Ok, so you have a property or a portfolio of properties each containing a wonderful or not so wonderful boiler installation to provide your tenants with the necessary heating and domestic hot water that’s required by law. Regardless to you owning one or several properties, a boiler installation can rack up some unwanted bills whether you’re renting on the basis that all bills are included or for the instance of an emergency boiler breakdown. Here are some tips that will save you money in the long run.
In a Nutshell
If you’re like me and want the facts and maybe a read later, here you go;
- Choose the right brand – Cheap boiler installations will offer short warranties, breakdown more often and the cost of parts can be similar to the cost of the boiler!
- Choose the right boiler installer – If your boiler installer is not registered or not competent then your boiler will not be registered under warranty or the boiler installation may be void!
- Annual boiler service – Your boiler just like your car requires an annual boiler service to keep your boiler installation under manufacturers warranty, cut costs on bills, wear and tear, and to identify potential signs of a future breakdown.
- Thermostats and TRVs – If your boiler installation doesn’t currently have these in place then you may be paying over the odds for your energy bills and decreasing the life span of your boiler installation by over working it. There are many boiler installation companies out there that will install these at a low cost.
- Weather proofing – Simple things like sealing up gaps, free government grants for cavity and loft insulation and double glazing help keep the heat in and the spiders out therefore reducing the stress your boiler installation receives and prolonging its lifespan.
Now for a Deeper Dive
Choose the right brand
Do your research, ask your family and friends, read our in-depth pages on boiler brands.
Your boiler is in a way the heart of your home and without it causes misery for yourself and your tenants, so when considering a suitable brand for your boiler installation try to resist the urge of buying the cheapest – this is where many people go wrong.
I have been in this game for nearly 15 years and trust me when I say I have seen countless boilers that have been fitted on the cheap. The brands which I won’t mention in this article (as there are many) are all around the £400-£600 mark and offer a meagre 12-month warranty!
Ok so you’ve picked up your boiler for £400 and got a friend to fit it on the cheap, job done right? Cost you little and now it will sit in your home undisturbed for decades to come? Wrong!
These so called cheap boilers installs are prone to breakdowns and I always liken them with printers… you can buy a cheap printer then pay through the roof for the ink! The same goes for cheap boiler installations – you will find that many of the parts cost nearly as much as the original cost of the boiler and will breakdown in a lot of cases just after the warranty has run out, hence the reason these companies only dare give you a 1 year warranty.
Also, these cheaper brands are resented by engineers in the boiler installation trade as they are difficult to work on and poorly put together.
We understand the importance of quality when it comes to simple things like bread or toilet roll etc and even spend thousands extra on our fancy cars and home accessories so why are our boilers any different? My conclusion is this, pay the extra few hundred pounds and get yourself a decent branded boiler installed with a 5, 7- or 10-year warranty and relax for the next decade while your rent comes in undisturbed by major costs involved in boiler breakdown.
I have no personal gain from advocating the dearer boiler brands out there and in fact it brings more work into the industry when we have to attend each year to boiler breakdowns, however I just like yourself would like to save in the long run so thats why I would always choose quality over price.
Choose the Right Boiler Installer
So, this is quite simple, again, ask friends, do your research, check they have a decent reputation, internet presence, google reviews and so on.
If you’re choosing cost above everything when choosing your boiler installation, then you may be in for some nasty surprises in the future.
Let’s assume you’ve gone with a good brand of boiler with your hard earned pennies and you’ve chosen a boiler installation with a 10 year warranty, but the guy who fit it for you for a packet of cigarettes and a bit of cash in hand didn’t register your boiler, then your 10 year warranty is now zero!
The boiler installation may not be up to industry standards, there may be leaks, the system may not have been flushed in accordance to regulations, all of which void your warranty. All these measures will be taken by a qualified gas installer.
