Vaillant Ecotec Plus Combi Boilers : Setting The Standard

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

Vaillant EcoTEC Plus from Direct Heating Supplies

Vaillant EcoTEC Boilers can be purchased from Direct Heating Supplies

Tags: Boilers, Combi Boilers, Condensing Boilers, condensing combi boilers, Gas Boilers
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Do It Yourself Gas Boiler Installation – Don’t Pay With Your Life

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

Trying to save money by attempting to work on a gas boiler yourself can endagers lives.

With the recession still very much in everyones minds, and saving money high on many peoples lists, surveys have found 1 in 3 people would attempt to fit or service a gas appliance in the hope of saving as little as £60
The Gas Safe Register, the official list and authority of gas engineers claim Three out of four people (75%) admit they would rather attempt fitting a gas boiler than leave it to the professionals, but worryingly only 23% said they were any good at it.

By UK Law, Only Gas Safe registered engineers can work on gas in your home – it’s the law and will keep you and your family safe.

Other factors around general DIY also come into play when working around gas appliances such as boilers or fires.

Doing DIY? Follow these top tips to stay gas safe:

• Never DIY with gas appliances. Fitting a gas fire or cooker may look like a simple job but it’s not.
• Always use a Gas Safe registered engineer and check their Gas Safe ID card to make sure they are qualified to do the work you want them to do.
• Never block or cover air vents and flues. This could cause a build up of deadly gas fumes.
• Never attempt to remove back boilers and fires* yourself. This could leave pipes and gas flues exposed.
• Don’t cover up gas pipes without treating them with wrapping tape or paint first as this could cause them to rot and leak gas.
• Know where your gas pipes are located so you don’t accidentally hammer or drill into them. Pipe detectors are available from most DIY shops.
• If you’re doing general building or having a shed, extension or conservatory built make sure your boiler’s flue isn’t blocked.

Jamie Cooper from Gas Safe Register, warns people about dangerous DIY gas work:

“While the most capable of do-it-yourselfers might like to tackle things such as plumbing and tiling, when it comes to gas it’s not worth taking the risk. I’ve seen the aftermath of gas jobs that have gone wrong and it’s frightening what can happen. And it’s not just DIY gas work that is dangerous. Accidentally covering or blocking up air vents, or drilling into gas pipes by mistake can have serious consequences for you and your family.”

“For most gas jobs, the costs to call in a legal gas engineer are very modest. On average Gas Safe registered engineers charge £113 for fitting a new gas fire and £61 for a gas cooker. So why take the risk? It will cost you more money to put a DIY job right. But more frightening is the fact that badly fitted gas appliances can lead to fires, explosions, gas leaks and carbon monoxide poisoning. These incidents killed 18 people in the UK last year and hospitalised a further 310. I would urge anyone considering gas DIY to leave it to the professionals.”

There are around 123,000 engineers on the Gas Safe Register to assist in fitting a gas boiler or fire. To find one in your area and check their identity and qualifications, visit the Gas Safe website or call their free helpline.

Tags: Boilers, Combi Boilers, Condensing Boilers, condensing combi boilers, Gas Boilers, heating
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Which Gas Boiler do I need?

Tuesday, June 15th, 2010

Is often the question many people ask when looking for a new Gas Boiler

Our handy guide below, outlines the types of gas boilers available, and the one most suited to your needs. The guide below which help you choose the right boiler for your install.

Combi Boiler

A combi boiler provides heating and hot water directly from the boiler.

Here’s an example of a central heating and hot water system layout using a combi boiler:

A combi (or combination) boiler is an ingenious space-saving idea, and an increasingly popular choice in UK homes. In fact, combis now account for well over half of all the new domestic boilers installed in Britain every year.

A combi boiler is both a high-efficiency water heater and a central heating boiler, combined (hence the name) within one compact unit. Therefore, no separate hot water cylinder is required, offering space saving within the property.

Further benefits of a combi boiler are significant savings on hot water costs and the fact that hot water is delivered through your taps or shower at mains pressure. So you can enjoy powerful showering* without the need for a pump.

