Protecting against central heating system breakdowns
Protecting against central heating system breakdowns
Keeping our homes warm from May to September is not a problem but unless you have the habit of taking cold showers and boiling the kettle after you bathe, you could be left without help or hope of recovery if your boiler breaks down. It is strange though that the central heating boiler is never considered to be an important piece of equipment until it stops working. And as soon as it stops working, everyone realises how essential it is and how expensive repairs can be without a boiler repairs policy.
If you rent your home, you won’t have to worry about having some money aside for the central heating boiler repairs; your landlord will cover it and they may have a boiler repairs plan. However things are different if you own the house, you then need to keep aside some money for getting the heating boiler fixed in case it breaks down, unless you take out a central heating maintenance and boiler repairs plan.
It is advisable to buy a new model rather than getting your ten year old heating boiler repaired, this will cut down the fuel costs too in future years. The type of boiler that you should buy depends on your family size and the available space at your home, the existing gas boiler also affects your choice. If you have a compact family and need hot water at short notice, a combi central heating boiler is a better choice. In a combi central heating boiler water is drawn through the mains and heated immediately eliminating the need of storage tanks. 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!.
A sealed system boiler uses a single storage tank, usually in an airing cupboard, and enables a large family to have several taps or showers on the go at once, without compromising hot water or water pressure. This central heating system can easily be installed within hours and doesn’t require excess 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.
Older models of boilers are generally of open vent type – requiring a couple of loft mounted water tanks as well as a storage section installed in an 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.
Lastly, what’s known as a back heating boiler gives simultaneous access to hot water from several outlets with sustained pressure; but it may need a large area for installation. The space inside a chimney breast is often used to accommodate a back central heating boiler; but installing a new back boiler system to replace another type of heating boiler is not cost effective. However repairing an existing back gas boiler or replacing it with a new back central heating boiler can result in better efficiency and reduced long term costs.
No matter what type of gas boiler you have, it’s maintenance costs can be high if it has problems. Setting aside a marginal amount each month for a gas boiler repairs insurance can ensure speedy and professional repairs if a sudden breakdown should occur. As a final thought remember that you can save yourself an extra amount per year if you take out a central heating system maintenance policy that covers annual heating boiler inspections as well as call-outs and boiler repairs.