Annual Boiler Service
So some people say a boiler service is money for old rope, and in some cases this is unfortunately true if your choosing the wrong boiler service company to service your boiler. However as I’ve mentioned before, by doing your homework on boiler servicing companies and asking for recommendations you can ensure your getting a reliable boiler service.
As a landlord you will undoubtedly know that a gas safety certificate or landlords certificate is required by law in order to rent your property but the landlord certificate is like an MOT on your car and is testing for the safe operation of the gas appliances in your house. It does not however maintain or improve the operation of your boiler installation.
For this, you will need a boiler service in many ways similar to what you would get done to your car. With a boiler service we would check for indications of future problems and in some cases are able to rectify during the boiler service. Your filters, condensate and burner will be cleared of debris as if left unchecked, will eventually result in poor function and break down not to mention poor efficiency also resulting in higher annual utility bills.
When you have a boiler installed it will come with a service book and this must be signed every year in order to keep your boiler installation under manufacturer’s warranty.
My advice is this: would you leave your car sat on your drive over the winter then come summertime take it on a long drive abroad? I don’t think so… brakes have seized, oil is the same consistency as tar, filters are blocked, you’d take it for a service or expect a breakdown at the first junction joining the M1!
So, if you’ve put 2 and 2 together then you’ll gather the same logic goes for your boiler… why do you think it’s so common for boiler breakdowns in the winter months? Could it be due to the fact of the lack of operation during the summer months, then the high demand in the winter?
By getting your boiler serviced before the winter months you are far less likely to have your boiler breakdown and have to part with your hard-earned cash.
Thermostats and TRVs
All new boiler installations should come with thermostats and TRVs to regulate the temperature of the property. A TRV (short for Thermostatic Radiator Valve) regulates the temperature denying demand once it’s reached its desired temperature, therefore saving costs of gas.
If you are a landlord that’s including the bills in the rental agreement, then these items are a must addition for your boiler installation, possibly saving you hundreds of pounds over a period of time.
You’re not responsible for the bills? Ok fair enough, however these controls on your boiler installation not only cut costs in energy usage but the very fact they do equates to the boiler being used less thus less “wear and tear”. Yes, like everything, boiler installs have a life span and the more it’s used the more it has the chance of acquiring problems and breakdowns.
If you have an old boiler installed then the chances that you don’t have these in place are somewhat increased, however most boiler installation companies can supply and fit these at a relatively low cost.
Weather-proofing
Your boiler installation provides your tenants with the necessary heat that’s needed, however there are many things that work against its efficiency. Don’t fret! There are things that can be done to improve your boilers hard work.
Double glazing
no doubt here that having insulated windows to keep the heat from escaping is going to benefit you in the long run, as with any method of weather-proofing the aim is to keep the heat in and the cold out stopping the possibility of mould and damage to your property that is often found in boiler installations with poor provisions and protective measures.
Block gaps
Draughts find their way through doors and windows around the edges where the seals are faulty or weathered away. You can simply block these yourself one Sunday afternoon or call out a handyman to seal up these unwanted gaps, saving you on running costs of your boiler installation, exposure to the elements and not to mention all those creepy crawlies looking for some free heat and rent!
Loft insulation
As the Montgolfier brothers discovered in 1786 over an open fire that items went up when placed over them leading to the invention of the hot air balloon, we can all agree that heat goes up! So, if your boiler installation is providing heat to keep the property warm but above it is only plaster board and slates then you can imagine the birds are getting free heating over the winter! By installing loft insulation, you will be dramatically lowering your bills and the stress your boiler installation goes through by trapping in the heat, sadly though not keeping those sparrows, starlings and pigeons so warm.
Cavity insulation
As mentioned above insulation traps the heat in and therefore helps with the performance of your boiler installation. As with roof insulation, there are many companies out there that can provide this in a government grant so you may be eligible for free installation if you do a bit of research and ask around.
I hope these tips will help you save and for more tips stay tuned, keep warm, and most importantly, keep gas safe!
