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boiler aware!


be


Don’t get into hot water when buying a newhome warns CliveSearle who gives his top ten tips for


checking out that heating system


Planning on buyinganew flatthis autumn?Viewing potentialnew homescan be an exciting experience buttoavoid future problems, purchasersshouldbemoresavvy about the potential costs that can comewith buying a second hand property with a sub- standard heatingsystem. Buyingahomewithout realising itsheating


systemneedsreplacing canbeanexpensive mistaketomake. Installing anew heating systemin athree bedroomflatislikelytocost around £5,000, an expenditurewhichmany buyersmay need to take into account. Here is ourtop tencheck list to help you


assess thequality of aproperty’sheating system, ensuring youare fully informed


before putting in an offer: nCheckwhether theflat has afloorstanding or wallmountedboiler. If it is floor standing thelikelihood is that it is at least12years old


and will soon need replacing. nDomestic chimneyfluedboilers canno longer be fitted. If theboilerhas aflue pipe coming off thetop of thecasingitisanold,


inefficientmodel and will need replacing. nHowmanypipes arecomingout of the boiler?Ifthere arefourpipes it is likelythat the hot water is gravity fedwhich is an expensive way to produce hot water. If there


are just two pipes it is amodern design. nLook at thehot watercylinder–doesithave a red plastic jacket tied around it? If so it pre- datesmodernfoamlaggedcylinders.Heatlost as a result of these jackets is a waste ofmoney


– the cylinder needs changing. nHave anotherlookatthe hotwater tank, does it have athermostat on theside? No controlonhot watertemperature=no


good. nLook at theradiators;dotheyhavemetal finsalong thebackofthe radiators? No –then they areover20years oldand need to be


replaced. nDo theradiators have thermostatic valves on them?These enable youtoadjustthe


16 temperatureineachroomand areimportant


forefficient operation. nOldradiators cancontain corrosionand limescale, inwhichcaseputting anew high efficiency boiler on thesystemispointless. Thelifespanofahighefficiencycondensing boiler is dramatically reducedbyconnectingit


to oldradiators andpipework. nLook outfor combinationboilerswhich canbeveryefficient andeffectiveinsmaller properties but these boilers do not have hotwater storagetanks andare only really suitable forhomes with onebathroom. They provideamuchslowerflow of waterand only allowone taptorun at atime. Fillingabath can be a lengthy process!


homebuyer’schecklist


nDo not confuse ‘condensing’ with ‘combination’.All newly installedboilers thesedaysmustbe‘condensing’andAorB efficiency rated. Checking thestandardofaproperty’s


heatingsystemshouldbeapriorityon every homebuyer’s check list. Just because a property has centralheating installeddoesn’t mean theflat is well heated or that thesystem is functioningeffectively. Heatingsystemsare costly to replace, especiallyinolder properties so it is important that buyers ask the basic questions.These include finding outwhena


Checkingthestandard ofaproperty’sheating systemshould be apriorityonevery


Installing a newcentral heating systemin a 3-bedroom flat costs around £5,000


BasedinScaynesHill, justoutside HaywardsHeathinWestSussex, BSW’sexpertteamofover100staffand operativesspecialiseincentralheating installation,serviceandmaintenance, aswellasrenewableenergysolutions andasbestostreatmentthroughoutthe South-East.BSWisapprovedbyGas Safe,OFTEC(oil),NICEIC (electrics)and HETAS(woodburningappliances). It is alsoaccreditedbytheEnergySavings TrustandMicrogenerationCertification Scheme(renewableenergysystems)and isanactivememberof theContractors HealthandSafetyAssessmentScheme andCheckatrade.com,whichvetsand monitorstradecompaniesandservices tohelppeopleavoidcowboybuildersand roguetraders. FurtherinformationonBSW’s fullrange ofservicescanbefoundatwww.bsw- bs.co.ukorbycalling01444831 138.


systemwasinstalled andwhether or notithas beenregularly serviced,tohelpidentifyifa systemis likely to need repair or replacing. An outdated heatingsystemisn’t


necessarily a deal breaker on a home purchasebut thecost of replacingitcould be.Ifapropertyfor sale needsanew system thenmyadvice is to obtain aquotation forthe work and discuss this with the vendor to see if an agreementcan be reachedtocover the costs.”●


CliveSearle issalesdirectorwithBSWBuildingServices Issue 15 Flat Living


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