Gas Central Heating Boilers
Gas boilers are a cheap and efficient way to heat your home and keep warm over the long Shetland winters - read this page for everything you need to know about having a gas boiler installed in your home.
Essentially, a boiler is like a big furnace that’s controlled by your thermostat. The main function of a gas boiler is to act as a heater and provide buildings with the hot water they need. This hot water is used both for heating your home and - obviously - providing hot water to your taps and shower.
Firstly, the hot water will be used to heat your radiators throughout your home. The hot water being pumped through the radiators provides them with a reliable and consistent source of heat that will keep your whole home warm through Shetland’s long, cold winters. When the chosen temperature is reached, the heating of the water will cut out. The same water is reused over and over to pump through the radiators throughout your home.
Secondly, the gas heater will heat up a tank of hot water which it will keep at a consistent temperature for use in the taps and showers in your home. Maintaining this hot tank means that you can rely on quick hot water at any time.
The boiler works simply by using gas from either a bulk tank or cylinder to heat up water which is then either kept hot for use in your taps or pumped around your radiators to keep your home warm. A central programming device will allow you to control exactly when the hot water is being kept hot, and when radiators can be turned on.
What is a gas boiler, and how does it work?
Gas boilers are safe and cost effective. Getting your energy from gas is roughly three times cheaper per kilowatt than from electricity. There is a large range of boiler types, sizes and wattages, meaning that we can help you choose a boiler that suits your home. A new highly efficient gas boiler can pay for itself - a lower wattage modern gas boiler will likely lower your energy bills as you keep your home warm and your water hot over winter.
From a local perspective, Rearo Supplies has been installing, repairing, servicing and maintaining gas boilers all around Shetland for over 40 years. Our highly experienced team of gas engineers are able to attend to your home and fix any issues swiftly. Typically, we can attend to repairs within a week and will aim to have your boiler fixed as soon as possible. We keep a range of spare parts in stock at our depot to ensure we can get your boiler running as quickly as we can.
Why should I get a gas boiler?
A well-cared for gas boiler should last at least 15 years, and after this point we would recommend looking at a new model simply to ensure spare parts will continue to be available in case of any faults. However, this is not mandatory, and gas boilers may last for many years after the 15-year mark.
The gas boilers we sell all come with warranties ranging from 5 to 10 years depending on the model, giving you the confidence that any issues that occur will be fixed without incurring spare parts costs. Overall, your gas boiler will certainly last long enough to make the reduced energy costs worthwhile.
How long do gas boilers last?
Are gas boilers safe?
Absolutely. We wouldn’t install an unsafe product! Modern gas boilers are fitted to the brim with technologies that ensure your family and home are completely safe. The development of new features around the flue means there is no longer any risk of blockages that could cause carbon dioxide to leak into your home. The sealed or balanced flue draws carbon dioxide from outside your home instead of from inside, before then ejecting waste outside. This means that the air in your boiler is completely sealed off from the room it is kept in, and therefore toxic gases cannot escape.
Whilst the vast majority of UK homes are installed with gas boilers, there are of course some with electric. However, while electric boilers are often cheaper to buy and install, they can cost significantly more to run than gas boilers. On average, a kW of electric costs three times the amount of a kW of gas, which can lead to much higher energy bills. Therefore, in a home where you can install any form of gas supply - whether via outdoor gas cylinders or a gas bulk tank - a gas boiler is likely a cheaper option longterm.
Gas boilers vs electric boilers
Nope! A large portion of our heating gas customers fuel their boiler by gas cylinders, mostly by multiple 47kg Propane cylinders. An outside bulk tank is also an option for those who wish to have one installed. Click here for information on gas cylinders, and here for information on bulk tanks.
Do I need a separate outside gas tank installation for a gas boiler?
You may have heard the government is planning to introduce new legislation around the future of heating systems in the UK. The Future Homes Standard will include new rules for new build homes, which means they’ll use alternatives to gas for their heating systems beginning in 2025.
The important thing to note here is that is only applies to new build homes. Any existing gas boiler installations will not be banned or restricted, and the maintenance of existing gas boilers will continue. Gas boilers will continue to fuel millions of properties across Scotland for many years to come.