Jun. 05, 2025
Though it will never be as exciting or as sexy as buying a new car or landing the latest video games console before your best mate, buying a new boiler is arguably one of the most significant and important purchases that you will ever make.
There are many considerations to take into account before you go dipping your hand into your pocket to buy a new boiler; ranging from which types of boilers are the best for your home, how much they will cost to install, if there are any grants or financial help available, as well as the location of the boiler and what kind of thermostatic controls you intend to use.
It can be pretty complicated, frustrating and time-consuming if you don’t know what you’re doing, so with this (hopefully) helpful guide to buying a new boiler, we at BestHeating hope to bring you everything you need to know and more about choosing the one that’s best for you.
Though there are a couple of exceptions to the rule, pretty much all new and/or replacement boilers must now be high efficiency condensing boilers that help to reduce CO2 emissions by around kg annually, and can save you around £310 a year on your home heating, in accordance with the Energy Saving Trust.
Now, I know what you’re thinking – “aren’t they really expensive?”
Well yes, they can be initially, but this is a big investment and you should be prepared to go for the best quality boiler available, albeit within your budget.
Anyway, although they have a slightly higher initial outlay than other boilers, embracing this new technology and accepting the cost of it will pay dividends in the end, as you will re-coup your money over the lifespan of your new boiler through lower heating bills.
Once you have accepted the cost, it’s time to decide which type of boiler will best suit your home and lifestyle – Regular (conventional), System or Combi?
This short video from British Gas explains the different types of boiler in a little more detail.
Now don’t worry, in many cases the kind of boiler you require will be determined by where you live, but it’s definitely a decision that should be made with the help of an expert.
You need to factor in boiler installation nuances, boiler warranties, boiler brands and boiler costs and budgeting to name just a few before coming to an informed overall decision.
Remember: Unless you are a qualified professional installer, it is completely illegal to install a boiler yourself. Put that boiler installation guide away and always call the experts before doing anything else!
Rather than just going out and buying a boiler or trawling the net to find one that fits your budget, we would recommend that you try and get three or four separate quotes for the job you want doing; look to big nationwide firms and find local boiler installers in your area as well.
Getting lots of quotes serves many purposes. It will not only give you a good ‘ball-park’ figure of the price you should be paying for your new boiler, but also allow you to compare the professionalism and knowledge of each individual against the other; enabling you to make a more informed judgement about who is going to do the best job.
You can also compare boiler brand reviews online, and potentially book a boiler installation slot at the simple press of your smartphone or device too.
Be sure to keep in mind that nationwide firms, although likely to be more expensive than their local counterparts, will often offer a comprehensive after sales service and support package alongside the installation of your new boiler.
Alternatively, if you are in receipt of certain benefits, you could see if you are eligible for a free boiler via the government’s ECO grant scheme.
It is recommended that you prepare yourself thoroughly before a heating engineer arrives to inspect your home – by prepare I don’t mean wear your Sunday best, comb your hair or shave your legs/face – but by making sure that you are armed with all the answers to their inevitable torrent of questions about what you want to do.
He/she should ask you various and important questions about your current system and your lifestyle in order to determine which is likely to be the best central heating system for your home and to provide the correct specification of boiler.
Things to think about –
Where are you going to put it? – Due to the low temperature of the exhaust gas from the flue, unlike older designs, new condensing boilers produce a plume of steam when they are in operation.
This plume could prove to be an annoying nuisance for both yourself and your neighbours, so it’s definitely worth taking the time to consider the implications of siting the flue in the same place as your old one.
What and when do you use? – Just how busy and bustling is your household? For example, is there going to be a time when two showers are in operation at the same time and how well has your old boiler coped with these showering demands?
What do you see in your future? – Now you don’t have to dig out your crystal ball here, but can you envisage a time when you and your family may want to extend the house or invest in a loft conversion? It’s important to remember that Regular boilers do require loft space for feed and expansion tanks, whereas System and Combi boilers do not; definitely, something to bear in mind should you wish to go all ‘DIY SOS’ under the truss in the future.
What are you going to spend? – Know to the penny just how much you intend to spend and don’t be cajoled into spending more than you are comfortable with. In order to spread the cost of what can be an expensive job, it is also worth looking into any finance deals that may be on offer to you – and don’t forget those government grants!
The installation of a new boiler is a big and sometimes expensive job, so it’s only right that you ask some questions. There’s nothing to be afraid of is there? If you were buying a new car you would be chewing the ear of the salesperson off wanting to know what the upholstery was made of or if it comes with traction control and (if you’re a Jeremy Clarkson type) how much “POWWWWWEEEERRRR” it produces; the same should apply to your boiler.
Ask them –
Are they Gas Safe (for gas installations) or OFTEC (for oil) registered?
Can they provide you with local referrals?
Do they offer an after sales service for boiler troubleshooting and the like?
Will they provide a full written quote that itemises all of the parts used and the work undertaken?
