Signs that you may need a new boiler
Your boiler is one of the most important features of your house. It keeps you and your family warm and comfortable whenever you need it, but boilers do not come without faults, and they age and wear over time. In some situations, if your boiler is faulty, a boiler repair may be the best way to solve the problem, but in serious situations, you may need a complete new boiler. We are going to take you through some of the signs that mean you may need a new boiler.
A faint smell from your boiler
If your boiler is operating correctly, then there should never be any odour coming from it. If there is a smell or odour, this should be looked into immediately by a professional. The reason this is so serious is because it could be a carbon monoxide leak – which can be deadly.
Although carbon monoxide is odourless and will not give off a scent, a carbon monoxide leak can cause your boiler to not function properly, which can create the smell. As well as looking out for an odour, you should have a carbon monoxide detector. This is to ensure that if there is no smell, you can detect a carbon monoxide leak as soon as possible, before it has any adverse effects on your health.
Some other warning signs of a carbon monoxide leaks are as follows:
- Soot or burning on or around your boiler
- Excessive condensation on inside windows
- A yellow flame in the boiler as opposed to a blue flame
- Pilot light going out
Always keep your eyes peeled for these things as this is the most serious fault you could find with a boiler, carbon monoxide can be deadly so be sure to stay on top of this.
Radiators taking too long to warm up
This is something that can be a fairly common problem when you are having issues with your boiler – your radiators are taking a long time to heat up. This is a particularly important thing to think about during the winter months when you need your radiators to stay warm and comfortable. Modern boilers that are in good condition generally heat your radiators up almost instantly, so this may be the perfect reason to replace your boiler, if it is confirmed that your boiler is causing the issue.
This could, however, also mean that you are having problems with your central heating, and it could be blocked with sludge, moving dirty water around your heating system. If you are experiencing these issues, then you should get a gas safe engineer to locate the issue and get it fixed/replaced as soon as possible so you can be back to comfort in your home.
Increased energy bills
If you have noticed an irregular increase in your energy bill, this could be due to an inefficient boiler. Older boiler systems often begin to run less efficiently, which in turn means that they will cost you more money on your energy bills.
The quickest way to check the boiler efficiency is to check the ErP energy label, which most boilers will have, that will rate you from A-G. If you have an old G rated boiler, you may only be running at around 70% efficiency, meaning that you would certainly benefit from a new boiler in your home. Replacing this with a new A grade boiler will save you hundreds of pounds per year.
The most efficient boiler is a modern condensing boiler, opting for this system will give you the best savings. As well as a new boiler, you may also benefit from shopping around for your energy provider and seeing if you can get a better deal to save you even more money!
Water leaking from your boiler
If you spot puddles of water around your boiler then there are many issues that may come with this. Water leaking from your boiler means that there is likely damage to the internal parts of your boiler, or even that they are starting to corrode away. There are multiple serious issues with a water leak, so you want to get this problem solved as soon as possible.
Firstly, the water leaking in the boiler can cause further rusting to other parts, adding to the damage in your boiler and ultimately meaning that you will need the system replaced. A water leak will also leave your boiler running less efficiently, so you will be wasting energy, as well as wasting water that is leaking out of the boiler, so this is doubling the wastage issue. On top of these two serious issues, a water leak can also lead to structural damage in your home, as well as damp, that can have an adverse affect on your health.
There are too many issues with a boiler leak to ignore this, so get your engineer to check it out as soon as possible and get it fixed, or get a new boiler.
So, now you know some of the tell tale signs of a faulty boiler and why they will negatively a
affect your money, home and lifestyle! Sometimes it works out cheaper in the long run to just replace the system, as you will keep spending on repairs. You can weigh up the best option for you, but ensure that you are taking action when you spot these signs with your boiler.
