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Can You Replace A Gas Boiler With An Electric Boiler?

In the UK, there are about 22 million households that are heated with the use of a gas boiler. However, do not assume that they’re the best type of boiler to install. The fact is, if your house isn’t connected to the main gas supply, the best option is for you to install an electric boiler rather than a gas boiler. So is it possible to replace a gas boiler with an electric boiler? The simple answer is yes. Both heating system options work in varying ways and also with a different impact on the environment.

The gas boiler is able to generate heat with the help of a gas burner. A heat exchanger is linked to the burner and heats the water available in its chamber. The hot water is then supplied to the heating circuit.

However, the thing is that natural gas can actually be more affordable when compared to using electricity to operate your boiler, but they have a negative impact on the environment. This is because gas boilers make use of an odourless, colourless and poisonous gas - carbon monoxide.

Meanwhile electric boilers are powered by electrical energy, hence, no carbon monoxide leak risks. Instead of using gas to heat up water, electric boilers distribute energy to heating elements which, in turn, heats up the water. So thinking about what’s best for the environment, you’d go for electric boilers. However, they’re more costly and are not as efficient as oil boilers.

If you reside in a smaller house that’s not connected to the main gas supply, then you might want to consider installing an electric boiler. However, if you live in a larger house, an electric boiler may not be the best option as they’re mostly designed to generate little quantity of hot water.

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.

How Does Electric Central Heating Work?

An electric central heating works to provide a number of benefits for you. These benefits include the following:

lSpace Heating

• The storage heaters work during the night to store electricity which would be used to heat up the heat retaining bricks. This, in turn, will release this energy throughout the day to warm up the room.

• There are also electric radiators which works to deliver on-demand heat and as a result, economy tariffs are totally avoided. It will generate heat by itself rather than storing it and with the controls, you can easily determine the amount of heat to be released when you require it.

• There is the wet electric system options as well which comes with water filled radiators. This operates in a similar way to normal radiators, however, it makes use of electricity to heat up the water.

lWater Heating

• An electric boiler operates in a very similar manner to other boiler types, just that it makes use of electricity as its fuel. Here, the water is warmed by a heating element and the water is later moved to several radiator throughout the house by a pump. These electric boiler types earns you tariff savings as you’ll be able to heat water at night.

• Heat pumps geothermal or air source, redistributes heat instead of creating it. Heat pumps are powered by electricity and it works by absorbing heat either from the air or ground which it then channels it through a pump. This can then be incorporated in heating either water or a room.

• A dedicated immersion heater is another water heating option. Here, the heating element is positioned inside a hot water cylinder. In a similar fashion to a kettle, the element heats the nearby water. Immersion heater can act either as a backup or your main heating element.

How Much Is A Landlord Gas Certificate?

Do you know as a landlord in the UK, not only does the law requires you to conduct an annual check on all your gas appliances and chimney, but you’d also have to pay for it? Hence, giving birth to the commonly asked question, how much is a landlord gas certificate? With so many variances in CP12 certificate prices everywhere, it can be so confusing knowing the actual one you’re expected to pay. Just by surfing the internet alone you’d come across loads of ads claiming they can help you with a cheap gas safety certificate only to discover that reverse is the case when you reach out to them. Here, you’ll get to know the real amount you’re expected to pay for the annual checks on your gas appliances and chimney.

First and foremost, let’s look at what a Gas Safety Certificate really is. This is a certificate that’s given out to landlords and property management companies after a check has been carried out on all their gas appliances and chimney. This statutory check is expected to be done every 12 months to ensure the safety of all those who make ue of your rental property. Homeowners living in ther property are not required by the law to conduct annual gas safety check, but it’s highly recommended that you get in touch with a Gas Safety engineer to ensure the safety of both you and your loved ones.

As a landlord in the UK, to get all your gas appliances and chimney inspected by an approved Gas Safety engineer and obtain your Gas Safety Certificate, you’re expected to pay within a range of £55 to £65. However, you should note that this cost will increase depending on the number of gas appliances you have (about 30% increase for each additional gas appliance).

To ensure that your boiler is safe and operating efficiently, it’s essential to have it serviced on a regular basis.

Generally, a boiler service will deliver a wide array of benefits which includes the opportunity to identify safety issues like a possible leak of carbon monoxide, efficient use of energy and reduction in energy bills, prevention of breakdowns, a valid warranty when the boiler is serviced regularly by a qualified engineer as well as an extended lifespan. So what exactly does a boiler service cover? This guide will give you a good insight as to what happens during that service.

Before we get started, it’s very important to note that the work done is always as good as the engineer you employ. Therefore, it’s advisable to make sure your preferred engineer is qualified before proceeding with the service. Below are some of the basic practices the engineer may perform during their visit.

• Thorough Inspection

During the visit, the engineer will carry out a detailed examination of your boiler to ensure it still meets the current standards while also making sure that there are no leaks or corrosion. What’s more? They’ll also examine the boiler’s flame for any faults.

• Boiler Casing Removal

The boiler casing will be detached to check all components and ensure they’re free from all forms of dirt and see to it that they’re all working just as they should. This will include examination of the heat exchanger, main injector, burner and spark probe.

• Flue Examination

The engineer will inspect the flue terminals to make sure there are no form of obstructions and it’s also safely installed.

• Gas Pressure Examination

This is done to make sure the heating system is operating at the right pressure.

What Are The Best Electric Radiators?

Being afforded options in life is what we all seek. However, when the options are obviously too much, it can have a negative impact - exactly the case with electric radiators. With so many electric radiators in the market today, identifying the best and most suitable one for your home can be less helpful and extremely confusing, and even more so when you don’t know what you want. In a world filled with a huge selection of electric radiators, some designed for general heating while others are designed for more specific purposes, where would you get started? Here we’ve put together some of best electric radiators which you can put into consideration when making a decision. Let’s have a look!

• The Rointe D Series

The D series is one of the most popular electric radiators you’ll in the market today and deservedly so.with an advanced controllability via the Rointe Connect App and TFT control panel, these series have been rightly marked out as the most sophisticated electric radiator till date. What’s more? It’s suitable for both small, medium and large rooms, as it heats from 3m2 to about 16m2. The installation and programming of the Rointe D Series is very easy as it also enables a full access to every functions included as well as consumption costs.

• The Dimplex Q-Rad

As a high end heater, the Dimplex Q-Rad is one of the most popular brands. It is designed for a large room as it can heat up an area of about 20m2. The electric radiator features simple controls, sleek and good looks and works automatically all day.

• The Haverland RCTTi

This is conveniently one of the most efficient and reliable electric radiators you’ll find around. It stands out with the possession of its Dry Stone technology which works to ensure the room is kept at the right temperature.

• The Stiebel Eltron CND

Featuring a combined radiant and convection heating, this dual heat source is a very good option for homeowners with a tight budget. It works excellently to store heat which it later releases. The electric radiator also sense when the windows are open and react intelligently to the environment.

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.

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.