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When it comes to gas boilers, this is one of the most frequent questions that always pops up and for a good reason. When you invest a considerable amount of money to acquire and install a gas boiler in your home or property, it’s only reasonable not only to expect the boiler to warm up your home efficiently, but also to do so for a long period of time. If you’ve just bought or about to get a new gas boiler, it’s likely you won’t have to worry about getting a replacement for a lengthy period of time. Several gas boilers will last for anywhere between 10 to 15 years on the average. However in the event whereby you have an existing one that’s fast approaching the end of it’s useful life, then you should know the time go get a new gas boiler is just around the corner, and the earlier you make the purchase, the better (to avoid any surprise breakdowns that’ll leave your home super uncomfortable).

Just like any other home appliance, it’s a fact that an older gas boiler ( especially those that have been installed over a decade ago) are significantly less efficient that the new modern ones. When the older versions were manufactured is a completely different time to now as both technology and climate concerns are wide apart. So when your existing boiler is approaching the end of it’s useful life, it’ll be wise to start saving up to cover the cost of getting a new one. However, if it’s only about 5 years ago your boiler was installed, it’s highly likely to still be very efficient.

Condensing boilers are the in-thing when it comes to modern heating systems in UK businesses and across the globe for a good reason. This is primarily due to the fact that condensing boilers happens to be highly efficient as it enables the fuel you’re burning to heat up your home go a lot further. Having a new high efficiency condensing boiler rather than an old G-rated non condensing boiler will not only enhance your heating controls, but also save you a lot of money annually. In this article, we’re going to take you through the basics of a condensing boiler. Let’s take a closer look!

If you’re interested in getting a greener and more efficient boiler, you simply can’t afford to look beyond a high efficiency condensing boiler. This is purely due to the fact that these condensing boilers happens to make a better use of the heat they’re able to produce from burning fuels like oil or gas ( in other words, they require less heat from the burner, which makes them a lot more efficient).

So how does a condensing boiler work? Unlike a non-condensing heat-nly boiler, some heat will be wasted in form of hot gases which are released from the flue. Meanwhile a condensing boiler captures some of the heat from these gases and puts them to use for heating up water that’s coming back from your central heating system. As a result, it requires just a minimal heat from the burner which make the boiler more efficient.

You should take note that all new modern boilers are condensing boilers. Therefore if you’re planning to replace an old boiler with a new one, you’ll definitely be buying a new condensing boiler and benefit from all the efficiency and savings that comes with it.

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!

Is Electric Heating Expensive?

Well, electric heating being termed as “expensive is relative to your budget. But we can tell you making use of electric heating will cost you within the range of an additional £300 to £400 per year more than the conventional gas powered systems. Meanwhile the average UK home making use of heating has been found to incur around £550 on an annual basis while those using electric storage heaters will spend almost £900 every year, according to OVO Energy.

However, there are numerous benefits of using electric heating and some of which can contribute to give a lower cost. If you’re considering the installation of an electric heating, here are some of the benefits you’ll derive.

• Safety. The several risks that comes with traditional systems are greatly reduced with an electric heating system. For instance, there’s no risk of carbon monoxide emissions or potential explosions since there’s no use of fuel to run the system.

• Installation. When compared to traditional systems, electric heating quite inexpensive to fit. This is due to the fact that minimal hardware are needed in the installation - no pipes, no flues, no vents and no ducts to be used. As a result, electric heating systems can also be installed within a shorter period of time.

• Environment. Generally, electricity has a positive impact on the environment especially due to the fact that there are no gasses or heavy metals incorporated in the system’s make up.

• Control. Electric heating offers a more convenient and controllable system. What’s more? This does not only make life easier, but can also help save as much as 30 percent on yearly cost of heating as well as helping to minimize toxic carbon emission. Furthermore, there’s a built in Wi-Fi that usually comes with electric heating systems while same can not be said of traditional gas systems.

The short answer to this is no! Smart thermostats can still be used without WiFi, however, they’ll be deprived of some certain capabilities and innovative features that comes mainly due to their ability to connect to the internet. As a result, the smart thermostat will only be functional for basic task such as heating and cooling control. In other words, making use of a WiFi connection will be in your best bet to enjoy the multiple juicy benefits that comes with a smart thermostats such as remote monitoring, ability to connect to other devices and display local weather conditions and much more. And what’s the use of purchasing a smart thermostat if you’d not be able to enjoy these remarkable features?

However, even when you have a WiFi, it’s expected for the connection to fail at times. When this happens, what will be the impact on your smart thermostat? Let’s have a closer look!

• As you would have expected, when your smart thermostat is disconnected from WiFi, features that are controlled with the mobile app would all be impacted. And this might be a big headache when you wish to access these features and control remotely when far away from home.

• When your smart thermostat connection to WiFi fails, all live updates and alerts would be affected. This implies that you’d stop seeing updates, reports and notifications on your mobile device. As a result, you’ll not be notified in case of an emergency like electricity cut-outs, water leaks, humidity and temperatures exceeding the set levels as well as thermostat’s low battery.

• The lack of a WiFi connection might have taken away all the juicy advantages of having a smart thermostat, but one function that remains unaffected is the basic one - the control of your home’s heating and cooling system. In other words, if your smart thermostat is offline, your home will still be heated and cooled to the thermostat’s set temperature.

As you would have guessed, the British Gas is one of the leading home assistant companies located in the United Kingdom which delivers a large variety of services to customers and boilers. Basically, they offer four (4) service packages. The first package is an annual boiler service and boiler as well as controls repair. Meanwhile the fourth package (also the largest) combines boiler services with central heating, plumbing, drains as well as home electrics.

Apart from the monthly payment package offerings, customers are allowed to pay on a yearly basis with a large lump sum. If you opt to pay annually, this will help you save some amount of money. There’s also the option of paying an extra £60 to further lower either monthly or annual costs. What’s more? Customers are also allowed to pay an extra of £99 to get either £2.50 for boiler repairs a month or £5.50 for both repairs on boiler and its controls as well as central heating system repairs.

After placing a claim, the repairs required by your boiler would be made within 24 hours. However, in certain cases, there may be some delays as British Gas tend to rate vulnerable customers ( such as elderly persons and families with little kids) higher than the usual ones. All products will include a 24/7 customer support, unlimited call outs as well as a 14 day cooling off period if you choose to remove any service.

In conclusion, British Gas is an affordable and hassle free company offering customers top notch services. Their gas boiler cover include so many juicy benefits you simply can’t afford to miss out on if you have a gas boiler in your home or property.

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 stand alone 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.

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.