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Replacing your Old Boiler
If your boiler is over 10 years old you could be wasting up to half the gas you buy!
Choosing a heating system with a high efficiency condensing boiler with the correct heating controls can make a huge difference to your heating bills over time.
There are different types of boiler:
- Combination (or combi) boilers - heat water instantaneously on opening a hot tap, so there is no need for a storage cylinder.
- System boilers - these are designed to generate heat for your home as well as hot water that can be stored in a separate hot water storage cylinder. This can be situated anywhere in your home with no need for a separate tank in the loft.
- Heat only boilers - work in conjunction with a hot water storage cylinder and cold water top up tanks to provide both central heating and hot water.
The type of boiler you need will depend on a number of factors, such as the size of your house and your hot water requirements.
Which Type of New Boiler is Best For You?
Click on the type of house you live in to see the range of boilers available:
| Type of property |
POTENTIAL SAVING* |
EXAMPLE RECOMMENDED NEW BOILER** | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Flat |
£308 |
|
|
Semi |
£393 |
|
|
Detached |
£408 |
|
|
Detached |
£458 |
|
|
Detached |
£634 |
|
* Source: Sedbuk
** A home survey from one of our advisors will determine
which boiler is most suitable for your property.
Click here to arrange an appointment.
The Role of The Boiler
Is your boiler energy efficient?
If it's 10-15 years old then it probably isn't. Replacing your old boiler with a new condensing boiler can save you around a third on your heating bills straight away.
Around 60% of CO2 emissions from your home are down to your boiler. With an efficient new boiler you could save up to 875kg of CO2 and £130 a year.
Add in a full set of heating controls as well as a new boiler, and you could increase the total savings to around £250 and 1.7 tonnes of CO2 a year.
Most of us are familiar with the main parts of a central heating system: the boiler, the radiators and the piping that connects it all. The boiler heats the water and this is usually circulated through the pipework and radiators by a pump, before returning to the boiler. From this basic arrangement a number of different systems and boilers have been developed; below you'll find a guide to the 3 types most commonly found in British homes.
What is a condensing boiler?
You've probably heard of the term 'condensing boiler' and you may be thinking how does it fit with the 3 boiler types we show?
Essentially, a condensing or High Efficiency boiler can be a combi, system or open vent boiler. Condensing boilers work on the principle of reusing heat that would normally be rejected into the atmosphere from the flue of standard efficiency (non-condensing) boiler.
As a result, the temperature of the gases from the flue of a condensing boiler is typically 50-60°C compared with 120-180°C in a current non-condensing boiler. This creates a condensate (hence the name 'condensing'), which is harmlessly expelled as vapour through a flue and as liquid through a convenient drain point.
All new boilers sold in the UK must be High Efficiency Condensing models.
Combination or 'combi' boilers
This is the most popular type of boiler in the UK, now found in around 70% of homes.
Combi boliers provide central heating and hot water without the need for a separate tank to store water; hence you can easily tuck them away under the stairs or in kitchen cabinets.
They are most suited to: Homes with one bathroom, households with single people, couples, families with one child Usually available in following outputs: kw 24 30 35
Benefits:
- Instant, unlimited domestic hot water
- Compact, easy to fit if space is limited
Disadvantages:
- Unable to run multiple showers or baths at the same time
- Lower flow rate for hot water than an open vent or system boiler
System boilers
A system boiler (sometimes known as a 'sealed system') provides central heating and hot water via a storage cylinder housed in an airing cupboard - no need for water tanks in the loft, as with an open vent boiler.
Most suited to: Larger homes with multiple bathrooms/ensuites; families. Usually available in following outputs: kw 12 15 18 24 30 38
Benefits:
- High flow rate for domestic hot water
- No tank(s) in your loft
- More than one hot tap / shower can easily operate at same time
Disadvantages:
- Hot water is not instant.
- Once the water in the storage cylinder runs out you have to wait for it to reheat.
- You'll need to find space for the cylinder (usually an airing cupboard)
Open Vent Boilers
Open vent boilers are a peculiarly British invention. An open vent (sometimes known as heating only) provide central heating and hot water via a boiler, a storage cylinder housed in the airing cupboard and water tanks in your loft. If you're looking to do a full system overhaul most people opt to remove the tanks from the loft and turn their open vent system into a sealed system.
Most suited to: Larger homes with an existing open vent boiler. Usually available in following outputs: kw 12 15 18 24 30 38
Benefits:
- High flow rate for domestic hot water
- More than one hot tap / shower can easily operate at same time
Disadvantages:
- Once the water in the storage cylinder runs out you have to wait for it to reheat.
- You'll need to find space for the cylinder (usually an airing cupboard)
- The bulk feed and expansion tanks are usually sited in the loft - this can create a problem if you're considering a loft conversion.
Central Heating Sale
Save up to £1760 with an energy efficient boiler and new central heating system and cut your heating bills by up to 40% for years to come! More details >
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