It is that time of the year when everyone is searching for a cozy corner to get warmth. The chilling cold winds and snow storms disrupt the lives of many. And more importantly, the rising cost of energy bills is a major concern for many households.
The cost of energy bills proves to be a huge dent in the budget every month. However, taking appropriate measures can help decrease the cost and ensure the heating system works efficiently. One of the ways to achieve maximum efficiency is by replacing your old boilers with new ones.
Although the cost of new boilers and heating systems is unaffordable. But for UK homeowners, there is a catch. The government of the UK is providing central heating grants to low-income households. It is easy to get your hands on a new boiler if you are receiving benefits from the government. Just make sure to check your eligibility and get a free replacement.
There are plenty of ways to reduce the cost of energy bills. One of them is to ensure your boiler is running efficiently.
In this post, we are going to reveal some of the ways to measure a boiler’s efficiency and useful hacks to maximize its efficiency. Stick to this post as this will help you survive chilling weather without breaking the bank.
How to Measure the Efficiency of a Heating Boiler?
Before we dive straight into how to maximize a boiler’s efficiency, it is important to shed some light on how to measure the efficiency of a boiler.
The term energy efficient means the amount of energy a boiler converts into heating. For instance, if your boiler is 5-10 years old, the efficiency of the boiler would be 90% or above. However, if the boiler is older than 15 years, the efficiency might have reduced to 70% or less. In simple words, the more energy-efficient your boiler is, the better the heating and the lower the bills.
How to know if your boiler is energy efficient or not? Firstly it is important to check the outer casing. You will find a label on your boiler where the boiler efficiency rating is mentioned from A to G. When it comes to energy-efficient boilers, A-grade boilers deliver 90% or more efficiency. While the G-rated boilers have only 70% efficiency or even below.
However, if you are unable to find the label on your boiler, you can check its model number and brand name. It can be found on the back of the boiler or you can simply refer to its manual. After you have found the model number and brand name, make sure to search on the PCDB database. This tool will help you to know more about your boiler’s efficiency rating.
How to Enhance Boiler Efficiency
When it comes to boiler’s efficiency you may notice a decrease in heating performance and high energy bills. But you can simply make it more energy efficient to save much on energy bills and put some savings in the piggy bank.
Regularly Service Your Boiler
If you want to increase the energy efficiency of the boiler, make sure to service it on a regular basis. The expert will make sure to check your boiler and see whether it is performing at an optimal level or not. For the longevity of your boiler, it is important to get it checked every year and service it according to the instructions of the technician. If there is any malfunction or fault in the boiler, it can be fixed immediately before it gets out of control. This also helps in saving a lot of money on repair and maintenance.
Bleed your radiators
Bleeding your radiators is another essential part of improving the efficiency of the boiler. If you observe that heating takes a lot longer than normal to heat your home, it is time to bleed a radiator of your central heating system. The reason is that the air in your heating system makes it difficult for radiators to heat up completely.
If you don’t take care of radiators by regularly bleeding, it will reflect on your energy bills soon. If you want to check your boiler’s efficiency, make sure to turn on the heating and analyze the radiators. If you observe cold areas randomly or the heating takes longer than normal, you need to fix it by removing the trapped air.
Check the Pressure of the Boiler
One of the ways to find a drop in the energy efficiency of the boiler is to see the pressure. If the boiler is not pressurized properly, this might disrupt the heating system and may cause the heating system to not function properly.
When the boiler is not pressurized properly, it may not heat up radiators quickly. Over time, it may give a huge blow to your bank account in the form of high energy bills. The pressure gauge on the boiler should be set at 1.5. If it is below 1.5, you need to repressurize it.
Go for Pipe Insulation
Investing in pipe insulation helps in making your boiler more energy efficient. It is similar to adding insulation to your home to prevent heat loss and keep the warmth within the premises. One of the budget-friendly options is to go for foam tubing that covers the pipe and minimizes heat loss. The benefit of covering your boiler pipe with insulation will reduce the amount of energy consumed by the boiler and retain heat for the central heating system.
Go for an Upgrade
The last option to obtain maximum efficiency out of the boiler is to replace it with a new one. Especially, if your boiler is older than 10 years, you may need to consider upgrading your boiler. A one-time investment will surely pay you in the future.
Summing Up
That’s all you need to know about the boiler’s efficiency, how to check, and steps to increase its efficiency. However, if you are unable to upgrade your old boiler, make sure to check your eligibility for central heating grants.