Another combi boiler benefit is that it can generally save you money on installation time and costs, since no tank in the roof space means less pipe work and a shorter installation time.

Click here to see a range of Gas Combi boilers

Regular Boiler

Regular boilers heat your central heating system directly and produce hot water for your cylinder.

Here’s an example of a central heating and hot water system layout using a regular boiler:

If you are replacing an older model of boiler, the chances are that you will have a regular (also known as ‘conventional’) boiler.

A typical regular boiler system incorporates a boiler, extended controls, a hot water cylinder which is often fed by a cold water storage cistern located in the loft and a feed and expansion cistern – also located in the

loft.

Click here to see a range of Regular Gas Boilers

System Boiler

A system boiler heats your central heating system directly and produces hot water for your cylinder.

An example of a central heating and hot water system layout using a system boiler with an open-vented hot water cylinder:

An example of a central heating and hot water system layout using a system boiler with a pressurised unvented hot water cylinder:

A system boiler, just like a regular (conventional) boiler works on the principle of stored hot water. However, a system boiler differs from a regular boiler in some important respects.

Firstly, many of the major individual components of the heating and hot water system are built into a system boiler, which means that installation is quicker, neater, easier and more efficient.

Secondly, the hot water is pumped from the system boiler through the heating system to the radiators and hot water cylinder, resulting in a fast response and more economical running costs. The system boiler removes the need for a feed and expansion cistern.

Click here to see a range of Gas System Boilers

Tags: Boilers, Combi Boilers, Condensing Boilers, condensing combi boilers, Gas Boilers
Posted in Boilers, Combi Boilers, Condensing Boilers, Gas Boilers | 1 Comment »

£3000 towards a new boiler!

Monday, June 14th, 2010

Have an old boiler sitting in the house making a noise, gathering dust and probably giving out a bit of a pungent smell? Put it altogether and you probably try to ignore the fact one exists in your home, as you don’t want to have to deal with the hassle and costs involved of replacing it.

Well, why not find out how old your boiler is, after all you could just be in with a chance to win £3000 to go towards a new one!

A search has begun in Britain to find the oldest working boiler with a £3000 prize at stake to go towards a new high energy efficient boiler. The current oldest boiler that has been found is 32 years old and can be found in Alnwick.

Sometimes boilers can really last a lot longer than you might think, with this 32 year old boiler out living the 24 year marriage of the owners. And now they are first in line to win the prize unless an older boiler can be found in Britain.

Npower who were inspired to launch this ‘treasure hunt’ have overseen many removals of very old, ancient boilers since the Government boiler scrappage scheme had been introduced.

The Head of Sales at Npower, Richard Cotton said that: “In our search for Britain’s oldest boiler, we’ve already uncovered many boilers more than 30 years old, with some families owning boilers that are older than their grown-up children and in some cases, as with this boiler in Northumberland, older than their marriage.”

Think you could be in with a chance with your old boiler? Find out how to enter by emailing kate.dawson@europe.mccann.com

Tags: Boilers
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Vaillant ecoTEC Combi Boilers

Saturday, June 12th, 2010

Tags: Boilers, Combi Boilers, Condensing Boilers, Direct Heating Supplies, Gas Boilers
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A High Efficiency Condensing Combi Boiler can save you money

Wednesday, June 9th, 2010

The Vaillant Ecotec boiler can save you money and energy in the long term

Find out why fitting a Condensing Boiler can not only save you money, but also save on valuable resources to help save the planet.

Condensing boilers get their name because they enter what is called “condensing mode” periodically. In other words, they start to extract heat from the exhaust gases that would otherwise escape through the flue, in the process turning water vapour from the gas back into liquid water or condensate.

A condensing boiler captures much more usable heat from its fuel than a non-condensing boiler. Its high operating efficiency is made possible by the design of the condensing boiler’s larger – or sometimes dual – heat exchanger.

The heat exchanger makes sure that as much heat as possible is transferred from the boiler’s burner – and as little as possible lost in gases through the flue.

There are two types of condensing boiler: regular and combination (also known as a Combi Boiler). Regular condensing boilers heat your hot water through a hot water cylinder. Combination condensing boilers give you instant hot water without the need for a cylinder.

