When you’re buying a boiler, there are a number of things to keep in mind. Choosing the right boiler for your needs will help to ensure that your home heating is efficient, cost effective and reliable for years to come.
Gas heating offers countless benefits over other fuel sources, including environmental friendliness.
However, all of these benefits depend on buying a boiler which is appropriate for your home or business premises. On top of this, a gas boiler is a long term investment. As such, it’s important to purchase from a company which offers long term support and servicing.
Here are the six key things to keep in mind when buying a boiler.
Choose a Reputable Brand
The first thing to keep in mind when buying a boiler is the different brands available to you. It’s important to read up on different brands on the market, especially in terms of reliability and value for money.
Additionally, there’s no point in choosing a boiler brand that has no local engineers to service it.
It’s also worth remembering that choosing a cheaper boiler can often work out as the more expensive option in the long run. For example, a boiler might have a low initial cost, but require high service and repair bills.
You should also consider the manufacturer’s warranty policy when buying a boiler. For example, different boiler brands might offer five, ten or fifteen years of cover.
Find a Reputable Gas Engineer
When buying a boiler, you’ll also need to decide on the right engineer for installation and boiler maintenance. At a basic level, it’s important to have a reputable engineer carry out work on your boiler.
Not only will this ensure that installation is carried out correctly, it will also help to ensure that your property is protected during the installation process, and that all work is carried out promptly and thoroughly.
You should also never hire an engineer who is not listed on the Gas Safe Register.
At Belfast Boiler Installations, we have over thirty years of experience installing all kinds of gas boilers for domestic and commercial clients. We also offer a ten year warranty on all parts and labour.
We offer the highest levels of professionalism and service, ensuring that all work in your home is carried out with the minimum of disruption.
Warranty, Servicing and Aftercare Services
You’ll also want to consider the level of aftercare you’ll receive when buying a boiler. We’ve already covered the issues of warranties for your boiler, both from the manufacturer and the installation engineer.
But service contracts are also crucial to keep in mind.
This is especially important for commercial uses, including boilers for rental properties. In fact, landlords have to have their boiler and all other gas fitting inspected and certified annually. This Is to ensure that your appliances are safe and work correctly.
The trouble is, if you’re a landlord you have a lot on your plate already, especially if you own multiple rental properties. At Belfast Boiler Installations, we send annual reminders to all of our landlord clients to remind them to schedule their annual boiler testing.
We also offer complete servicing for all other clients, with our friendly, expert boiler engineers on hand if anything goes wrong with your home heating system.
Boiler Size
You’ll also need to decide on the right size boiler for your needs. This will impact the efficiency of your home heating system. If your boiler is too small, it will need to work harder to heat your home.
If you choose a boiler which is too large, you’ll likely have to pay more upfront than is necessary.
The key when buying a boiler is to choose a model which is powerful enough to heat your home, without paying for excessive power that you won’t need. The size of your perfect boiler is largely dependent on the size of your property.
For example, a large office will need a much larger boiler than a terraced house.
Of course, it’s a little bit more complex than that in reality. Luckily, there are a couple of easy ways to determine the right boiler size for your home. First, of all, the more bedrooms you have, the larger the boiler you’ll need.
Additionally, if your home has more than one bathroom, you’ll need a more powerful boiler to feed multiple baths or showers. After all, what’s the point in having two showers if you can only use one at a time?
Smart Features
These days, smart thermostats are more popular than ever. Essentially, these are digital devices, which allow you to control your boiler from your phone. While this might sound like a gimmick, it does offer a number of concrete benefits.
Without smart features, many of us use a timer to schedule our home heating. While this system has worked for decades, it is not ideal. For example, if you go out unexpectedly, you may end up heating an empty home. Smart heating systems can avoid this problem, saving you money.
Smart thermostats are also much more convenient. Imagine you’re lying in bed, and you begin to feel cold. With a smart thermostat, you can quickly switch on your boiler, without needing to get up and head downstairs.
As such, when you buy a new boiler, it’s important to decide whether you need a model which supports these new devices.
Expert Help When Buying a Boiler
Of course, when you’re buying a boiler, it makes sense to seek out expert advice. Most people only buy a new boiler a handful of times throughout their life. Why wouldn’t you ask for help from someone who works with boilers every single day?
At Belfast Boiler Installations, we have been providing gas boiler services in the local community since 1981. As part of this service, we’ve been giving advice to people all around Belfast for decades.
The first step to every project is selecting the right boiler for your needs.
Speak to Belfast Boiler Installations today for advice, and to receive a free quotation for a new boiler installation.
