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Installing your Nest thermostat may not be as easy as screwing a light bulb, but we can also assure you that it isn’t very difficult either. However, if you lack the needed training or experience to pull it off, we’d recommend you hire the services of a professional in order to save yourself some time and money. This guide will give you some quick and easy steps to follow and ensure you make no errors during the installation process.

Once installed removing the Nest Thermostat can be done. To get started, you’ll need just a Philips head screwdriver which Nest has thoughtfully provided with the device.

• Turn off the Nest Thermostat by switching the circuit breaker to the off position.

• Label or mark your old thermostat’s wires. However, if you notice your thermostat is tagged 120v or 240v, or possesses thick wires, do not connect the wires to the Nest as you have a high voltage system.

• Uninstall the old thermostat by locating detaching the wires coming out from the wall into the thermostat. Once done, simply unscrew the device from the wall

• Mark the spot of your thermostat. Do this by threading wires through the Nest base plate’s centre incorporate the tiny bubble level. Once done, you can then use a pencil to mark te two screw holes.

• Attach the trim plate. If you wish to cover the screw holes, simply install the trim plate in the Nest box’s bottom to the base plate.

• Using the screws and screwdriver, attach the Nest base to the wall.

• Connect the wires to the Nest by putting the labelled wires in the Nest’s corresponding ports.

• Put the Nest display by lining up the connector on the display’s back.

• Turn on the power by switching the circuit breaker to the on position

• Connect your Nest thermostat to the WiFi network.

• Follow the on-screen guide and set the temperature.

• Use your smartphone or tablet to download the Nest thermostat’s mobile app to monitor and control your device remotely.

What Size Of Electric Boiler Do I Need?

If you’re thinking about installing central heating in your home or property, you’ll be shocked by the plethora of options that’s currently available in the market as regards the boiler type that can be installed. Being a very good alternative to gas boilers or an oil or LPG boiler, electric boilers are here to stay. They usually feature different power outputs which tends to lead to one of the most frequently asked questions about electric heaters - what size of electric boiler do I need? Here, we’ll give you a good insight into sizes of electric boilers available to help you make the right decision.

The importance of getting the perfect size of electric boiler for your home can not be over-emphasized. If your electric boiler size is too small, it won’t be able to provide the level of heat and hot water required. And on the other hand, if it’s too big, it’ll definitely consume more electricity which would be a total waste of money.

To determine the correct size, if you have a wet central heating or water radiators in your home, you’ll need to calculate the boiler’s capacity required to operate them and allow 1.5kw per radiator. To be more accurate, it’s advisable to talk to a professional installer to avoid making a costly mistake. Every professional installer should have an idea of the appropriate size of electric boiler that’ll be needed given your special requirements and home size.

Generally, with a 12k kilowatt boiler, you should be able to operate up to 7 to 8 radiators which is good for smaller properties. For apartments and flats, getting a smaller electric boiler would be the best option.

How Much Is A Boiler Service?

A broken boiler can be a huge pain and even more so if it occurs during the winter months. A cold house and cold shower is not a situation to be handled with levity especially when there are older people or more vulnerable members in the house. To ensure your boiler keeps functioning the way it should for a lengthy period of time, it’s crucial to ensure that you have your boiler serviced on a yearly basis. But while the summer or warmer months happen to be the most cost effective time to have the boiler servicing done, doing it during the depths of winter can go a long way to ensure that you and your loved ones get through the cold without any unwanted occurrence or boiler issues.

Generally, to have your boiler serviced will cost anything within the range of £80 to about £120, but at times, this can even be more depending on a plethora of factors. The servicing cost will be based on the particular company you choose, the type of boiler you possess, as well as your location in the UK. For instance, if you happen to live in London where demands are higher than the other regions, then you’ll most likely have to pay more money to have your boiler serviced than other homeowners facing similar issues but staying in the other lower demand regions.

Asides from hiring a professional to service your boiler on an annual basis, you should also try to help maintain its efficiency and health in between those services. This will not be a substitute to the regular servicing or even make the servicing a lot simpler, but will surely help keep it at a maximum efficiency while also keeping the cost of your heating bills down.

Breakdowns of boilers are quite common during the winter months and are usually very expensive to repair when this occurs. According to the research carried out recently by uSwitch, repairing a boiler can cost an average of about £314 with a figure over 20 percent of homes experiencing various heating system issues last year.

To answer the question of whether or not your existing home insurance will be enough to cover the boiler breakdown, the answer is probably not. This is due to the fact that heating system faults or breakdowns is a very common occurrence and as a result of poor maintenance practices as well as a high repair cost, several insurance companies often remove it from their home insurance policies.

Generally, you’d be given an option of what is termed as “emergency home cover which is an add on or extra to your home insurance policy. Luckily, this add on is quite inexpensive and may be as little as £4 or £5 per month. Depending on your need or budget, you can also purchase the add on as a “stand alone from your current insurer or another company. However, the standalone option is usually more expensive.

The emergency home cover normally provides coverage for the boiler repair cost and few times, the rest of the central heating system as well. Being fully aware how important a boiler can be, insurance companies usually deliver a rapid response service as suggested in the name, “emergency home cover. However, the maximum pay-out for call out charges is capped at a particular amount which usually ranges from £500 and £1,000. Apart from the call out fees, the emergency cover also includes a limit on the pay-out amount for future required repairs of heating systems which includes both parts labour.

LPG stands for liquid petroleum gas. It’s a by-product of refined crude oil. When it’s put under pressure, LPG turns into a liquid. It’s usually stored in this form. LPG is used as fuel for things like BBQs and camping stoves, as well as central heating.

You should have your boiler serviced every year. This ensures that your central heating system is running safely and efficiently, but it’s often also a requirement to keep your boiler’s warranty valid. To avoid disruption to your heating, the best time of year to service your boiler is the summer. You’ll often find that boiler companies will charge less because they have less work.

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.

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.