Case study: New Boiler upgrade in Lichfield

Over the last 20 years there has been a massive investment in new homes and estates around the Lichfield area. With plenty of new estates popping up with various heating and hot water systems installed pre mandatory condensing boilers in 2005.

Like all things shiny and new, age and time eventually catch up and even with great maintenance and the odd repair, the time will come when we either need a new boiler as the old one has given up the ghost or, before it finally ends up dying during the heart of winter(80% of boiler replacements are emergency installations), a new boiler will be required and normally in double quick time.

We all know that getting a new boiler is one of those expenses that we could really do without, and with the average cost of installing a new like for like combination boiler at £2000 (a nice holiday somewhere hot or a new sofa), when we do need to change it there are a few fundamental things to take into account.

Thinking of a new boiler upgrade in Lichfield?

If we find ourselves the unenvious position of having no heating or hot water, the decision of who to use and cost is typically dictated by availability, especially those families with small children or the older generation who tend to feel the cold a bit more.

Even still, checking out which company to use to install your new boiler is so important and a few simple checks prior to employing them can avoid any problems.

This is going to sound obvious but the first thing to check is are they Gas safe registered, check there credentials and any engineer that visits your home, we all carry our gas safe cards so there is no excuse.

Secondly are they insured, again an obvious one but most will have it on there website or any trades memberships they are part of like checkatrade or which etc.
Reviews, reviews, reviews are so important these days and can be checked in minutes.

Do they have reviews on multiple platforms that talk about the work you asking them to undertake? Are there pictures of similar jobs that look tidy and show there expertise? How long have they been trading and a member of trade bodies?

Conventional swap boiler upgrade in Lichfield

If you have carried out your due diligence then great, next step is to decide what make and type of boiler you need and want. If you have a hot water cylinder the obvious choice is to get it taken out and replaced with a combination boiler, but this can often be a bad decision where there are multiple bathrooms with high hot water demand and can often lead to poor pressure when more than one outlet is opened.

The right advice is critical and any good engineer will explain the pros and cons. If it’s good pressure you want then a straight conventional swap might be the best way and then upgrading the cylinder to a mains pressure type. If you still want to get rid of the cylinder and tanks but want better hot water than a combination boiler then a storage combi is another option, not really a kitchen cupboard fit but an airing cupboard or loft would be ideal, giving you up to 20 litres per minute with the right incoming mains pressure and setup.

A lot of people now are really into smart technology and boilers have come a long way in the last 5 years with the ability to control your house temperature from your phone or smart device with multiple users(not always a good thing for the thermostat wars in peoples homes).

No matter what boiler you decide to go for, being accredited by manufacturers will allow the installation company to offer extended warranties due to there installation practices and loyalty to a particular brand. This also means the installation company will most likely want to service that appliance
yearly moving forward and is great for a long term relationship with the homeowner.

With a lot of systems being open vented(old type system vented to atmosphere allowing air into the system) dirty radiators and heating systems will be common place and if overlooked will cost you your boiler warranty and premature breakdown. Even though this is an additional cost(should add between
£350 and £650 on average)it is absolutely essential this is at least offered to you with an explanation of the huge benefits and the potential consequences of not having one.

There are many options for most budgets these days so if you do your homework beforehand and have a budget in mind then don’t be afraid to put that out there and at the very least you will only get people to turn up who are happy to offer a solution within those parameters.

I hope this will help when the time comes to get a new boiler upgrade in Lichfield. So if you are in Lichfield and looking at getting your boiler upgraded or need some general advice then please get in touch.