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How to choose a gas boiler and a good plumber to install it?

How to choose a right type of gas or electric boiler for your property. What are the options and what kind of boilers are available on the market. Why some boiler brands are more expensive than others and does it make sense to pay more for your boiler. Finally who is the best trades person to install your new gas appliance. Should you employ a local gas engineer or contact a big nationwide company like British Gas ?

LOCAL PLUMBERS NEAR ME TO INSTALL MY NEW BOILER

We all need a decent boiler in our domestic lives – after all, they are fundamental to comfortable living - but how do we go about choosing the right one for our homes?

If you want to make the best decision, you must take into account a number of fundamental aspects, rather than simply wondering “where are the best plumbers near me?”

You might be better off when you search for your local plumber by typing in Google search box phrases like East Dulwich Plumber Peckham Plumbers, Camberwell Plumbers, Forest Hill Plumbers, or just by using the first two letters of your postcode: SE22 Plumbers, SE4 Plumbers, SE15 Plumbers, etc.

MINIMUM OPERATING FLOW

Did you know that gas boilers need a minimum flow of water in order to work?

In the case of most modern boilers, that minimum water flow is between 5 liters and 7 liters of incoming cold mains water per minute, depending on the model.

BOILER CAPACITY: FLOW IN LITRES PER MINUTE

What are your hot water needs?

It is common for gas boilers to produce between 5 and 17 liters of hot water per minute.

If you want to make sure that the supply is adapted to your real needs, you must take into account the hot water points in your home, that is, how many toilets, showers or sinks there are, as well as how many you will use at the same time and their distance to the boiler.

Depending on the capacity of the boiler, you can use hot water at one or two points simultaneously.

TYPE OF TECHNOLOGY: WITH OR WITHOUT MODULATION SYSTEM

Another aspect to consider is whether the boiler is modulating or not. The boilers with modulation systems offer an energy saving of 20% since they can modulate the power of the flame through the gas flow. In this way, they are able to heat the water to the desired temperature without the need to mix it with cold water, so they also save a lot of water.

TYPE OF IGNITION

In the market there are gas boilers with two fundamental types of ignition:

-Manual: You have to press a button to make the flame and heat the water.

-Automatic: The burner ignites directly when it detects that the hot water is used and turns off when finished, without the need for a pilot flame.

It is recommended that the ignition be automatic, for the following reasons:

- It is safer since it is turned on at the same time as the water is used and it shuts off when you finish using it, there is no risk of leaving the flame on.

- It saves a lot of gas, precisely for the same reason.

- It is much more comfortable: do not activate the flame every time you want to use hot water.

FUEL TYPE

First of all, it is necessary that you have a gas installation. Otherwise, if you do not want to have this type of installation, you can instead have an electric boiler installed. If choosing a gas boiler, be sure to request an annual gas safe engineer check with your local plumber

TYPE OF TECHNOLOGY: WITH OR WITHOUT MODULATION SYSTEM

Another aspect to consider is whether the boiler is modulating or not. The boilers with modulation systems offer an energy saving of 20% since they can modulate the power of the flame through the gas flow. In this way, they are able to heat the water to the desired temperature without the need to mix it with cold water, so they also save a lot of water.

TYPE OF IGNITION

In the market there are gas boilers with two fundamental types of ignition:

-Manual: You have to press a button to make the flame and heat the water.

-Automatic: The burner ignites directly when it detects that the hot water is used and turns off when finished, without the need for a pilot flame.

It is recommended that the ignition be automatic, for the following reasons:

- It is safer since it is turned on at the same time as the water is used and it shuts off when you finish using it, there is no risk of leaving the flame on.

- It saves a lot of gas, precisely for the same reason.

- It is much more comfortable: do not activate the flame every time you want to use hot water.

WHERE IS THE NEW BOILER TO BE INSTALLED?

When it comes to the plumber installing your boiler, you should think about 3 fundamental things:

1. Think about saving water and reducing heat losses:

It is always recommended that the boiler be located as close as possible to the place of use, so that water can be saved and the heat loss minimized.

2. Think about the security and the requirements that the installation must meet:

The combustion produced by the boiler gases can be harmful to the health of occupants. For this reason, it is essential the plumbers in Peckham install the device in a suitable place.

Analyze your use case: does the place where you are going to install it have good ventilation? Do the exhaust pipes comply with the regulatory distances and the regulations in force?

Knowing the answer to these questions is necessary to correctly choose the kind of combustion and the evacuation system that your boiler must have:

-The watertight boilers are always most recommended, as they ensure that there is no leakage of harmful gases and offer maximum safety.

-Atmospheric forced draft boilers are installed when it is necessary to obtain oxygen in the same place of installation, but the space is reduced or is poorly ventilated and it is necessary to force the said evacuation of gases.

-The atmospheric natural draft boilers can be installed in those rooms with good ventilation or in installations outside, such as open galleries.

Also, it is important the plumber in SE5 makes sure that the premises have hot and cold water pipes, vents, and a plug-in case the boiler needs it.

For this reason, we recommend that the installation of your boiler be carried out by an authorized local plumber since certain rigorous checks must be done so that the installation offers maximum safety and reliability. You can request an authorized installer online.

3. Think of saving space (choose a combination boiler!)

As we have just seen, it is fundamental to analyze the premises where you are going to have the boiler installed from the point of view of safety. But there is also another important aspect to consider, and it is the space occupied by the boiler itself, as well as the necessary space for its proper maintenance.

The new generation of gas boilers offers a wide range of compact boilers that occupy 20% less than traditional boilers. And in the case of watertight boilers, the models have a size 30% smaller than those of the competition, in addition, they only need limited space (to be able to remove the case) to the sides, since all the operations of maintenance are developed from the front.

In addition, many models have developed their range of optimal boilers, the smallest on the market, with a depth of only 129 mm for the models of 5 liters and 181 mm for the 10 liters and 14 liters. Thanks to this, they adapt to any space, so they are recommended to be installed inside small kitchen furniture.

Depending on the size and capacity of the boiler, as well as the available space, it may be better to place it inside or outside the home, although ideally it is located inside and as close as possible to the hot water points, to avoid heat losses in the pipes. 

In case the water boiler cannot be installed indoors and the chosen place is cold (garage, balcony, etc.) it is advisable to place complementary insulation in both the hot and cold water pipes.

Also, before requesting the plumber in London to install it, you have to keep in mind two very important things:

- The wall where the boiler is to be installed must be capable of supporting a weight three times greater than that of the full appliance.

- Remember to leave a space of at least 25 cm between the protection cover and any fixed obstacle, in order to be able to carry out maintenance tasks whenever necessary.

Finally, and as a safety measure, the boiler must be placed in such a way that it is impossible for anyone in the bathtub or in the shower to access the switches or other start-up devices, respecting 0.6 m of the distance between the boiler and the bath or shower.

As always, we recommend that the installation of your boiler be carried out by one recommended local plumbers since you know your thermos as nobody knows how to adapt the installation to the conditions of the stay, as well as the checks that must be done so that the installation offers maximum safety and reliability. 

So, no longer ask yourself “where are the best plumbers near me?” You can enjoy consistent hot water in the best conditions and with all the guarantees by following our advice!

Author: Paul Jones