Residential boilers are perfect for warming your home at a low cost. I know it becomes difficult to bear the cold when the temperature dips below the normal range. Don’t worry; with the right residential boiler, you can get a good level of warmth and comfort without having your budget affected.
Now you must be wondering what the cost of a residential boiler is and how to get the right one. The cost of residential boilers highly depends on the size, heating methods, efficiency ratings, fuel types, and features that you’re looking for.
Don’t stress out! To ease your work, we have laid down an indefinite guide to boiler costs that will help you find the perfect one for your house.
How to Compute a Residential Boiler’s Cost?
The cost of residential boilers highly depends on the size of the unit that you’re looking for. It’s measured in BTUs ( British Thermal Units).
If you’re confused about the size of boilers, you can easily find the perfect size boiler for your house by identifying the size of the square footage of your house and then multiplying it by 30 for warm climates, 40 for moderate climates, and 50 for mountain climates.
Generally, the cost of a residential boiler unit ranges from €2700-€7000, excluding installation charges.
Factors to Consider when computing the boiler’s cost
If you already have the infrastructure, then you can easily install residential boilers using your existing pipelines. However, if you don’t have the infrastructure, then you might have to pay more, especially if you’re residing in rural areas.
There are several power sources for boilers, such as electricity, gas, oil, propane, steam, etc. You can also use a combination of power sources as they are cost-efficient. Here are some factors which you can consider while computing boilers cost:
1. Boiler Type
The cost of boilers highly depends on the type of boiler you’re looking for. Combi boilers are highly efficient boilers as they can heat both the water and the home. They can instantly heat the water on demand. Also, it doesn’t have a storage cylinder making it more cost-efficient or inexpensive.
System boilers have storage cylinders for storing water that has been heated and works great for larger houses. It doesn’t need a cold water cylinder, resulting in consuming less space. Also, system boilers provide you with instant hot water as soon as you turn on the tap, as the pump is in-built, so it gives super-fast delivery of hot water.
Standard boilers are specifically designed to heat air in homes, and they also have an additional tank for heating water at home, unlike system boilers.
Also, each boiler comes with certain high-efficiency options.
2. Boiler Size
It’s very obvious to say that the larger the size, the higher the cost. This rule works the same way for boilers too. Reading this, you might be more inclined towards buying larger boilers for adequate heating. However, purchasing an extra ordinary larger boiler can result in consuming more space and resulting in inefficient heating.
Hence, it becomes crucial to determine the accurate BTU output for your home to ensure you purchase the right one, otherwise, it would be a waste of money. Also, purchasing way larger heaters increases the up-front cost by increasing the labor cost and installation cost.
3. Fuel Type
It’s extremely important to consider the fuel type for your boiler. Generally, homeowners prefer fuel as they already have infrastructure in the neighborhood. You can also consider propane boilers if you aren’t tight on budget, as they are more expensive than gas boilers, but their efficiencies work the best.
Oil boilers such as condensing boilers are also a great option, but it can cost you more per month as it has a large tank that works on oil, and you know the price of oil fluctuates quite a lot. However, if you’re living in a rural area, then it’s a perfect boiler, and it also provides more heat per BTU.
Gas boilers are boilers with big furnaces that act as heaters and provide hot water. It’s considered a reliable source of heat, as when you turn on the central heating, the water instantly gets pumped through radiators while maintaining a steady temperature, making it ideal for showers or baths. This also ensures that the water remains warm in the colder months.
Electricity boilers use electricity to run, which increases their efficiency. However, in extreme cold climates, it might not be the best option as it becomes less powerful in cool climates.
You can also use steam boilers by heating steam or water, which pushes it through a connection of pipes to radiators and baseboard heaters.
4. Features and Upgrades
There’s a possibility that installing a new boiler in an existing location might result in increased costs if there’s a need for upgrading the new boiler.
The cost could involve ductwork, the installation of new pipelines, electrical wires and outlets, etc. Also, it will cost you more if you’re switching from one fuel source to another.
5. Additional costs
When purchasing a new residential boiler, you will have to bear some additional costs as well, such as the cost of permits, safety inspection, and upgrading costs.
Installation might require complete replacement of ductwork, which can require cleaning. Also, the geographic location greatly affects the installation charges.
Why should you replace your old residential boiler?
Ideally, boilers should be replaced every 25–20 years. Replacing the boiler is beneficial as it will provide you with high-efficiency services which will ensure safe operation.
Also, before replacing your old boilers, make sure they show certain signs and indications. Let’s say your boiler asks for frequent repairs, it makes no sense investing the money in every repair.
In addition, if it shows fluctuations in water temperature, leaks, or makes odd sounds, or any other indication, then it’s high time to think about replacing it before it starts dysfunctioning.
If you’re contemplating replacing the boiler, then here are some reasons to consider before jumping the gun:
1. Efficiency and Longevity
You’d be surprised to know that, over a decade, there has been a massive upgradation in the features of residential boilers. Now the boiler comes with high efficiency, which makes it worth the investment. The old boilers require more fuel and consume a lot of energy, which makes them a perfect reason for replacing them. Who would want to pay high energy bills when you can simply replace the boiler?
2.Cost Savings
When boilers become old, their efficiency decreases due to thermal efficiency declines, corrosion, and sediment buildup.
Older models have less efficiency, which is around 60 percent, while new models have an efficiency of around 80 percent, reducing the heat cost by up to 30 per cent.
3. Enhanced Reliability
With the increase in efficiency in new models, it’s highly predictable that with greater efficiency comes greater reliability. These models reduce the risk of safety hazards. Choose a brand with trusted safety records and reviews, making it highly reliable.
Conclusion
Always consider these factors before computing the cost of boilers, as it would help you select the right residential boiler for your budget.
I hope this article has provided you with some valuable insights on boilers’ features and the cost of boilers.