Wondering if it might be better to replace your heating system rather than just your boiler?
If you need a new boiler anyway, but you suspect your heating system isn’t at its best, you might be wondering if it’d be better to simply replace the whole thing.
Okay, so it might not be ‘simply’ – it may actually sound like a lot of work and money involved – but there are times when it will be absolutely worth it. The pay off? You’ll be left with a much warmer, more comfortable home and a heating system that just works, every time, without any more problems.
So, how can you tell if this is something that you’d be better off doing?
Well, I’m going to use my 25+ years’ experience as an Edinburgh heating engineer to explain more about this below – including my best advice on the matter.
Is replacing your entire system really necessary?
Not always. There are many times where all it takes is to replace a boiler with a straightforward swap, if your radiators and pipework are deemed sound by trusted engineers.
If, like around 90% of the cases I see, the only issue is with your boiler playing up – or coming to the end of its life – and your radiators no longer getting as hot as they used to be, then replacing your system probably isn’t necessary. Usually all it takes is to remove the old boiler, cleanse the system and install a new boiler.
But, on the other hand, if your engineer makes a home visit to your house, and you tell them about your old steel or Truwell pipes, or you’ve had various ongoing issues with leaks, these are red flags that something else might be wrong.
I’ve had clients who’ve asked about replacing their whole system, as the radiators were cool to the touch. I thought the problem was only the boiler, so suggested we replace that first, then if the radiators still weren’t hot enough, we could replace those. Luckily, all it took was a new boiler – we didn’t have to touch the radiators for there to be a huge difference!
Should you replace your heating system?
That’s not really something I can answer without knowing more. However, like I mentioned above, it could be the case that all you need is a new boiler – unless you have very old, inefficient pipework, that is. Check out my blog ‘Do you Need a New Central Heating System? [Signs You Do]’ to learn more. *INSERT LINK*
I also know that when thinking about replacing your entire system, there’s also the concern of budget. This will really come down to the size of your house, number of radiators and the amount of labour involved. That said, for the average 3-bedroom home or tenement flat, you’re looking at between £5000 – £6,000.
Of course, (and I’m sure I’ve mentioned this elsewhere) if an engineer has to keep coming back to change radiators in your house over time, it will probably end up costing more than it would to get your entire system replaced all at once (because of the extra labour/travel costs etc.).
Advice from an experienced heating engineer
If you’re unsure about whether you’re looking at replacing your entire system or just your boiler, the best thing to do is to call 2 – 3 heating engineers for advice and a quote. Tell them why you’re thinking it might be a good idea to replace your whole system. But also mention that you’re open to advice if they think the radiators and pipework can be saved.
Look at your long-term budget to see if you think it’d make financial sense to replace your boiler, or the whole system. Will replacing the radiators give you higher comfort levels and more wall space? Could it help to reduce your energy bills?
Weigh up your options carefully, and get as much advice as you can.
Conclusion
Thanks for reading. Occasionally it is better to just replace your heating system rather than just your boiler – but 9 times out of 10, a replacement boiler should do the trick. I don’t like to do unnecessary work on people’s homes, which is why I would usually go for the boiler option first – unless it was glaringly obvious that your system needs to be replaced.
Seek a few different opinions from heating engineers you trust (do your research when finding the best companies) and see what the consensus is. That way you should get a better idea of the right way forward.
Do you have any more specific questions on this subject? Just leave me a comment below. I’d love to hear from you!
