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love your home
HomeSeeker
H ot ttips ips ffor or Hot rreplacing eplacing yyour our oold ld bboiler oiler IF THE current warm weather and the swathes of blooming flowers are any indication, spring is definitely here. But does that mean you can put up with an old boiler? Can you just switch the heating off and forget about any problems until the nights draw in again? No, it doesn’t. A boiler that’s 15 years old or more is only around 60-70 per cent efficient, meaning as much as 30p-40p of every pound spent on heating and hot water is wasted. Many older boilers also have a standing pilot light, which can cost around £50-£60 a year to keep going. “Updating to an A-rated condensing boiler could make your heating system up to 90 per cent efficient, so it’s well worth considering,” says Martyn Bridges, director of technical support at Worcester, Bosch Group. The size of your home, especially the number of bathrooms and shower rooms, and how much heating and hot water your family uses will largely determine your choice of boiler, of which there are three main types – system, regular, and combination (or combi). But which is right for you? “You don’t have to replace your boiler like-for-like though,” continues Bridges.
“Replacing a dated floor-standing model is an ideal opportunity to get the boiler off the floor and free up some space for more cupboards or worktops. “And if you choose a combination boiler, there is no need for a hot-water cylinder. “If the cylinder was in the bathroom, you may even free up enough space for a walk-in shower.” Also, with a combi, you heat water on demand, so you only pay for what you use, and deliver it at mains pressure. While combis are ideal for homes with one bathroom or shower room, they can also be suitable for homes with two, providing they’re powerful enough. “High-output wall-hung combis are available with outputs of around 40kW and above,” says Bridges. “These offer flow rates almost twice that of some combis and typically deliver 17-18 litres per minute, which is comparable to a hot-water cylinder. “Worcester also makes the floor-standing Greenstar Highflow combi, with flow rates of 20 or 25 litres per minute, which is suitable for properties with two bathrooms.” “Unlike combis, regular boilers need a cylinder, which stores the hot water, plus an expansion tank in the loft too. “System boilers also use stored water, which
allows them to feed several hot-water taps at the same time, making them ideal for bigger homes. “Of course, the problem with stored hot water is that you can use it all before the cylinder has a chance to refill, which shouldn’t happen with a combi because it supplies hot water on demand. “Regular boilers also require more space than combi or system boilers, as they often need an expansion tank in the loft, and are suitable for homes with more than two bathrooms and where hot-water usage is high but water pressure is low,” says Bridges. “In contrast, system boilers have most of the major components of the heating and hot-water system built in, making them more efficient and less space consuming, as there’s no need for a tank in the loft. “They are connected to either a mains-pressure hot-water-storage cylinder or a more traditional low-pressure, tank-fed cylinder.” If in doubt, ask an experienced heating engineer for advice about boilers, as more than one type may be suitable for your home. And remember to factor in future changes you may make, such as adding bathrooms or shower rooms, or expanding your family – the more people there are, quite simply, the more hot water they will use.
■ Combi boilers, like this one from Worcester, can help make your heating and hot water system over 90 per cent efficient
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Replacing your home’s boiler may seem expensive and tiresome, but don’t delay. Taking action now can actually save you money, and hassle, says Julia Gray...