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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.

The Hive thermostat stand is relatively easy to install, however if you lack the necessary training or experience, this is a task you might want to leave to a professional to guarantee the best result while also saving you money and time. This guide will give you a good insight into the Hive thermostat installation process.

The installation of a Hive thermostat does require it to be connected to your home boiler. For this reason we always recommend you get a professional to install it. However once install the Hive Smart Thermostat is very easy to operate and move the controller around your home. To get started, you can follow these steps:

• Press the lever at the lower side of the thermostat and pull away from the front to detach the back plate of your device.

• Once done, simply hang the thermostat on the stand back plate and ensure it holds firmly in place

When it comes to Hive thermostat installation, you might also want to consider the positioning of the device in such a way to heat your home even more efficiently as its designed to be very sensitive to temperature. To identify the best spot for your Hive thermostat, let’s take a look at some of the dos and don’ts.

A Few Dos:

• Do maintain the position of your Hive Thermostat to keep a stable connection with the receive and Hive Hub.

• Do ensure that the position chosen is the centre of your home or a frequently used room.

• Do place the thermostat about 1 to 1.5 metres from floor.

• Do ensure that your thermostat is in a close proximity with the hub and receiver for a better functionality.

A Few Don’ts:

• Don’t place your Hive thermostat stand close to radiators, direct sunlight or other heat sources,

• Don’t position your device near or at places that can expoerience a sudden change in temperature such as the front or back door.

• Don’t leave your thermostat too close to curtains or ornaments.

Ad hoc visits from your engineer to fix small issues with your heating system may actually seem cheaper and a lot more affordable, however when a boiler is ripe enough for a change these small issues are always never ending. Over some period of time, these small issues will inevitably get worse and the idea of “mend and make do will be an absolutely false economy. The best course of action in this sort of event is to find a replacement boiler to install as soon as possible. In this article, we’re going to give you some hints that’ll show you when your boiler needs to be replaced. Now let’s take a look!

✓ Insufficient hot water. Here, you’ll have to check the size of your hot water cylinder. It’s crucial to make sure that your boiler is rightly sized to power your heating as well as hot water circuit in line with your demands. You should always seek the advice of a heating expert who can recommend whether to fix or replace the boiler.

✓ Strange noises. It’s normal for components of the boiler to become worn or damaged over time. Replacing the particular component that’s causing the knocking or rattling may seem cost effective at first but more often than not, the noises usually signal a bigger issue which is likely to build up over time. Hence, it’ll be a lot more logical to replace the boiler itself.

✓ Regular repair of your boiler. It’s essential to have your heating system serviced by a Gas Safe engineer on an annual basis. However, when you have to call them more often than once a year for your yearly maintenance, it may be a wise decision to consider getting a replacement.

✓ Other events whereby you may need a new boiler includes when you can’t get the right temperature in your room, when the radiators don’t heat up as they should, when your boiler leaks and if your boiler still has a pilot light.

How To Fix A Boiler

A boiler is subjected to regular usage, working for a several hours a day and providing hot water for shower on a daily basis and even more so during winter. With it’s power and efficiency, we tend to postpone or even totally overlook its maintenance. However, no matter how good your boiler is, it consists of many moving components and it’ll certainly develop some faults some day. When the inevitable occurs, you might want to save some money and get it fixed all by yourself.

When it comes to fixing boilers, seeking help from a licensed heating engineer is usually the best solution, however at times you might be just lucky to be faced with minor issues which you should be able to handle yourself. In this article, we’ll look at some of the most common causes of a broken boiler and how you can get your heating system up and running again. Let’s have a look!

✓ Low system pressure. In the event whereby your boiler display a low system pressure, it could mean that the system is about to breakdown. You’ll have to carry out regular inspections on the pressure gauge to see if there’s any noticeable changes and call in a heating engineer immediately to prevent a system breakdown from happening.

✓ Poor heat production. Although this is unlikely to lead to any great issues, but it’ll reduce the effective functioning of your heating system. To prevent a debris build, it’s important to have your boiler cleaned regularly.

✓ Strange noises. Boilers often make noises, so there’s nothing to worry about unless it’s a banging or whistling noise that’s very odd , then there may be a serious issue. You’ll have to check the air intake, pressure, exhaust and piping to ensure they’re working just fine, if not there may be a need for replacement.

