Insuring against central heating boiler breakdowns
Insuring against central heating boiler breakdowns
The heating boiler in your home is generally ignored in the summertime when warmth is plentiful, but if it does suddenly stop working, you may be stuck with measly kettle fulls of hot water and chilly cold showers everyday. A central heating boiler is that hidden part of the home which is rigorously used and not noticed until it stops working. Right away it comes to the front of the agenda with a recognition of its importance and the costly nature of its maintenance.
Generally a tenant paying rent is not liable to repair a malfunctioning boiler as the landlord is responsible for maintenance and repair of his premises. But if you live in your own house, it will be wise to have a special savings pot or central heating insurance in case something goes wrong with your central heating system.
New high-efficiency boilers can reduce your fuel bills dramatically so if your central heating boiler is over ten years old it may be time to think about investing in a newer model. Depending on the amount of space in your home, the size of your family and the existing central heating system, you would have a choice as to the type of central heating system to go for. If you have a small home with few people and do not want to wait for hot water then a combi gas boiler is your best option. A combi central heating system draws water and heats it through the mains, doing away with the need for a storage tank. With such a combi central heating boiler, a hot shower is instantly available; however if another hot outlet is opened, your share of warm water will quickly run out and you shower could be a cold one.
Another type of central heating system is the sealed system heating boiler which has a hot water storage tank and is usually used for large families, as it allows several showers and hot water taps to work at the same time. The benefit of using a system central heating system is that it can be installed quickly and easily in a relatively small area. However, because of the storage tank, hot water isn’t instant and can run out if used too quickly.
Older models of boilers are generally of open vent type – requiring a couple of loft mounted water tanks as well as a storage section installed in an airing cupboard. An open vent gas boiler provides plenty of hot water that can be used simultaneously, just like a sealed gas boiler, but again here too heating takes time and the pressure is not as good as with a combi central heating boiler.
A back gas boiler takes a lot of space but it allows multiple outlets of hot water without loss of water pressure. The space inside a chimney breast is often used to accommodate a back central heating boiler; but installing a new back boiler system to replace another type of central heating boiler is not cost effective. But if your house already had a back central heating boiler when you bought it, you can gain a lot of savings by replacing it with the same type; if it requires replacement, it’s much more cost effective to get a new back boiler than getting a totally different gas boiler system.
It is expensive to get the any of these types of gas boiler repaired. Taking out central heating insurance can provide peace of mind that if something goes wrong with your heating system, your costs will be covered. As a final thought remember that you can save yourself an extra amount per year if you take out a boiler breakdown policy that covers annual heating boiler inspections as well as call-outs and repairs.