Be sure that the make and efficiency of the boiler are specified within the quote you receive and if they can’t answer these simple questions then it may be high time to send them packing and look elsewhere.
Remember: Don’t be afraid of demanding the very best service you can get, after all, buying a boiler is a big deal and the ability of your engineer and their approach to safety could be the difference between life, death and facing huge costs further down the line.
As important as the installation itself (if not more so) it is essential that you are aware of the after sales service and support that the installer is offering and even if they offer it at all.
It is all well and good being the best at specifying and installing new systems but you must make sure that you are using someone that is capable of repairing them should the need arise.
Rather surprisingly, not all installation specialists have the requisite knowledge to find faults or diagnose problems with these new-fangled hi-tech condensing boilers, so make sure to check the skills and credentials of the firm you intend on using; keeping in mind that it is probably best to use a firm that is qualified by the manufacturer to install the particular make of boiler that you intend on having installed.
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit FuShiDe Boiler.
You will find that the majority of the big national installation companies will offer ongoing insurance and service for your boiler and even some of your other home essentials.
British Gas for example offer a comprehensive scheme called HomeCare with all of their central heating and boiler installations and even cover the cost of repairing a system if it wasn’t installed by them; this is definitely something to consider before you take the plunge.
Here’s a really cool infographic from our mates at www.boilerguide.co.uk that outlines the types of boiler available and what to do if a breakdown occurs.
Have a think about Solar Heating.
Though you may think that it could be too expensive for you, modern solar technology might be more affordable than you think.
Many boiler manufacturers (if not most of them) tend to make solar-powered systems that work seamlessly with their own boilers and control units, so it’s definitely something to consider.
As well as adding considerable value to your property, up to a third of your hot water can be gained through solar thermal and combining it with a new boiler installation can be a whole lot cheaper than looking to add it further down the line.
It is important to keep in mind that there are also government grants available for solar installations and solar systems only attract 5% VAT, so be sure to discuss the possibility of going down the solar route with your engineer.
There are many things to think about when it comes to installing a new boiler, but one of the most important things to remember is to assess the energy efficiency of your home alongside your new installation.
Cavity Wall and Loft Insulation are relatively low cost and affordable ways to further reduce the cost of heating your home and both will help to ensure your brand new boiler is working to its maximum efficiency.
Once you have got your hands on a few quotes, go through them all with a fine-toothed comb. Check that each of them offers comparable makes and models of boilers for the price and ensures that the outputs and efficiencies of all the boilers are similarly matched. If not, ask why to make sure you are getting the very best boiler replacement deal.
It may not be as sexy as a new car and it definitely isn’t as cool as getting your mitts on a new console, but buying a new boiler needn’t be a difficult and troublesome task. With the right approach and this BestHeating know-how, you should be well on your way to basking in the warm and efficient glow brought to you by your lovely new boiler; you just need a shiny new designer radiator or two to go with it now (sorry, I couldn’t resist).
With many of the steam boiler systems installed around North America already decades overdue for replacement, and with an expected lifetime of 20-30 years, purchasing a new steam boiler system is not necessarily a frequent occurrence for many facility teams. So where to start? There are several types and styles of steam boilers available in the marketplace, which have been covered elsewhere many times over, so instead, let us focus on a few simple overall criteria to ask for in general, along with why not compromising on them will deliver a safe, reliable system, with the lowest life-cycle costs.
1. A Fully Integrated, Packaged System
In this day and age, buying multiple major boiler components, from separate factories, if not separate manufacturers, to be assembled into a complete system, especially with something as sophisticated as, and as important to the production and comfort of your facility as a boiler, would be a bad choice. While many manufacturers have sprouted up over the years to meet the market’s demand for burner and controls upgrades of older boiler systems, when it comes to new boiler systems, there is no replacement for a holistic, fully integrated approach.
Rather than having to coordinate multiple manufacturers, or waiting for one manufacturer to coordinate with another during assembly, start up, or even worse, when corrective action is needed, it is far better to be able to contact a single source, technically able to assist with nearly any component in the system, but especially the major components. While component OEMs tend to be experts on their own piece of the system, with passing knowledge of other areas, it is better to have a single expert on the overall system functionality, with access to specific component knowledge, and its integration.
Furthermore, while off-the-shelf availability is desirable for most minor components, any bolt on, retrofittable product, in order to meet the widest need, and obtain profitability for its manufacturer, must therefore incorporate some compromise into its design. Major components of the system, such as burners, pressure vessels, and heat exchangers, on the other hand, should be configured for a very specific application, with fewer compromises, for a better integrated final product. This concept leads nicely to our second, closely related criteria.
2. Maximized Efficiency Intrinsic to the Standard Product
You would be forgiven, when energy efficiency is seemingly a part of every renovation and equipment discussion, for thinking that any potential boiler supplier is going to offer you their most efficient product right out of the gate, and that such a configuration would be their standard package. After all, the main purpose of a steam boiler is to make steam as inexpensively as possible. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case.
