One of the most important investments that you’ll ever make in your home getting a new boiler. This is why it’s essential that you make the right choice. A new boiler will last for up to 15 years and you’ll have to rely on it completely for all your day-to-day heating and hot water requirements.
This is why determining the right boiler size for your needs is important to ensure comfortable temperatures throughout. Not only this but you also need access to sufficient hot water whenever required without having to burn a hole in your pocket with high energy bills.
So, how will you determine the boiler size that’ll cater to your needs the best?
What factors will help you make the right choice?
Let’s take a look.
The Basics of Choosing the Right Boiler Size
How to Measure Boiler Size?
It’s important to understand and measure boiler size before considering the various aspects of boiler installation. Here, by boiler size, we don’t mean the physical dimensions but the total output in kilowatts or kW.
Kilowatt is the unit used to measure the extent of energy released by the boiler in the form of heat. Remember, the amount of heating and hot water you need will be directly proportional to the kind of output required by the boiler. However, when choosing the right boiler size, other aspects will also come into play.
Will Choosing an Oversize Boiler Work for Me?
With modern boiler technology now available, boilers have never been more efficient. Homeowners were usually advised to opt for oversized boilers in the past to make up for the heat loss. However, this is no longer the case. Choosing an oversized boiler leads to wastage of energy not to mention you’ll end up paying more than you have to for your gas bill.
Hot Water Calculation
Hot Water Demand
Majority of the households in the UK have a combi-boiler installed as it caters to both heating and hot water demands from the mains water supply. Combi boilers are not only practical but also rather convenient with fairly low costs. These are usually perfect for small families where just one bathroom will suffice.
On the other hand, if you have a large family, or if you have more than one bathrooms in your home, a combi boiler won’t be enough to provide sufficient hot water. Here, the hot water isn’t stored in the tank ready to be used. Instead, water is heated as it’s being used.
So if you have a growing family, you’re likely to use more hot water. You have to take into account whether a system or a conventional boiler that comes along with a hot water tank is more suitable.
Number of Radiators
Another aspect that’ll greatly influence the size of the boiler you need is the number of radiators. For instance, if you have a small flat with just a few radiators installed, then picking the most compact boiler will be very economical as it’ll keep you from paying more on energy bills.
Usually, a typical three to four-bedroom home has up to ten radiators installed. This means a small or perhaps a medium-sized combi boiler will be ideal with an output of 24 to 30 kW. A bigger house with significantly more number of radiators will generally need a bigger boiler with an output of at least 30 to 35 kW.
So, if you have a big house with say twenty radiators, a combi boiler of 35 to 42 kW will be ideal to provide sufficient amounts of heating. If you feel that it’s costing you more, you can switch to a system boiler which is sized more appropriately for your requirements.
Consider Boiler Servicing, Repair and Maintenance
Irrespective of the efficiency and effectiveness of your boiler size, it’ll function at its best only if its serviced by professional heating engineers at Hunsbury Heating. Our trained and accredited team will suggest manufacturers and models that are ideal for your home and requirements giving you your money’s worth.
Getting your boiler serviced at least once a year will keep it working at its best while also adding to its lifespan. To ensure that you always have the right amount of heating and hot water at the lowest cost, you need to be on top of your boiler maintenance game.
Give us a call today for a professional opinion on boiler sizing and repair.
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