7 Signs Your Boiler Needs Replacing

At the moment, your boiler might be the last thing on your mind. The weather is nice, most of us are trying to find ways to cool our houses down, not warm them up, and we’re hoping that we don’t have to think about turning the heating on for a while yet. Of course, if you’ve got a combi boiler, you might still be using it for hot water, but even combi boilers are more likely to break down in the winter when they are getting more use. 

cat on radiator:Photo by he gong on Unsplash


The last thing that any of us wants is for our boilers to die in the middle of December when we’ve spent all our spare cash on gifts and our homes are absolutely freezing. Unfortunately, that’s typically what happens. The good news is that, by paying a little bit more attention to your boiler now, you can spot the signs that it needs repairing or even replacing and get things sorted before it becomes a problem later in the year.

High Energy Consumption

Often the first thing that we notice when our boilers aren’t working well is our heating bills going up. If your bills are starting to grow and you aren’t using your heating more, it might be a sign that your boiler isn’t as efficient as it should be, and a replacement could reduce consumption. 

Strange Noises

Another common sign is a funny noise, often like a tap, or drip sound coming from the boiler itself or your radiators. This sound might be constant, or it could come and go. 

Your Home is Taking a Long Time to Warm Up

Some houses take a lot longer to heat up than others. You know your house, so you’ll know if it’s just taking a long time to warm up because it’s old, your rooms are large or it’s poorly insulated, which is normal for you, or if it’s taking far longer to reach the right temperature than it used to.  

Leaks or Drips

Leaks or drips can be a sign of a small problem, or they can mean that your boiler needs to be completely replaced. It’s a good idea to talk to someone from Duffy Heating to be sure. Duffy Heating offer boiler repair and services, as well as boiler replacement, taking care of your home’s heating needs and keeping your family warm.

An Unusual Smell

An unexplained, nasty smell coming from your boiler, or just a nasty smell in your home that you can’t identify could be a sign of a carbon monoxide leak, which means that your boiler needs looking at ASAP.

Your Boiler is More Than Ten Years Old

Old style thermostat:Photo by $OY BOY on Unsplash

Very efficient modern boilers can now last for longer than 10 years before they need replacing. But most older boilers will be well past their best when they get to their 10th birthday. If yours has reached this milestone, repairs might not keep it going for much longer, and spare parts might soon become harder to source and much more expensive. 

Frequent Breakdowns

If you’ve reached the point where your boiler needs repairing at least once every winter and you never feel particularly secure in its ability to heat your home, it’s time to consider a replacement. 

Our boilers are something that we often take for granted until they stop working. Pay yours more attention, look for the signs of a problem, and you’ll be toasty warm all year round.