Boilers for Your Home – How to Choose
Choosing the right boiler for your property can be a confusing process, and there are a number of details you need to take into consideration. If you’re changing over to central heating for the first time or considering replacing a current system, it’s important to ask yourself: “What type of boiler do I need for my property?” This is because the type of boiler best suited for your home will vary depending on a number of factors, discussed in this article.
A home boiler heats and provides hot water or steam for heating. Steam is distributed via pipes to steam radiators, and hot water can be distributed via baseboard radiators or radiant floor systems. A boiler is used by every household and serves as an important feature.
Different types of boiler heating:
- Conventional Boilers – In a conventional boiler, gas jets play onto a cast iron heat exchanger through which water passes to be heated. It consumes less power and is more reliable.
- Combination Boilers – A combination boiler heats water for central heating in the same way as a conventional boiler, but can also provide the taps with instant and continuous hot water.
- Combination Storage Boilers – Combination storage broilers will allow you to use multiple taps with warm water.
- System Boilers – A system boiler provides central heating and hot water from a cylinder.
- Back Boilers – Back boilers are fuelled by gas, oil or solid fuel. Solid fuel back boilers provide hot water when the fire which heats the house is lit. Gas and oil back boilers can work independently of the fire, and are able to provide hot water all year round.
- Condensing Boilers – In a condensing boiler, the water from the flue gases ‘condense’ in the secondary heat exchanger and drains away at the bottom of the boiler.
- Storage Tanks – Boilers with a storage tank (hot water cylinder) are better capable of coping with the demands of multiple uses, and can deliver water at a high temperature and at a high flow rate.
Remember to take your time when deciding which boiler is the most suitable for your home. All types of boilers come with their own complexities, and choosing the right model isn’t a decision that you should make lightly.