosch, a company that has a wide selection of oil-fired boilers that are available as regular, system and combination models. All of their products are constructed under strict procedures and their boilers are thoroughly checked to ensure durability and reliability.
Final answer?
You can only arrive at a final answer after you’ve done your homework. This will take into consideration the size and location of your property, the hot water requirements, and where you would like the boiler positioned. On the latter point, for instance, the boiler manufacturer Eurocal, part of Turkington Engineering, offer a range of different solutions as to the position of your boiler and some can even be positioned outside your property, meaning that service to the unit can take place without you being at home.
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