If your boiler needs constant repairs, makes odd noises, struggles to warm your home, then you apparently need a new one. Take a look at this list of symptoms that your boiler’s on its last throes.
1. Your energy bills are increasing
A boiler’s efficiency will usually decrease as it gets older, leading to more expensive energy bills. To find out how much your boiler is efficient. Start by checking its efficiency rating. A-rated boilers function at more than 90% efficiency, while G-rated brands run at 70% or less. So, if your boiler is on a lower rating, it’s time to start saving for a replacement boiler.
2. Your boiler is leaking
A boiler is not supposed to leak water. If it does, a working component — such as a valve or seal — may have broken. Leaving the leak as it is could lead to an electrical short-circuit. So turn your boiler off and have a gas safe engineer to check the boiler. Hopefully, it’ll be possible to restore it to full working order, without the need to replace it. If leaks become frequently common, it’s a warning that your boiler demands to be replaced.
3. Replacement parts are difficult to find
If the boiler is old enough, you will find it challenging to get the correct parts for your boiler, it can mean also, the parts will be enough expensive that it is better to install a new boiler, because of rarity. Also, it might mean a lack of engineers who are versed in that old boiler, and also it might mean waiting many days in winter without heating, to allow the gas engineer to secure the parts.
4. Frequent breakdowns
If you need a Gas Safe engineer several times every year, it’s worth thinking if repairs costs are higher than the cost of a new boiler. Treating your existing boiler to annual servicing should keep it ticking over easily all year, so a replacement is really only required if your boiler still struggles afterwards.