Boiler Types: Which Boiler is Right for You?

Buying a new boiler is an expensive investment so you need to make sure you are making the right decision for your home. But how do you know which boiler is right for you? We’ll examine the different types of boilers available so that you can make an informed choice.

Things to consider before choosing a boiler

There are a few factors to think about when deciding on a new boiler for your home.

Of course, these factors are not ranked in order of importance as each household will have different priorities.

What are your choices?

So what are your choices for a new boiler for your home? Currently, around 80% of homes have gas boilers with combination boilers being the most popular.

However, if you want to future-proof your home be aware that low-carbon heating systems are due to replace gas boilers which will be banned for new builds from 2025 and all properties in the UK from 2035.

The different boilers currently available to homeowners are:

Combination boilers provide unlimited, on-demand hot water at mains pressure as they are not connected to a storage tank. System boilers are ideal for homes with more than one bathroom or high hot water demands as they supply hot water to a separate storage tank.  Conventional boilers need a cold water tank in the loft and store heated water in a hot water cylinder, keeping it warm for hours. All of these boilers are gas-fired.

Although all boilers use electricity an electric boiler uses a heating element to heat the water, similar to a large kettle. Compared to the running costs of a gas boiler electric boiler costs are twice as expensive but they produce no carbon emissions and typically have 90-100% efficiency.

Air and ground source heat pumps extract latent heat from the air and ground to heat water for underfloor heating and radiators. They cannot supply on-demand hot water as the water is not hot enough and an electric boiler is usually needed for domestic hot water.

A biomass boiler is fuelled by wood chips, logs or pellets which are a sustainable fuel source. This system heats the hot water for use in the home and to supply the radiators.

Liquid petroleum gas (LPG) boilers and oil boilers work similarly to gas boilers by burning fossil fuel to provide hot water and heating. The fuels are stored in external tanks and need to be filled from lorries which deliver the LPG or oil to your home.

There are many things to consider when shopping around for a new boiler not least of which is the future of heating our homes. Knowing what is the most energy-efficient and future-proofed option will help you to make the right decision, save you money and reduce your carbon footprint.