Please bear in mind that not all home heating systems will be compatible with a combination boiler. A qualified installer will tell you which type of condensing boiler, regular or combi boiler, is most suitable for your home.

If your boiler is 15 years old or more then it could be a G rated boiler. You can find out if your boiler is G rated by checking the list here. Replacing an old G rated boiler with a new A rated condensing boiler and a full set of heating controls can save up to a quarter on your heating bills straight away and up to 1,300kg of CO₂ year. If your boiler is younger than 15 years then it is likely to be more efficient so will save you less if you replace it.

If your boiler is newer then it may well be in a higher energy efficiency band. Below are typical savings which can be achieved by replacing boilers with new A-rated condensing models and installing a full set of heating controls:

Some of the most popular brands of condensing combi boilers include:

• Baxi condensing combi boilers
• Potterton condensing combi boilers
• Vaillant condensing combi boilers

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Combination and Condensing Boilers – What is the REAL difference?

Tuesday, June 8th, 2010

One of the most confusing topics when it comes to finding out whether you have or need a combination, condensing or condensing combination boiler is determining which is which. Combi and condensing boilers are both uniquely different, but so often misconstrued to be very much alike!

This blog post will drill in to the nitty gritty of each of these types of boiler and offer a full explanation on why they are so different.

Let’s start things off with combination boilers. The main characteristics of combi boilers are:

• They do not include a hot water tank to provide heat, saving storage space.
• Most combi boilers are wall mountable, saving further space in the property.
• Provides hot water instantly (as required) rather than having to wait for the boiler to heat up, saving energy and more importantly money on excess hot water.
• Almost all of the modern combi boilers on the market utilize 90% efficiency.
• Extremely easy to install

Despite their near impeccable characteristics, it still has its flaws. And the main problem with combi boilers is that if you operate two or more hot water taps in different locations of the property the hot water flow will drop, making them more suitable for small properties.

Now let’s take a look at the ‘not so similar’ condensing boiler characteristics:

• The newest boiler type on the market, which provides higher operating efficiency levels of 93%.
• Very similar to the conventional boiler set up
• They reduce the amount of heat given off from the gases in the flue, reducing temperatures from an estimated 300 degrees to 50 degrees.
• Consists of a larger heat exchanger than conventional boilers and sometimes even two.

Now put them all together and what do you get….a condensing combination boiler!

Let’s take a look at its characteristics:

• Does not require a hot water tank like regular condensing boilers do
• Incorporates both combi and condensing technology making this type of boiler one of the more efficient boilers out
• As a result of their higher efficiency however they tend to be the most pricey types of boiler available.

Some of the most popular brands of condensing combi boilers include:

• Baxi condensing combi boilers
• Potterton condensing combi boilers
• Vaillant condensing combi boilers

Tags: Boilers, carbon, co2, Combi Boilers, Condensing Boilers, condensing combi boilers, energy saving, heating
Posted in Combi Boilers, Condensing Boilers | 1 Comment »

5 Things to Know About Combi Boilers

Monday, June 7th, 2010

As you may have read in one of the previous posts, combi (or combination) boilers possess a lot of benefits over the more conventional, every day boilers. Despite their many advantages they still have their own drawbacks (although few), and these will vary depending of the quality/price. In most stores you get what you pay for, the higher the value the greater the quality, just remember to compare the market before purchasing.

1. Potential heat exchanger scaling

Over time if you are supplied with hard water from your water company it is highly likely that the DHW (domestic hot water) heat exchanger will scale. This is the same however for all boilers, but you will find the newer models of combi boiler will have been designed to further reduce the risk of scaling.

This presents you with two options in the future, one to replace the equipment which can work out quite expensive, or two to replace the boiler completely.

If you look to replace the necessary parts, just bear in mind that this will reoccur in the future and may be worth upgrading the boiler to reduce the risk of scaling further. The other natural solution would be to change to a soft water supplier to again reduce the potential.

2. Electric immersion heaters are a no go

If a boiler were to some point fail with a regular water tank installed you have the opportunity to purchase an electric immersion heater just for emergency purposes. This can save you money for example if it occurs over the weekend or bank holiday when most plumbers would be charging more.

