A boiler under proper maintenance can last anything between at least eight to a maximum of fifteen+ years. However, like all good things, boilers eventually come to the end of their lifecycles too, but by the time that happens, the old model will most likely be outdated anyway.
Admittedly, the good ones can be expensive for sure, but considering how long a good boiler can last and how important they are in these parts, the boiler replacement cost is more than worth it.
In order to be able to find, buy and install a high-quality boiler, some research is essential on your part as well. It isn’t unlikely that you have stumbled upon this page while doing that very research, which is why we are going to answer five important questions and add a few tips along the way to help make you next boiler an excellent buy.
What is the Best Boiler for Me?
The most common question and one that Google often fails to answer correctly is, “what is the best boiler for me?” It isn’t the search engine’s fault though, as it does not know anything relevant about your needs to answer that question in any meaningful way. You will likely end up with a few generic articles and a lot of sponsored content!
In order to be able to answer that question, someone would first need to know the following information:
- Your budget and preferences
- The size of your home
- The insulation quality in your home
- The average winter temperatures of the location
Keep in mind that this is not everything, but they should provide someone experienced with an outline of which boiler your home will benefit from the most.
How Much Should a Boiler Replacement Cost?
If you want to avoid all the unnecessary real-life interactions in the middle of this pandemic, there is a much better way to leave out all the guesswork, push-sales techniques, annoying sales visits, etc. First check out the boiler cost in 2020 for various makes and models on Boiler Central. The page is more than just a combi boiler cost list mind you. Rather, it’s a fully-fledged guide to estimating both the boiler replacement cost and the boiler installation cost.
There is more to Boiler Central that makes selecting the right boiler and estimating the right cost even easier. Boiler Central was created around the idea of delivering an exclusive and comprehensively online experience, which is why all you will need to do is go to the site and answer their ten finetuned questions to get a fixed estimate of the total expense, including everything from buying to installation.
What is a Combination Boiler?
A combination boiler, often referred to as simply a combi boiler would be one that simultaneously provides access to hot water and heats up your home during the winter months. If you are wondering how much a combi boiler would cost, that is most likely nothing you need to worry about.
The fact is that they cost the same as a regular boiler! This is because a single, space-efficient unit equipped with an energy efficient but powerful water heater, in combination with a central heating system is pretty much the default standard in UK nowadays. In other words, all boilers you are looking at right now as possible replacements are most likely combi boilers anyway. There could of course be a few exceptions, but in 2020, those are not options worth considering for most British homes.
Do Boilers Explode Anymore?
There was a time when boiler explosions were inevitable if something went wrong in the pressure release system, or someone forgot to release the pressure in time. Nowadays, they are not inevitable, and daily, manual pressure release is no longer a requirement. Having said that, boilers can still technically explode even today. However, that only occurs under two circumstances, which would be:
- If the boiler has not been maintained and repaired for a long time
- If something inside the core mechanism has malfunctioned
The good news is that with proper and regular boiler maintenance, it is possible for us to cut out the second reason as well. There are multiple safety checks involved in every professional, inspection visit, which means that even if something did indeed go wrong, it should be figured out during the inspections, and much before things take a turn for the worst. Nevertheless, accidents do happen from time to time, so the answer to this question would be yes, boilers can explode even in 2020.
How Do Boilers Work Exactly?
If you want the full scientific understanding of how boilers work in general, we recommend checking it out here. The engineering article includes anything and everything that one may need to know about boiler operations. However, if you are simply curious about the overall mechanism in a combi boiler, we have listed below a handy, step-by-step breakdown of the process for easier understanding:
- After a boiler is turned on, it will automatically light up the gas burner inside
- Water from the main source (to which the boiler is connected) is directed towards the boiler’s heat transfer system
- Modern boilers are capable of heating up the water nearly instantaneously, which is then supplied to the hot tap
- As the heat from the hot water is circulated throughout the residence, your home stays warm and comfy even when it’s chilly outside
There could be other questions than just these of course, but the ones answered here should be enough to help you make the best out of your hard-earned money. In case you are also wondering how to save money on heating bills, we suggest that you buy the most energy-efficient boiler out there. That will admittedly increase your boiler replacement cost of course, forcing your budget up higher than before. Nevertheless, considering how much you will be saving in reduced energy consumption over the next decade or so, the extra cost might be deemed an investment.