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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.

If you get the right size boiler for your business and you get it serviced regularly, your boiler could last up to 15 years. It may even last longer than this, but you’ll find that your boiler begins to become less efficient as it gets older. Also, as technology improves, a boiler older than 15 years may not be the most efficient one on the market.

Can You Replace Storage Heaters With Electric Radiators?

The short answer to this question is yes. If your outdated storage heater is not heating your home the way it should, you’ll find a better replacement in electric radiators.

Being more modern and efficient, electric radiators offer a wide range of benefits which storage heaters can only dream of. Let’s have a look.

• Unlike storage heaters, electric radiators do not need to be charged up the night before which makes it totally controllable as you do not have to guess what your heating needs will turn out to be the next day.

• The above benefit leads to an even better one as the controllability quality of electric radiators makes them a lot more efficient than storage heaters. Electric radiators usually comes with programmable timers and thermostats which allows you to set various heating schedules for each of your rooms, meaning you’re only heating when and where its needed.

• Unlike some storage heaters, electric radiators do not cause wall blackening and also happen to more elegant and stylish.

• Electric radiators are not tough on allergies like storage heaters as they do not depend mainly on convection to heat

• Electric radiators also have an easy installation process with all you need to do to switch from storage heater to one being the removal of the former and inserting the radiators into the sockets.

However, if you want to make a switch to electric radiators, there’s the need to change to a standard electricity tariff from your economy tariff. And while the standard electricity tariff rates may be more expensive than the night time rate provided by Economy 7, the standard tariff rates are a bit cheaper than the daytime Economy rate. You’ll also get to use much less of electricity while also saving money on your heating bills and more.

If your property is not connected to a gas main, oil boilers are a great alternative to gas boilers and more efficient than LPG alternatives. They can also be paired well with renewable sources. However, if your property is connected to the gas mains, there is generally no reason to switch to an oil boiler, as you will need to have oil delivered to an extra storage tank.

No. You must never repair your own boiler – only a Gas Safe-registered engineer can do any work on your boiler. You can do simple DIY tasks to repressurise your boiler or stop a leak, but if you have to remove the outer casing of the boiler or touch the flue then you must get a qualified boiler engineer to take a look at your central heating system.

How Long Does It Take To Service An Oil Boiler?

Are you about to service your oil boiler and wondering just how long it would take to completion? Well, you should first know that during an oil boiler service, there are a wide range of things that needs to be checked. As a result, the service can actually take some time and even more, depending on the present condition of your oil boiler.

During a boiler service, your qualified heating engineer will carry out the following tasks:

• Detach and clean both the burner and fan.

• Examine the combustion chamber rope seal.

• Wipe clean and descale baffles.

• Wipe clean and descale the main heat exchanger

• Detach, clean and replace turbulators

• Examine the combustion levels after cleaning.

He’ll also perform some tank and system checks which includes:

• Inspecting and cleaning condensate

• Testing the fire valve

• Cleaning or replacing the filter

• Cleaning the condense trap

• Conducting a thorough inspection of the tank and oil supply pipe to identify possible damages, deterioration as well as debris.

• Pressure testing the oil supply pipe at the point where it goes underground.

• Examining the system pressure.

With all the aforementioned activities and more, an oil boiler service may take relatively longer period of time when compared to it’s counterpart - gas boiler. This is mainly due to the fact that the boiler itself requires a thorough inspection as well as the oil tank where the fuel is being stored. You get your gas through the mains supply, however oil must firstly be stored inside the tank then filled up when it’s almost low. The oil tank will be inspected to identify possible leaks, bulging, corrosion as well as water.

So generally, an oil boiler service should take between the range of 1 to 2 hours to be completed.

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:

1. Switch off your boiler and let it cool completely
2. Make sure both ends of your filling loop are attached
3. Open both valves to allow cold water into the system – you’ll hear it start to move
4. Look out for your pressure gauge to show 1.5 bar
5. Close both valves
6. Switch your boiler back on
7. Undo both ends of your filling loop and remove it. Remember some water might come out, so be ready to catch some spillage!

Does Home Insurance Cover Boiler Repairs?

When winter comes, your boiler is most likely to be one of the most used appliances in your home. It keeps operating for several hours to ensure your house remains warm and conducive and then during those cold evenings, it supplies the much needed hot water to guarantee a restive night. But with so much usage and many moving parts, you’d naturally expect your boiler to breakdown at some point especially if it’s 7 years old or above. So what’s the next line of action when it happens, leaving your radiators off and water cold? With the likely high boiler repair cost, it’s only logical to consider whether your boiler repairs is covered by your home insurance.

In almost all situations, the standard home insurance will not provide coverage for the cost of repairing or replacing a broken boiler. Being fully aware that boiler breakdowns are mostly caused by a lack or not so regular maintenance practices or servicing, most home insurance providers will exclude it from this from their offerings. In fact, a home insurance is more likely to provide coverage for the damage that has happened as a result of a broken appliance. For instance, the damage caused as a result of gas, oil or water leaking from a boiler are more likely to be paid for by the home insurance providers, but they’ll not pay for the repair or replacement of the broken boiler itself.

If you need our home insurance to cover your boiler repair, then you might just be able to get an extra insurance cover from your provider that includes a broken boiler repair. You can consult them to determine if this is possible as well as the cost to be paid per month. This will normally cost about £5 to £10 per month, but it gives you a peace of mind knowing you’re covered if your boiler happens to breakdown.