Investing in a new boiler – size matters!
We’re talking new boilers here, but what really matters when choosing the right one? Type (combi, regular, system), Size/Output, Fuel? Yes, all those things are important but what’s just as (if not even more) important is the size of your house and the number and size of your radiators. Yes, really!
If you’ve got too few radiators or they’re too small for the size of the room, the best boiler in the world will struggle to give you the warm, cosy house you’re looking for. So, step one in choosing the right boiler is to review your whole heating system.
It would be easy to dismiss this as a ploy for getting extra work but think of it this way… in the middle of winter, if you wear shorts your legs stay cold. You can buy a new pair of super insulated fleece shorts but, as good as they are, guess what… your legs will still be cold. Get a pair of decent full-length trousers on the other hand and… hey presto the whole of your legs will be warm.
It’s just the same with radiators a small radiator in a big room is going to struggle to keep the place warm and a new boiler, however good it is, isn’t going to change that! 
So, step one; ask your boiler expert to look at your radiators; are they big enough (or maybe even too big) for the room they’re in? If changing them will help get the best value and performance from your new boiler, why wouldn’t you and, why wouldn’t you take advantage of saving money by getting the work done at the same time?
The same goes for heating controls. Yes, you can have a thermostat to control the boiler but what if you’ve got a massive radiator in a small room? There’s a good chance that room will be too hot before the rest of the house is at the temperature you want. Maybe you’re not actually using a spare room; do you really want the expense of heating that one just to keep the rest of the house warm? If you don’t already have them, it’s time to take control and install individual thermostats (TRV’s) on your radiators.
Next in our list of size issues, is the size of your house. How many rooms do you have, how many radiators are in them, and how many bathrooms do you have! The higher the number of rooms, radiators and in particular bathrooms the bigger the output you’ll need your new boiler to have to give you all the heat and hot water you need.
Finally, let’s talk insulation. Not strictly part of your heating system perhaps, but unless you really want to heat the garden (and there are better ways of doing that) you need to ensure that your house is insulated effectively so that all the warmth generated by your new boiler stays where you want it; in the house!
So, before you start simply comparing boiler reviews, it’s important to remember that making the right choice is about finding the right boiler for your house; someone else being happy with any particular ‘make’ or ‘model’ doesn’t guarantee you will be. Your boiler expert will take all the relevant factors into account so it’s well worth listening to their recommendations and taking advantage of their knowledge and expertise to make sure you and your house get the comfort and efficiency you deserve!
if you need help with choosing a new boiler or assessing your current heating system please get in touch
