The Perks of a Modern Gas Boiler!

When my old back boiler burned its last, I hit the web to look at the 2 types of gas boiler that seemed more common:  System Boilers and Combination Boilers.

The first type of gas boiler I read up on was the System Boiler, which offers roughly around 90% efficiency, placing it in Band A or B.  These are the first and second best Band of boiler efficiency, meaning it is better for the environment AND your purse than say a Combination Boiler that typically sits at Band D.  Though this immediately placed the System Boiler higher up in my estimations, the playing field soon levelled out when I realised that the System Boiler typically carried with it a higher price tag than the Combination.  Back to square one!

I read that a Combination boiler does have quite a low water pressure rate, and the shower (for example) will run far slower if someone decides to start the washing up at the same time – not so good for a buys household like mine where we have 2 bathrooms and 4 people getting ready in the morning!  As the System Boiler is invented for larger properties like mine, they are made to satisfy a big demand for hot water drawn from more than one room, so there is no drop in pressure when someone in another room turns on a tap.  It was for this reason that the System Boiler won in the end.

Check out User Reviews When Shopping for Boilers

When I recently had a boiler disaster, my engineer was suggesting a whole host of boilers, but when I asked him to narrow down the one that he would choose, he said that Potterton Boilers would be his first choice. Having been in the business of manufacturing boilers for over 100 years, Potterton Boilers have racked up quite a reputation for themselves and has even won a “Which? Best Buy” award for 2 years in a row. This was all good enough for me, but I do like to have a little shop around, so I decided to take my friends advice and search online for user reviews of Potterton Boilers as opposed to promotional reviews meant to “talk them up”, so to speak.

The first review I found was by a boiler installer – the perfect reviewer, I figured. This one was singing the praises of the Potter Boilers and was claiming that they were “a joy” to install. That ticked one of my boxes. Another one I read from another boiler engineer said that the Potterton Boilers had a fantastic back-up service. User reviews ere varied, from love to mild-dislike, but no hate, which was a plus! It seems that these do tend to break down if fitted improperly, but using a reputable company with plenty of experience will sort that one out.

The main think I liked about Potterton Boilers was that they were very eco-friendly – so eco-friendly, in fact, that they had introduced a cutting-edge new solar panel to use renewable energy! With all my boxes ticked, I decided that Potterton Boilers were definitely the way to go, and had one installed. I even ended up with £50 cash back because I purchased one from the Potterton Promax range!

Back Boilers – Not for the Scrap Heap Just Yet!

The other day I went to see an old house that was up for sale at a cut-price because it required some extensive TLC. The letting agent showing me around mentioned that the house still ran on a BackBoiler, which intrigued me somewhat. Although seen by many as an extremely old fashioned style of boiler, Back Boilers actually contain some fantastic pros that are still relevant today.

For those of you who don’t know, Back Boilers were traditionally run on oil, gas or solid fuel and were fitted in a fireplace that heated a boiler behind it – hence the name “back boiler”. Now don’t be mistaken, just because Back Boilers are relatively old fashioned doesn’t mean that they aren’t efficient – on the contrary! And because they are situated behind a fireplace, they make good use of your home’s space and won’t intrude upon your kitchen or bathroom like a System or Combi – it’s all nestled in a little secret place. Perhaps the best thing about Back Boilers though is the cosy, homely atmosphere that comes with a solid fuel burning fire that many people day still absolutely love.

Of course Back Boilers aren’t without their cons – something this old is bound to have its ups and downs. The biggest (and saddest, in my opinion) one of course being that they are no longer installed, so when your Back Boiler does give up, it’s gone for good, so if you’re lucky enough to be blessed with an efficient and traditional little Back Boiler, make the most of yours while it lasts!

3 Reasons You Should Choose System Boilers

There is a lot of hullabaloo surrounding the advantages of a Combi-Boiler at the minute, so I thought it pertinent that someone should remember the advantages of System Boilers instead of writing them off as “space invaders.”

Inexpensive

System Boilers holds a small amount of water in its tank (usually a copper or light cast iron) which makes it extremely economical to your household. They reduce the amount of time it takes for the property to heat up because they pump hot water straight to the radiators, which also reduces your costs. Add all this to the fact that it is not only cheaper to purchase System Boilers but also to install them and you have a pretty economical boiler.

Water Flow Rate

The majority of System Boilers have a built in pump to deliver you with a fast filling bath and powerful showers and because there is a constant flow of hot water, you don’t have to worry about your water running cold if your significant other is doing the dishes!

