You probably know already that 247 Home Rescue aims to respond to boiler breakdowns as quickly as possible; a nationwide network of thousands of engineers from every part of the country can attend our members’ homes within just four hours of the moment they get in touch with us.
In the future, however, we may be able to respond to boiler breakdowns before our members have even noticed there is a problem. Worcester Bosch, for instance, have already produced a ‘Smart Boiler‘, featuring a wireless transmitter that connects the appliance to the internet.
The data sent by the appliance can then be sent to engineers’ smartphone, alerting a Gas Safe professional whenever the appliance breaks down.
This technology could have energy efficiency implications, too; the boilers of the future could ‘learn’ when they are in use, and could turn on and off accordingly.
The boiler thermostat could be wirelessly connected to the hot water tap, and when the tap is turned off, the thermostat could be programmed to automatically turn off a few seconds later. Homeowners could programme the boiler to turn on whenever they enter the bathroom or kitchen, or when they roll out of bed in the morning.
Of course, even old boilers feature timers and thermostats, but can anyone honestly say they are using these functions as efficiently as they could use them? Or that their efforts to be energy efficient have not seen them occasionally step into a cold shower, or freeze their hands washing dishes with cold water?
The boilers of the future may even be able to be fixed remotely; if there is a software or programming fault with the appliance, if the pressure is too low or high, or if any of a range of other faults have emerged, engineers may be able to resolve these problems with a bit of specialist knowledge and a few swipes of a smartphone.
If the boiler needs to be manually repaired, then an engineer could communicate with the homeowners over the internet, and arrange a time for them to come round to fix the appliance without any nonsense or hassle.
And there’ll be no worries about engineers turning up without the right components – a smart boiler would inform contractors of the exact details of the problem before they arrive at the property, so they would have the right part when they turn up, and would know how to fix the problem without any unnecessary delay.
This means that there will be no need for repeat visits, no confusion over which part is needed for which boiler, and no more confusion or hassle when it comes to gas appliance repairs. The fact that people may claim on their boiler cover before they even realise their boiler has stopped working is particularly remarkable – is there any better way to enjoy central heating and hot water 24/7?
When you consider the history of domestic central heating systems, it looks clear that smart boilers will be the next great leap ahead!
Still having trouble?
Don’t attempt to touch any part of your boiler or central heating system if you’re unsure. Did you know? It’s illegal for anyone to use a gas appliance if they think it’s unsafe. It’s always better to be safe than sorry as you could make things worse.
Instead, call us on 0345 3192 247 and we can help. Our technical team will run through some simple troubleshooting to see if your problem can be resolved on the phone or they can book one of our friendly and knowledgeable Gas Safe registered engineers to get you back up and running as soon as possible.