If a combi boiler were to go wrong for some reason, as there is no tank with this type of central heating system it is not possible to use an immersion heater and a plumber call out could well be required.

3. Gas pipe incompatibility

Due to regulations when installing combi boilers, some incompatibilities with the diameter of the gas pipe could occur and this may need to be upgraded as a result.

4. Shower or a bath person?

Combi boilers provide highly pressurized water to both hot and cold taps, but older models tend to have a slower rate of hot water than more modern boilers. As a result there will be plenty of water for a shower but a bath will take a lot longer to fill up.

5. No instant hot water

Combi boilers still suffer from the same problems as other boilers, although they are a lot better at producing near ‘instant hot water’ than most. If the boiler is positioned quite a way from the tap being used, it can take a good few minutes before the hot water will come through. This isn’t so much a problem for showers or baths, but if you are only using it to quickly wash your hands or face it can become a hindrance.

Overall however Combi boilers have a fairly limited number of disadvantages which are going to impact performance when compared to other types of boilers.

Tags: Combi Boilers
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Electric showers: The Basics

Saturday, June 5th, 2010

Electric showers:  The Basics

Aqualisa Quartz Electric Shower

If you’re thinking of buying an electric shower, the first thing to consider is your expectations – electric showers shouldn’t be confused with power showers. Many people associate a forceful invigorating water jet with power, and are then disappointed by the reality of the average electric shower.

What is an electric shower?

An electric shower is essentially a water heater. It relies on heating mains-pressure cold water very fast as it flows towards the shower head. There is no pump involved, so the amount of water you get through will depend on your mains water pressure.

Electric showers are economical as you heat only the water you need, and they’re the only type of shower that’s independent of the hot water system, so if your boiler fails you can still have a hot shower.

Pumped ‘power’ showers

The other type of electric shower is a pumped ‘power’ shower. These connect to both your hot and cold water supplies and are essentially mixer showers, but use an electrical pump to increase the pressure coming out of the shower head, and therefore use much less electricity than an electrically heated shower.

Where to buy

You can buy electric showers from a wide range of shops such as Direct Heating Supplies, catalogue stores, and plumbing and building merchants. Prices start at about £50 and go up to more than £300 for showers with designer styling or personalised functions.

Some shower brands or models are exclusive to one retailer, but it may be worth shopping around for the cheapest price with well-known names such as Triton or Mira – online DIY or plumbing suppliers can be cheaper.

Plumbing and electricity

An electric shower requires plumbing only to a mains cold water supply, and connection to the electrical supply. The high power (between about 8.5kW and 10.8kW) electrical element will require connection to a separate fused electrical supply circuit, which generally requires an electrician.

Tags: bathroom, showers
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How Do Gas Central Heating Boilers Work?

Friday, June 4th, 2010

I bet this is the question that people would have wished about asking years and years ago when people were making their own wood and coal fires to keep warm. The amount of time it would have taken to set a fire alight, summer would have already arrived!

Ok maybe that is a slight exaggeration, but boilers naturally do save the hard work and provide a steady flow of heat into our homes.

So how does a gas central heating boiler actually work?

The boiler is the part of the system which produces the heat, and undoubtedly is the most important aspect of any heating system. The boiler will connect to a gas mains supply within your home, and at the flick of a switch the valve opens and gas passes into the combustion chamber within the boiler via small jets.

Once the gas is in the boiler chamber, it is set alight by an electric ignition system which in turn heats cold water pipes to around 60°C. The pipes would run throughout the home and pass through each hot water radiator before then returning to the boiler. An electric pump is used within the boiler to keep the water flowing through the circuit.

As this is quite a long circuit, once the water returns to the boiler it has already cooled down forcing the boiler to continually keep firing in order to produce heat for the home.

The carbon dioxide and steam that is created as a waste product of burning gas flows through a small boiler flue to the outside of the building.

This is the basic gas central heating system that would be incorporated in most homes, however depending on the type of fuel you use (gas, electric, wood, oil etc) will determine the slight differences that would be made to this system.

Tags: Central Heating System, Gas Boilers
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