There are several types of modern boiler on the market. Deciding which is right for you can take a little bit of time. Let’s look at the most common domestic boiler types in detail:
Combi Boilers
Most homes have a combi boiler installed. As the name implies, these boilers combine a central heating system and a water heater in a single package. You won’t need an external water tank with a combination boiler.
System Boilers
System boilers don’t require a storage tank for heating, although they do require a storage cylinder for storing hot water. These cylinders are often found in lofts and airing cupboards.
Standard Boilers
Standard boilers require hot and cold water tanks. These boilers are rarely found nowadays, except for in older homes with an existing heating/storage system which has not been upgraded.
If you’re on the market for a new boiler in Leeds, choosing between different boiler brands may seem confusing at first. Each brand has its own set of advantages and unique selling points.
It’s important to look for a brand that sits within your price range. Once you’ve made a list of potential brands, you should consider checking out online reviews and customer rating sites to ascertain whether a brand is right for you.
The price of a boiler often reflects the level of aftercare you’ll receive for your boiler, including the warranty length. A long warranty and good aftercare packages (free safety checks and servicing, for example) is generally a reflection of the reliability of a boiler. Manufacturers won’t offer long warranties on boilers if they believe it will cost them to arrange for regular maintenance/repairs in the long run.
At Smart Boiler Installations, we like to recommend boilers with a good price-to-warranty ratio, although we also recommend brands which offer good customer service, and brands we know we can trust. To put it simply, if we wouldn’t install a particular brand in our own homes, we wouldn’t recommend that brand to our customers.
Boilers generally have a lifespan of around 10-15 years. However, it’s worth remembering that this figure is an average, and your boiler could last much longer if you take good care of it.
On the flip side, if a boiler has not been correctly installed (for example, if the system wasn’t “flushed” during installation) this could affect its lifespan. At Smart Boiler Installations, we include a chemical flush of your system at no extra cost with EVERY installation.
Ultimately, the time to replace a boiler is when it becomes uneconomical to repair it. If regular repair costs are mounting up, It’s probably time to opt for a brand-new boiler.
Many boiler faults are easily repaired without the need for replacement parts or extensive engineering. However, sometimes more complicated issues can arise. To the untrained eye, it can be difficult to know whether the boiler can be repaired or whether it needs to be replaced. At this point, you should contact a Gas Safe registered heating engineer to assess your boiler.
At Smart Boiler Installations, your safety is our priority, which is why we’ll always perform detailed checks on your system before letting you know whether it’s more cost-effective to repair or replace your boiler.
The Gas Safe Register (formerly CORGI) recommends that boilers should be serviced every 12 months by a competent, Gas Safe registered person. If you’ve had a new boiler installed, it is important to keep up with these annual service recommendations as this will also ensure your manufacturers’ warranty is retained. If your boiler is not serviced annually, this could void the warranty which covers your appliance.
Efficiency should be a big part of your boiler purchasing decision. To ascertain whether a boiler is economical, check out its ENERGY STAR rating. Well-rated boilers have been demonstrated to run efficiently during tests. Poorly rated boilers might not be cost-effective in the long run.
If you haven’t replaced your boiler in a while, you should find that most new models will be more economical in comparison.
At Smart Boiler Installations, we understand that you want to get the best deal possible on your new boiler. We have a selection of boilers at fixed prices, and you can compare these to other quotes without even having to contact us.
However, we’ll always do our best to match the prices of our competitors – if you’ve been given a quote for a boiler, why not see if our team can beat it? Please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss your requirements.