If you have had struggles with your boiler over the winter, you may have been starting to wonder if it is time to get it replaced. Indeed, if it is getting old and you have already had to get it fixed by a plumber, you may well have been advised this is the thing you need to do.
The question is, when is the best time of year to get a new boiler installed? It certainly isn’t in winter, because even a few hours without hot water is going to be a very unpleasant experience on a cold day.
Moreover, because the winter is a time when plumbers and engineers are very busy with emergency call outs to fix malfunctioning boilers and ruptured pipes (as we know only too well), finding someone freely available at a convenient time is tricky to say the least.
The Best Time To Get A New Boiler
For this reason, summer is the best time of all to get a new boiler. This is when engineers are less busy and therefore more likely to be available when it suits you.
There are other advantages too; installation costs will be lower, it won’t be too cold to manage a day without hot water and it means you will have it in place and running long before next winter, which means avoiding last winter’s struggles.
Of course, boiler installation can take place at other times of year, such as spring. Indeed, if your boiler is performing very badly now, there may be little point in waiting until summer, especially as it is often quite warm on at least some spring days (although that is often a matter of pot luck).
The first thing to consider is the state of your boiler. Because you need to use it to heat the home and provide hot water more in winter, the season will put more strain on it and any problems will start to show up more clearly.
For example, continual use will make a breakdown more likely and this may be the most obvious sign that it is not in good shape, not least as the engineer will be able to examine it closely.
Signs That Your Boiler Is On Its Way Out
Other clear signs that a boiler needs to be replaced include increased energy bills over and above anything impacted by changes to the Energy Price Cap, showing that it is less energy efficient. Another clear sign of this will be if it sometimes fails to heat your water fully.
A disturbing sign that something is amiss can arise when the boiler is noisy, with gurgling and hissing sounds indicating it is not working well. Much worse is any eggy smell, as that indicates a possible gas leak. In that case, you need to respond immediately by making an emergency call-out.
If the pilot light keeps turning out, the boiler won’t turn on, the boiler is hot but the heating is off or the boiler is not responding to the thermostat, there is clearly a worse problem.
Sometimes this can be fixed, but if you have had multiple problems it may be a clear sign that a new boiler is needed. On a very practical level, you might find that repairing it actually costs more than getting a new one.
Age Is Not Just A Number
Another key consideration is the age of the boiler. Most boilers last for 10-15 years, so if it is in this age range then it is time to replace it. Even if it is working reasonably now, the likelihood is it won’t be long before it isn’t. By replacing it during spring or summer, you won’t be taking the risk when autumn and winter roll around again.
Moreover, if your boiler is old, not only is it unlikely to be as efficient as it was when it was new, but a new model will be better designed and will provide a better performance than the old one. In this sense, it is just like all the other devices you may upgrade from time to time, such as a phone, laptop or a car, taking advantage of technological improvements.
As the weather warms up, it can be easy to forget the importance of having a boiler that can deal with the demands that cold weather places on it. But the days when you can sit outside and enjoy the south London sunshine will give way to colder autumn days and then the frosts of winter.
By acting now or soon, you can make sure that you have a boiler ready for all seasons that will give you better performance in 2025 and be a reliable appliance for many years to come.