A boiler cover policy can help a great amount by relieving your labour costs
A boiler cover policy can help a great amount by relieving your labour costs
The central heating system in your home is generally ignored in the summertime when warmth is plentiful, but if it does suddenly stop working, you may be stuck with measly kettle fulls of hot water and chilly cold showers everyday. It is only when the boiler breaks down that you become acutely aware of its importance in your home. Right away it comes to the front of the agenda with a recognition of its importance and the costly nature of its maintenance.
Generally a tenant paying rent is not liable to repair a malfunctioning boiler as the landlord is responsible for maintenance and repair of his premises. However, for homeowners it is always a good idea to make sure you have a little money saved to pay for any unforeseen malfunctions.
It is advisable to buy a new model rather than getting your ten year old central heating boiler repaired, this will cut down the fuel costs too in future years. The type of central heating system that you should buy depends on your family size and the available space at your home, the existing central heating system also affects your choice. For smaller homes with fewer people a combi heating boiler tends to be the most common choice, especially if you want instant hot water at mains pressure. Combi boilers eliminate the need for water tanks as it heats the water as it draws it through the plumbing system. 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 system central heating system 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. The system central heating boiler needs not much space and it is quick and easy to install. 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.
An open vent heating boiler is the norm in most older homes, and takes up the most space; two water tanks in the loft and a storage cylinder in the airing cupboard. This type of boiler is similar to the sealed system in that it lets hot water to come out of more than one tap at the same time, but it also takes time to warm up and has wavering water pressure.
Finally, a back 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. Traditionally back boilers are stored in a chimney breast, but unless you already have one, it’s probably not worth switching to one. However, if you do already have a back heating boiler system installed in your home and it needs replacing, rather than getting a completely new system, it would be more sensible to get a new back heating boiler installed.
Whichever gas boiler your home has, it can be costly to repair. That is why it is important to get heating insurance so you can be confident that any costs will be taken care of if something breaks down, costs which cover labour and spare parts for your heating boiler. Buy a good central heating system breakdown policy which not only covers the labour, repair costs and also provides annual inspections with no call out charge.