Longer Lifespan

Of course, you can never really account for outside elements, but on average a System Boiler tends to last longer than any equivalent. Reports vary, but even just investigating online I came to the conclusion that they last at least 15 before any repairing needs to be done, and could last a lifetime after that.

When it comes to buying a boiler, don’t be put off just because System Boilers take up more room. This is probably the only thing that makes Combi-Boilers slightly more advantageous, but System Boilers aren’t just confined to being massive cylinders anymore! So for a reliable, inexpensive, long lasting boiler, check out the System Boiler, too.

The Perks of a Baxi Boiler

I have recently had one of the Baxi Boilers installed, and can’t believe I actually managed without one for so long!  You can imagine my joy when I came home from work to find my boiler had sprung a leak all over my kitchen floor and the engineer told me I needed a brand new one.  Although this was a total pain in the neck, part of me was a bit relieved, too.  The boiler I had was a Worchester Bosch I believe and it was always on the blink.  When I hit the search engines to get some insight into why they were always conking out, I found a DIY site where even the boiler engineers where going on about how much they hated REPAIRING them!  I asked the engineer what kind of boiler he recommended and one of them was the Baxi Boiler.

Baxi Boilers stem way back to 1866 and are one of the leading boiler manufacturers.  This, along with the fact that the parts are easy and cheap to get a hold of and install (according to Mike, the engineer!) along with them being very reasonably priced and coming complete with a 5 year warranty, I was convinced.  The only drawback for my own personal tastes is that the Baxi Combi boiler 105 – which is currently nestled snuggly in my kitchen cupboard – is band B rated, meaning it isn’t exactly the kindest to the environment.  But with the top energy efficiency band being an A, it isn’t far off!

3 Things to Consider before Investing in a new Boiler

Before you jump feet first into buying a brand new boiler, take a breath and consider some of the following before you pick the cheapest one you can find!

Types of Boilers

There are two main types of boiler – the Combi and the Open Vent.  Combi boilers (my personal fave) provide you with hot water as and when you need it without the assistance of a water tank, so not only do they take up less space but they also just heat whatever it is you need, so it’s not wasteful.  Open Vent (aka System) are set on a timer and do use a hot water tank.  These are perfect for families in a house big enough to accommodate the tank without it taking up valuable space.

The Price

The average price of a replacement boiler is around the £2,500 mark, but this can vary depending on what type of boiler you buy and who you choose to install it for you, of course.  Make sure you have a little shop around to make sure you get the best deal.

Maintenance

No matter how much you would like them to, boiler’s won’t last forever, and no one can convince you that yours will run perfectly during its time in your care, but making sure that you give the system a flush to reduce lime scale and things is essential.  Just get your engineer to use a chemical inhibitor.  (Write that down – it’s important!)  Some boiler parts are easier and cheap to obtain and install than others, too.

Taking these 3 factors into account should ensure that you get the best boiler AND it lasts well into your winter years!

Ariston vs. Ferroli - which is best?

When it came to replacing my boiler, I found a whole host of websites that offer both points of view on the two boilers recommended by my gas man, so it came down to simply this: Ariston Boilers vs. Ferroli Boilers.  It’s all well and good to search for the names of the boiler you have in mind, but upon doing so I found a huge number of sites purely singing the praises of these two boilers.  

The Ariston Boilers were very highly celebrated, with the ability to boast the highest band of energy efficiency possible!  Adding to that the fact that they have won several awards including Best Boiler, the ability to fit any central heating system – be it Combi, system or regular AND they carry a 2 year guarantee. It was all coming up roses!

When searching for Ferroli Boilers I found only praise for their heat outputs, an energy efficient A band, simple connection, 2 year guarantee and near-silent function - the Ferroli boiler seemed perfect, and I was again struck with the Ariston Boilers vs. Ferroli Boilers struggle!  But then my friend suggested I search the web for real reviews from real consumers.

I uncovered a whole trove of cons for Ferroli, which ultimately came down to the fact that it is extremely easy to break, with one disgruntled customer even stating that “the fan breaks if you so much as look at it!”  Ooh, harsh words for Ferroli!  On the other hand, I found it tough to find any negativity towards the Ariston, with even these real people with no obligation to say purely positive things praising the Ariston for their “faultless” design!  No prizes for guessing which boiler now sits in my kitchen!