If you're not sure what combi boiler to choose,
then this is the video for you.
We will go through the different kilowatts of a boiler,
the flow rate,
different boiler brands and more features in detail,
which will give you a much better understanding
of the best new boiler for your home.
Quick note before we get started,
this guide is for combi boilers only.
The requirements for kilowatts may change
for regular and system boilers.
First of all,
let's start off with the kilowatts of the boiler
and how to figure out what's suitable for your home.
On the iHeat website,
we automatically calculate
what kilowatt boiler you need for your home.
For more information,
head over to iheat.co.uk for a quick quotation.
The size of the boiler
is measured by the output of kilowatts.
A kilowatt is a unit
that is used to measure how much energy
is outputted by the boiler in the form of heat.
You can always choose a slightly higher kilowatt
if you think the hot water demand will be higher,
but never select a smaller kilowatt boiler than recommended
as you may face performance issues.
If you have a smaller home,
such as a flat,
an apartment or a terraced house
with only one bathroom and less than 10 radiators,
a 24 to 27 kilowatt boiler will be suitable.
For more of a medium sized house,
such as a three to four bedroom home
with up to 15 radiators,
one bathroom and an en suite,
then around 28 to 34 kilowatts
will be suitable for your home.
Then your larger homes with anything up to 20 radiators,
two bathrooms,
you would need a boiler with around 35 to 42 kilowatts.
The flow rate simply refers to how much water
can pass through the appliance
to feed taps and showers once the boiler is working.
Ideally, the combi boiler flow rate for a good shower
should be at least 12 to 15 liters a minute.
Your flow rate is also determined
by the amount and pressure of water
that is entering your property from the water main.
If you have good pressure coming into your property,
then you can utilize the higher flow rate of boilers.
If the water pressure that's coming into your property
is too low
then you may not get full performance out of the boiler.
A rough way to figure out the pressure of your boiler
is the pint test.
To test this,
count how long it takes
for you to fill up a pint of water from your cold tap.
If it fills in around five seconds
then you have good water pressure.
If it takes around six to 10 seconds,
then your water pressure is classed as average.
If it takes more than 10 seconds,
then you do have a low water pressure
and it may be worth looking into a system boiler option
for your home.
The actual dimensions of the boiler do matter
depending on where you want the boiler installed.
If you're planning on having your new boiler
in a kitchen cupboard,
then a compact or smaller boiler would be needed.
Make sure you measure the space
where you want the new boiler
then check the dimensions of the boiler.
On the iHeat website,
you can find the dimensions of all the boilers.
We also offer compact boilers,
which are designed specifically
to fit your kitchen cupboard.
If you want a larger boiler
but this won't fit in the same space,
then a relocation is always an option.
The brand of the boiler
can be very much down to personal preference.
They all do an extremely great job
at heating your home and giving you hot water.
It mainly comes down to budget
and if you require any of the advanced features
some of the boilers offer,
such as wifi enabled,
without the need of a smart thermostat
or the hydrogen ready capabilities in the newer boilers.
At iHeat, we have extremely strong warranties
on all boilers
due to our close relationships with the manufacturers.
We now offer up to 10 year warranty on most of our boilers.
The warranty will cover all parts and labor
direct with the manufacturer.
All you need to do
is ensure you have your boiler serviced every year
by a Gas Safe engineer.
You don't have to worry about registering the warranty.
We register this all for you.
Your warranty will be in the post or emailed
in less than two weeks from the installation.
Most of the time,
this is sooner.
The price can always be a big decider
when selecting a boiler.
Remember, a new boiler is a big purchase,
but yet again,
this is an extremely important part of any home,
especially during the winter months.
A cheaper boiler will still heat your home
and give you hot water as the others.
The difference with the more expensive boilers
is the technology,
such as the new boilers from Viessmann,
which are all hydrogen ready and have built in wifi.
Always ensure you keep the warranty valid
and have your boiler serviced every year.
So if the unexpected does happen,
then you are fully covered with the manufacturer's warranty.
If you are struggling with the cost of a new boiler,
we do have finance options available at iHeat
to help you spread the cost over smaller monthly payments.
We also have 0% finance available on selected boilers.
If you do have any questions,
please don't hesitate to get in touch.