Efficiency doesn’t happen by accident. Steam boiler systems have many potential areas for energy loss, from the combustion system, to heat transfer in the pressure vessel itself, to feedwater pre-heating, blowdown, and losses up through the stack. Minimizing each of these areas of loss requires a very coordinated approach to overall boiler system design, a pursuit that is essential to reducing the life-cycle costs of one of the largest energy consumers, and pollutant emitters, in your plant. Simply adding a bolt-on economizer, or aftermarket combustion control system to decades old, legacy designs does not quite qualify. As a reference point, examine the most efficient, flue gas condensing boilers available on the market, and you will not see bolt-on burners, economizers, or aftermarket control systems. Instead you will see OEM designed and packaged systems, fully incorporated to minimize energy loss.
Of course, efficiency is not found in complete OEM integration alone, it must be incorporated into the entire system design philosophy, which brings us to our next criteria.
3. Direct, On Demand Responsiveness to System Load
A boiler system is providing a utility, steam. From a performance standpoint, that utility should be delivered on demand, with as little lag in response as possible, and the absence of wasteful setpoint overshooting, which results in wide pressure fluctuations and wasted fuel. Compliance with this criteria can be determined with one simple question: “Do the boilers in this system primarily vary their output capacity according to boiler internal pressure setpoints, or in direct relationship to steam header pressure?
A boiler responding to its own internal pressure will always lag behind one responding to actual changes in steam demand registering in the steam header. The more excess water mass there is in a steam boiler, the greater the lag in responsiveness will be, as that extra mass acts as a buffer, slowing down the boiler’s reaction to actual system conditions. In multiple boiler systems, the total system lag in response to load changes will be equivalent to the sum of each boiler’s lag, if they are staged according to internal pressure setpoint, as is common. In a multiple boiler system controlled by external steam header pressure, however, the lag to response will be greatly reduced, delivering a steadier steam pressure, regardless of steam demand fluctuations.
4. Integrated Approach to Boiler Water Treatment
There is nothing more important to the operational longevity of a steam boiler system than proper water treatment. Every non-volatile contaminant in the water fed to a boiler, will be concentrated in it, and if left improperly treated, will bring about catastrophic results from corrosion or scale. Only pure water vapor escapes the boiler, by design. How raw water contaminants are managed, either by removal, capture, or by blocking interactions with boiler surfaces, is critical to sustained, efficient steam production. Water treatment is not a separate operational concern of limited consequence. It is THE operational concern.
With that in mind, shouldn’t such a critical boiler support sub-system like boiler water treatment be integrated into the boiler manufacturer’s system design, even into its controls? Chemical dosing should be in direct relation to the output capacity of the boiler system. The central control system should also be aware of how much make up water is flowing through the softener system, and how much ion removal capacity remains in that same softener before its next regeneration cycle. Likewise, the boilers should be able to react to faults in chemical dosing and soft water treatment, increasing blowdown frequency if need be, and alarms which alert the operators, among other corrective actions. De-scaling and tube replacement should not be common maintenance occurrences.
OEM integration is key to delivering maximum performance from a packaged steam boiler system, and that must include all the systems which control specified water quality in the boiler, from softening, to chemical injection into the feedwater tank, to boiler blowdown. If the boiler OEM doesn’t offer this type of comprehensive approach, your brand new boiler investment will have limited protection.
5. System Remote Monitoring Capability by the Manufacturer’s Technicians
Service after the sale is an essential consideration, or should be, when purchasing a steam boiler system. Unlike a closed loop, hot water system, which requires comparatively little maintenance, a steam boiler system is an open, dynamic and sophisticated system with many more essential moving parts, each critical to sustained, reliable, and efficient operation.
Unfortunately, faults in the system will happen when it is convenient for them, and not necessarily when it is convenient for the operator, be it in the middle of the night, over a weekend, or first thing in the morning. Due to the complexity of a steam boiler system, the cause of faults can also be very difficult to detect, let alone correct.
A monitoring system, which is online 24/7, and tied into every vital component, from the chemical feed, to the softener system, the feedwater skid, and the boiler itself, can go a long way to reducing the amount of time it takes to detect and correct system faults. When that monitoring system is being managed by factory technicians, with full system knowledge and training, and with the ability to remotely access full operational parameters, including pre-fault histories, costly visits by technicians in the field can be greatly reduced.
There are many boiler control systems available for steam boilers on the market today, from OEMs and the aftermarket, but very few which allow for secured remote access to operational parameters, especially by factory technicians best trained to address them.
6. Full Factory Fired Operational Test Before Shipment
It may come as a shock, but most manufacturers do not perform a full fired test on their steam boilers before shipping them. Instead, that first full test of operational capability may be performed on your site, in your plant. The best place to take corrective actions on a brand new boiler is at the OEM factory, not in the field. Even for boilers which must be be dis-assembled in part for shipment or building ingress, and re-assembled on site, a full fired test should be performed before shipment, verifying operational capability. Insist on it, and require documentation. This criteria alone might be the one that ensures the project is completed on time, and on budget.
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