Protecting against central heating maintenance

It’s easy to heat up your home during summers however you can meet a lot of problems if your central heating boiler stops working as winter approaches unless you are used to talking cold showers. It is strange though that the central heating system 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.

Most of the repairs of your rented home are covered by your landlord including your heating boiler repairs so you could be lucky. But if you live in your own house, it will be wise to have a special savings pot or central heating insurance in case something goes wrong with your central heating boiler.

If your central heating system has been in use for more than a decade, it is recommended that you buy a new model; you will be able to reduce your fuel costs significantly, especially by going for a high-efficiency one. Depending on the amount of space in your home, the size of your family and the existing gas boiler, you would have a choice as to the type of central heating boiler to go for. If you have a compact family and need hot water at short notice, a combi central heating system is a better choice. In a combi boiler water is drawn through the mains and heated immediately eliminating the need of storage tanks. 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.

A sealed gas boiler system can cater to several family members having a hot wash or bath at the same time since it utilises a storage tank housed in a cupboard or loft, thus ensuring a steady supply of pressured hot water. Such a sealed system is convenient to install and also saves on space. Compared to a combi gas boiler, a storage central heating boiler heats water slowly; after depletion, a fresh tankful can take some time to be replenished.

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. Like the sealed system, this type of central heating boiler can allow multiple outlets to draw hot water a the same time, but can also take a while to heat and doesn’t give the best water pressure.

Finally, a back heating boiler can allow multiple outlets of hot water at the same time, without loss of pressure; but they can take up a lot of space. The space inside a chimney breast is often used to accommodate a back heating boiler; but installing a new back heating boiler system to replace another type of central heating system is not cost effective. But if your home had a back boiler installed when you moved in, it can save you a lot of money; if it needs replacing, it’s far cheaper to get a new back central heating system to replace and old one than it is to get a completely different system installed.

Any malfunctioning central heating boiler system requires expensive overhauling and repair. You can get some peace of mind if you take central heating insurance because if any thing goes wrong with your heating system your costs will be covered by the insurance supplier or utility company. Buy an insurance plan that includes an annual breakdown contract and emergency house calls and repairs when needed; you will save some extra money and mean you never have to shiver in your shower again.

Posted in Boilers