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How Often To Service Boiler?

A boiler is a vital part of any home especially if you’re in the UK. Not only does provide your entire household with hot water and keep them warm but also adds a good value to your property. Boiler repairs and replacement are both super expensive and stressful, so in order to avoid all these worries, it’s better to have your boiler serviced on a regular basis for your own peace of mind. When you call in a reliable heating engineer, it can immensely raise your boiler’s efficiency while also saving you from more expensive issues down the road.

So if you haven’t had your boiler serviced for quite some time, moved into a new house and not aware the last time your boiler was serviced or perhaps you’re just wondering how often a boiler should be serviced, then you’ve come to the right place! The short and simple answer to this question is a boiler should should be serviced once in a year, and most preferably during the summer months. However, there are a wide range of factors that comes into play so it’s always advisable to check with your manufacturer before you proceed.

According to the law, you’re required to have your boiler services on an annual basis. Failure to do so can render your boiler or home warranty void. Therefore, it’s very crucial to take down the last time your boiler was serviced and also set a reminder to book your next appointment when the time closes in.

If you happen to own an electric boiler you may not need an annual servicing. But you may still be required to perform it annually by your insurance provider.

The Oil Firing Technical Association or OFTEC operate a competent persons scheme to certify installers. It’s always recommended to use an installer with this certification as it proves they have the training and expertise to properly install your boiler and give you realistic advice on the efficiency of your system. Also, OFTEC registered installers offer Workmanship Warranties to protect you if there are any problems after installation.

The size of boiler you need will depend on the size of your home, how many radiators and bathrooms you have and how many people live there. The boiler size refers to its output, which is measured in kilowatts (kW), rather than the actual dimensions. Speak to your boiler engineer about which boiler is suitable for you, as if you have more than one bathroom or a lot of people in your home a combi boiler might not suit you. Other boiler types such as system boilers or conventional boilers may be better suited to larger homes because they have bigger outputs.

What Size Of Oil Boiler Do I Need?

When it comes to oil boilers, there are three main types - the combi, system and conventional. Within these types, you’d discover there happens to be a wide range of sizes to choose from. First and foremost, we must note that the size has to do with the amount of energy they offer to your heating and hot water system rather than the physical dimensions.

The rule of thumb is, the larger your house (which implies the more hot taps, radiators and showers), the more powerful (bigger) the oil boiler you’d require. For instance, a four-bedroom apartment with three showers occupied by a family of four will definitely need a more powerful boiler than a a bungalow featuring a single occupant.

It is, however, important to also note that it’s not all about going for the biggest oil boiler. If you decide to choose an oil boiler with a much bigger capacity that needed, not only will you be wasting money on the initial purchase as well as installation, but also lose money operating it. And in a converse scenario, if you go for the cheaper and lower-powered oil boiler in an attempt to save up some money, you’re most likely to end up with tepid radiators while also frequently running out of hot water. Hence, the importance of determining the appropriate size of boiler for your particular household before purchase.

To determine the appropriate size, determining the number of bathrooms, radiators as well as the total number of people living in the property would be a step in the right direction.

Numbers of Radiators Combi System Boiler Regular

Up to 10 24 to 27kW 9 to 18kW 9 to 18kW

10 to 15 28 to 34kW 18 to 26kW 18 to 26kW

15 to 20 35 to 42kW 27 to 40kW 27 to 40kW

Are you worried about blocked drains? Yes, you probably should! As a homeowner ( with a detached, semi detached or terraced house), all plumbing and drainage issues within your home or even within your property boundary is your responsibility. Hence, you’d might want to consider getting a Homeserve plumbing and drainage cover to help keep your home running smoothly and putting your mind at ease. The only exception here is if the drain in question is a lateral drain which is a common feature in flats. In this situation, it’s only the building managers that would be responsible for the maintenance of the drainage as it’s shared between several homes. Before 2011, the various flats or houses that shares the lateral drain are responsible for its maintenance.

Working with top utility companies for over 2 decades, Homeserve has positioned itself as one of the leading home assistance providers in the United Kingdom. With their top notch services, they’ve been able to make their client’s lives a lot easier and stress free through the provision of a wide array of repair solutions such as drainage, plumbing, heating, electrics and a lot more.

As a homeowner with the responsibility of maintaining the drains and ensuring there’s no block or damage, it’s simply a no brainer to go for a plumbing and drainage cover and more importantly, get good cover. Homeserve are one of the providers but there are a number of others which offer great service at competitive prices. Without an insurance in place, you may just have to break the bank just to have an engineer or plumber to fix any plumbing or drainage issue you might have. So why not give yourself a peace of mind and get a cover today?

Are Electric Radiators Expensive To Run?

Just like many home additions, the running costs of electric radiators varies largely on a number of factors. Great number of electric radiators typically comes with an in built thermostat which is designed to turn itself off automatically when not in use in order to save energy.

However the energy provider’s set electricity charge tariff will also have a great influence on an electric radiator’s running cost. Let’s take a look at the running costs of an electric radiator!

A 600 Watt electric radiator ( on a standard electricity tariff) will usually have a running cost ranging between 4 to 6 pence each hour. However you should also take note that this scenario might change in situations whereby the electric radiator is not calling for heat the full 60 minutes of each hour. And this is more likely to be the situation as the thermostat is programmed in such a way that enables it to turn itself off immediately there’s an achievement of your required room temperature level - usually within 10 minutes from the time it was switched on. As a result of this, the running cost per hour of electric radiators will be greatly reduced to just about 1 to 2 pence.

It’s also important to note that enhancing the insulation of your home can go a long way to add to the heat retention value of each room. Consequently, the duration at which the electric radiator calls more heating will be significantly reduced, which in turn, implies a lower electricity bill.

Another key factor that can play a huge role in saving on your heating bills is the programming as well as usage of your electric radiators. Every radiator comes with an independent digital thermostat with a number of 24/7 programming options to help achieve maximum efficiency. When the radiator is properly set according to your lifestyle, you can save as much as 50 percent on your heating bills.

Biomass boilers will work with existing central heating systems, presuming this is not decades old, whether they use radiators or under floor heating. A surveyor will check the existing system you have in place before quoting for or recommending a biomass boiler to you.

How Much Oil Does A Boiler Use?

Are you also interested in knowing the quantity of oil that a boiler consumes to heat up and keep a house warm? Well, you’ll find the answer here. There are so many influencing factors that determines the quantity of oil that’ll be used by a boiler. These factors include the number of hours they’re subjected to use on a daily basis, the boiler’s size as well as how efficient it is. Another factor is how you use your boiler, whether it’s only to provide heating or to provide both heating and hot water will as influence the quantity of oil your boiler uses. As a result, it’s almost impossible to provide an accurate estimate of the amount of oil that an appliance would require to keep running effectively.

In general, to provide a rough estimate, a mid sized oil boiler appliance could make use of up to 3.5 litres of oil per hour when full, but if it’s a large appliance, then it can burn up to 4 litres of oil per hour. However, it should be noted that this is only when the boiler is operating flat out. In the event whereby the water inside the heating system is already hot and the boiler is only working to maintain the level of warmth, much less quantity of oil will be used. And as expected, there will also be times in which your boiler will not be on, and therefore no oil or fuel will b used.

Your home’s size as well as how properly insulated it is can also be a significant influencing factor here. As you would have guess a big home and/or poorly insulated will use up more oil because it’ll be harder to heat up or keep warm. Overall, for some households, 1000 litres of oil will be sufficient to get them through the year, whereas the same quantity may not be enough to get other households through just the winter months.