A boiler is a great way to heat a home and is a popular choice in most cold locations including Ireland. A boiler can provide better heating than a standard heater which blows warm air instead of using steam to heat a room. When trying to decide which type of boiler to purchase, proper research is necessary. There are three main types of boilers; condensing boiler, combi boiler and a gas boiler and it's important to know the difference.

Condensing boilers are the most common boiler style found in most homes. The heat from this boiler is produced by burning fuel which produces steam. The difference between a condensing boiler and a standard boiler is that a condensing boiler takes the water vapour from the steam a step further and turns it into liquid water.

The efficiency of this type of boiler when compared to the traditional type can be between ten and twelve percent which would lead to an overall higher savings than with a traditional boiler.

It's very important to note that the vapours put out by condensing boilers have a low acidity level so it is crucial to decide wisely which materials will be around in order to prevent damage to the surrounding structures. You may also want to note that these types of boilers are said to be the least reliable, and costly due to the professional installation that is required and routine maintenance that is essential.

A combination boiler or "combi boiler" for short has become the most popular style due to its small size and efficiency. Even though a combi boiler is a small package, it is the perfect choice for a small home because it can provide the heat and hot water for an entire house. This is a great choice for two reasons, not only does it replace two essential units, central air and a hot water tank but, it is so small that you could place it on any wall or maybe even inside a large closet to be discreet. Combi boilers are able to replace a hot water tank because it warms the cold water as it flows instead of storing already heated water and the water is heated within 40 seconds.

Last is the gas boiler. This type of boiler runs on gas, as the name suggests. A gas boiler tends to take up a fair amount of room and use a large amount of energy especially when compared to the combination boiler as mentioned above. A gas boiler also requires routine maintenance which is best to schedule before the winter months particularly in Ireland as the certified maintenance companies are typically booked with emergency service repairs and if they are able to get you in for the routine maintenance, there is a possibility that they will charge more than they would during the spring months.

Keep in mind that these are a only a few options for boilers and that doing thorough research can help you make an educated decision to find the one that is right for you and your family!