Guide to replacing your boiler

Is your boiler on its last legs? The older it gets, the less energy-efficient it will be, so investing in a new modern boiler will save you money on your heating bills.

Most boilers last ten to 15 years, although good quality newer ones might last 20 years. It depends on how regularly they’ve been serviced and how hard they’ve had to work.

What you don’t want is for your boiler to break down in the middle of a cold snap, so be alert to signs of wear and tear, and reduce the risk of a costly emergency call-out.

At Clarity Heating, our experienced and professional engineers can advise whether your boiler needs replacing and which replacement boiler will best suit your needs so you can make an informed decision.

What are the warning signs you need a new boiler?

Thanks to modern safety technology, if your boiler is dangerous it will probably stop working. However, if you smell gas or fumes, or if you have headaches or feel sick when the boiler is running, then open your windows, switch the boiler off immediately and call one of our heating heroes to carry out urgent repairs. Faulty gas boilers can leak odourless carbon monoxide, which can kill.

Another serious warning sign is soot marks around your boiler, which suggest it is not burning fuel  correctly or the seals have failed or broken. This could be caused by too little air getting to the flame, which may be due to a blockage. If this is not dealt with, your boiler may stop working.  On older boilers, the pilot light burning with a yellow, rather than blue, flame is another sign that not enough oxygen is getting through.

Other common problems with boilers include:

• My boiler is making strange noises. If, like many of our customers, you have hard water, then you may have a build up of lime scale, or it could be rust or sludge. This can restrict the water flow and cause it to boil. Our engineers should be able to flush out your system, but if it has been left too long it may be beyond repair.
• The pilot light keeps going out. This could be something simple, like a draught, or a broken part could be stopping the gas supply. You need to get it checked out in case it is serious.
• My boiler is leaking. You may have a broken or worn out internal part that needs replacing, or there may be corrosion. One of our engineers may be able to fix this for you, but it could be a sign your boiler needs replacing.
• Boiler keeps switching off. While this could be a problem with the water pressure or the thermostat, it could be the pump or a valve. Don’t delay, a replacement part may fix it.
• My heating isn’t working. This could be down to a broken part or a problem with the thermostat.
• Boiler pressure is too low or too high. Low pressure may be caused by a water leak that can be fixed, high pressure could indicate a serious blockage in your system. Either could be a sign that your boiler’s on its way out.

Many of these problems can be fixed if you call out one of our engineers straight away. But faulty or damaged boilers will ramp up your heating bills, so if your boiler is more than 10 years old it is probably time to start thinking about replacing it with a more energy-efficient model.