Re-pressurising your boiler means that you allow more water to enter system via the filling loop. It can be easy to re-pressurise your boiler yourself. Always check your manual, but there are some simple steps you can take to restore pressure to your boiler:

• Switch off your boiler and let it cool completely

• Make sure both ends of your filling loop are attached

• Open both valves to allow cold water into the system – you’ll hear it start to move

• Look out for your pressure gauge to show 1.5 bar

• Close both valves

• Switch your boiler back on

• Undo both ends of your filling loop and remove it. Remember some water might come out, so be ready to catch some spillage!

A combination boiler, also referred to as a “combi boiler, delivers both domestic hot water and space heating in a single package so as to save space, and in a lot of cases, money. These great features makes the appliance a very popular choice in UK homes and in fact, it represents more than 50 percent of all new boilers fitted in the UK on a yearly basis.

Most modern and high efficiency combi boilers are usually stainless steel condensing boilers which normally features an in-built secondary heat exchanger to deliver domestic hot water to a home or property. What’s more? When it comes to the heating season or the cold months, the combi boiler will operated as required to heat a structure and offer hot water for showers, sinks as well as other hot water appliances around the house. And when it gets to the warm season or summer months, the combi boiler will only work when there’s a need for domestic hot water which also helps you save more money.

Combi boilers are able to provide domestic hot water in such a way that’s energy efficient due to two primary reasons - the combi units possess a very high operating efficiency and also have a low internal water volume. As a result, in during the hot summer when space heating is not required, you’ll only have to pay to heat up the hot water that you really need and not an entire tank.

Combi boilers also have the following benefits:

✓ Lower costs. Due to the combined nature of the boiler and the lack of tank in the roof space, the installation time and costs are at a minimum.

✓ Saves space in your home as it effectively combines a central heating boiler with a water heater into one unit.

How To Fix A Broken Boiler

To fix any problem when it comes to home appliances, the first step is always to identify the problem while also carrying out thorough checks - a broken boiler is not an exception. Putting enough time and effort in diagnosing a problem can go a lot way to save you both time and money. So here are some of the steps you can take to fix your broken boiler before you put a call out to a licensed engineer.

✓ Check to confirm if your pilot light is on. Whenever you’re facing some issues with your boiler, this should always be the first thing you do. The pilot light being on speak volumes, if the light is off then there’s absolutely no way the flame can start the appliance’s gas supply. You should try to put it back on, if off. To do this, you simply have to follow the detailed instructions on your boiler’s manual strictly. If after following these actions to the letter and the issue remains the same, then you’d probably need the services of an a qualified engineer. Never try to fix the issue on your own.

✓ Check the pressure. The solution to the headaches might sometimes be as simple as examining your appliance’s pressure gauge. Here, the good numbers are around 1.0 or1.5, if it happens to fall below this, then you should open the boiler’s instruction manual. You can also inspect your radiator valves for any leaks. You’d have to call in a specialist to solve the issue.

✓ Check the thermostat. Here, it’s important to note that a faulty thermostat doesn’t necessarily imply a broken boiler. It may just signify that you need to replace your thermostat. Simply check to ensure that your thermostat is turned on and temperature is at the appropriate degree.

Smart controls such as Hive are the next generation technology with more and more people now converting their houses into smart homes to control multiple devices in the homes remotely. Smart technology can be incorporated with several household devices such as security, lighting, entertainment and more. But what if there’s an oil boiler installed in your home, can you still connect your Hive with the your heating? Well, simply read on to find out.

The answer to this question is yes, most oil boilers are compatible with Hive and can substitute for either an existing conventional programmer or thermostat. The smart technology works to help derive more benefits from your heating system and they usually come with apps which can be used to control your home’s heating from anywhere with just your mobile device. Hive, however, cannot work to replace the functions of smart oil boiler heating controls to modulate your heating as they only work on an on or off basis. To make use of the modulating technology in an oil boiler, the cost of manufacture would be considerably higher while offering little advantage in efficiency for the home or property owner. Ultimately, this implies that you can’t incorporate smart technology to control the output in a similar way as a gas boiler, but there are still some ways to utilize smart technology with your oil boiler in such a way to boost your efficiency and lessen the energy bills.

Do you want to use your Hive with your home’s oil boiler? We’d advise you get in touch with an OFTEC qualified engineer if you wish to install Hive Active Heating on your oil boiler, as British Gas engineer do not offer this service.