Different Types of Boilers
When faced with having to replace a broken boiler, or installing one in a brand-new property, it can be confusing trying to decide which type and capacity or boiler you’ll need to meet your hot water demands and provide you with central heating.
There are three main types of boilers to choose from for homes in the UK – combi boilers, regular boilers (also known as conventional boilers), and system boilers.
The type of boiler you choose depends on several factors, including the size of your home, the number of people living in your home, the number of bathrooms and the type of central heating you have.
Combi boilers, for example, are ideal for small one-bathroom properties but might find it hard to cope with the hot water and heating demands of a large family home. Regular boilers take up a lot of space, requiring a hot water cylinder and a cold water reservoir tank in the loft; system boilers have just the cylinder, but aren’t good in areas with low water pressure.
The best way to determine which type of boiler best suits the needs of your property is to consult a heating professional who can advise you after taking all the factors into account.
Boiler Size Matters
When we refer to the size of a boiler, we’re not talking about the actual dimensions of the device, but rather the amount of heat it puts out.
Boiler output is measured in Kilowatts per hour (kWh). If you install a new boiler which struggles to meet the demands of your radiators and hot water taps you’ll not get frustrated, while install a boiler that is too powerful for your needs and you’ll just be wasting money on burning extra gas for no good reason.
It’s best to err on the side of caution and consider a boiler that has a kWh output slightly higher than you actually need. As a rough guide a 26kWh combi boiler should adequately service a property with one bathroom & shower along with a few radiators, while if you have a large property with three or more bathrooms and up to 20 radiators you’ll need a bigger beast of a boiler that can kick out at least 35 to 40kWh.
Something else that’s very important to consider when choosing a new boiler is its energy efficiency rating. A new boiler will bear a label indicating, according to a standardised system, how it measures up as far as how much output you get for the amount of fuel burnt. In other words, it tells you how it performs when converting fuel into heating. Ideally, of course, you want a boiler with a high energy efficiency rating – at least A+ or higher on the ErP scale – to minimise your carbon footprint and your heating bills.
It is easy to be bamboozled by boilers unless you are a heating engineer, so unless you are confident that you can choose a new boiler with the specifications to suit your circumstances, it’s best to book an appointment to have a professional run an assessment of your property.
You can trust a third-generation family firm of plumbers like Boost Plumbing – with more than 100 years of experience in plumbing and heating under our tool belts – to talk you through the best available options for a new boiler.
We have bases in both the cities of Bath and Bristol in the south West, from where we cover a wide area. We supply boiler advice across all the Bristol BS postcode areas from Easton & St George (BS5) to Winterbourne and Frampton Cotterell (BS36). We also serve Bath BA1 and BA2 postcodes, including Weston, Batheaston, Lansdown, Claverton, Odd Down Twerton and Whiteway.
We’re gas safe registered and supply a vast range of different makes, models, types and sizes of boilers with generous warranties at highly competitive prices.
If you need advice about the best boiler for your property and your budget, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
