eCommerce Associates asked:


A dead back boiler can be quite a problem these days.

And of course, a back boiler will never choose an opportune moment to die; on the contrary, it will usually decide to give it all up in the middle of the winter and during a bank holiday, when all emergency heating engineers are watching television.

Hopefully you’ll know if you have a back boiler – they tend to be hidden behind fires which also heat the room – and you’ll of course know when your back boiler has died, when central heating doesn’t work, or the water won’t heat up.

There are good things about back boilers, they are quite simple devices which don’t often go wrong, but there are a number of downsides which make them very unpopular, especially ones that run on gas. A gas back boiler is nowadays considered a very dangerous piece of kit, mainly because of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. This can be mitigated by installing a carbon monoxide alarm, but, if you don’t have one, then you shouldn’t really be operating your back boiler, such is the perceived risk. So, don’t run a back boiler without a carbon monoxide alarm; it might be more than a case of a back boiler died, it might be you and the family who die.

And as they are seen as yesterday’s technology, getting spares to repair them is very difficult.

Even worse, when you come to replace your back boiler, or think that your new pied-de-terre would look good with a fashionable back boiler, the latest building regulations disagree. Basically, U.K. legislation now states that you have to fit a modern, highly efficient boiler of A to B rating (86% efficiency plus), unless your property does not suit such a boiler.

And this comes down to the fact that highly efficient boilers are condensing boilers which reach such high levels of efficiency by not only using the primary heat source (burning of the fuel) to heat the water, but also make use of the secondary heat source (exhaust gases) to also heat the water. And the by-product of such efficiency is waste fluid, which means two things: a. the flue has to be on an outside wall and b. a drain and pipework system has to be installed to get rid of the fluid.

And there you have it; if your property can’t accommodate a condensing boiler and its trappings, then you can install a less efficient boiler and one in keeping with your property.

So, back boiler dead; get advice from a heating engineer and see what you can install?

This article was wrote by eCommerce Associate for British gas boilers



Ethan

Tal Potishman asked:


The economy’s downward spiral has led to businesses cutting as many corners as they can with regards to costs. Companies are desperate to save as much money as they can get away with and that sometimes includes the hiring of engineers who have not yet been fully trained or gotten their professional certifications as they cost less to employ. Such approach may lead to dire results in the long run as well as the short and medium runs.

There are a number of reasons that a heating and plumbing company should make sure that all of its engineers are professionally trained and certified.

1. Plumbing and Heating Engineers are required to have specific certifications in order to carry out their work. These certifications guarantee that the engineer understands all of the current codes and laws that they must work within. These certifications include the Part P electrical, the Unvented system training and assessment, CORGI certification (for gas work), BPEC and the prevailing Building Regulations.

2. Plumbing and Heating Engineers that have obtained all of the training and proper certifications are able to charge more for their services either as individuals or as part of a company. Many companies base the starting wages upon the number and degree of qualifications an engineer has when they are hired.

3. Heating and Plumbing Engineers who take the time to ensure that all of their certifications and training are up to date have proven to be more reliable professionally than those who learn the work “in the field.” Their work is often of a better quality which reflects their understanding of the technical and legal requirements. These engineers provide a better investment to the company that hires them than someone who has not yet bothered to finish their training and certifications.

Many companies choose to hire plumbing and heating engineers when they are just starting out because they prefer their engineers to be trained in certain ways. For companies who choose to do this, there are several governmental programs available to help fund the certification process. The CPS (Competent Person Scheme) is one such program, being used by several players in the plumbing and heating sector.

It is important that plumbing and heating engineers stay informed about the up and coming “green” methods that are being developed. The world is turning towards environmentally friendly practices and, in order for a company to be competitive in a modern market, the engineers hired should be as well versed about the newer technologies as they are about the traditional ones. Such new technologies include solar thermal panels, underfloor heating and ground source heat pumps.

With the economy as unpredictable as it is, plumbing and heating engineers need to make sure that they are fully certified. When customers are given the choice between hiring someone completely qualified and saving a few pounds on someone who hasn’t gotten all of their certifications, we believe customers will choose to spend more on a professional and certified engineer.



Alicia

Florence Gasket asked:


Central heating refers to the internal heating system, in which heating is conducted through air vents or radiators that are connected to a central heating source. Central heating is usually cheaper than other forms of heating. There are many reasons why a central heating system is very convenient. The system turns on and off automatically, and maintains a uniform and accurate temperature at all times. It also provides you with hot water.

Central gas heating mostly uses Gas Boilers and Condensing Boilers for heating purposes, and uses natural gas or LPG. Other than these, the boilers that use natural gas are Combi’s, and back boilers. The greatest advantage of a gas heating system is that you don’t run out of gas as you can do with heating systems that use fuel and oil.

The most efficient system for central gas heating is the condensing Combi system, which is very reliable and saves your heating costs. The boilers of this system work at 96% efficiency, as they recover lost heat and feed it back into the system. That is why it is known as a ‘High Efficiency’ or ‘Condensing boiler’. It also provides you with hot water at all times.

Before making a decision about getting a gas central heating system, there are some important things that you need to consider. First, you have to think about which kind of fuel is the most suitable for you, and then choose the boiler accordingly. The two options for Central Gas heating are natural gas and LPG.

The next thing to consider is in relation to the areas of your house you want heated: what is the size of these areas and for how long you want to heat these areas. You also have to consider the climate of your local area, and the temperatures in various seasons. You should weigh the pros and cons of the different types of heating systems in relation to your heating needs.

The other things that need to be considered are the interior of your house, and the ventilation and air circulation. This will help you in determining the best way to contain the heat inside your house. After determining all of these factors, you have to evaluate what the initial cost would be, and what it would cost to maintain the heating system.

In addition to considering all these things, it is also important to discuss your options with experts in the field of the fitting of central gas heating systems. The right people would be architects, insulation experts, heating specialists and gas experts.

After you are sure about what you want to do, you can easily get quotes by providing your specifications related to boilers, radiators and other fittings and controls.

You can also install a central gas heating system yourself, but after fitting everything, you would need to consult a Corgi registered installer for making the gas supply connection.

Before getting a central gas heating system, always do your homework, so that you don’t end up getting something that is unsuitable. You can also compare the various heating systems, by asking those you know about the performance of their systems before making any decisions.



Mildred

Peter Searancke asked:


Ground Source Heat Pumps

The primary difference between a ground source heat pump and a conventional boiler is that a conventional boiler is usually designed to heat the property between certain hours. It achieves this by outputting an enormous amount of heat over a short space in time. The property heats up, the boiler switches off and the house goes cold again.

A ground source heat pump works differently to this. The ground source heat pump does not like producing very hot water. A conventional boiler might output water to your radiators at a temperature in excess of 70 degrees C. A heat pump can achieve this but it would be inefficient in doing so.

Therefore the style of heating needs to be changed to accommodate lower temperature heat output.

In general this means using underfloor heating (running at a low temperature, perhaps 38 degrees C) or radiators that are oversized so that they can run at a lower temperature than normal (perhaps 50-55 degrees C).

When the output temperature of the system is lowered it is vital that this heat is retained as the time taken to heat the whole building will increase.

The key to a good ground source heat pump installation is insulation. Great insulation will benefit any home, whatever the type of heat system. However, for a ground source heating system to operate without a back up it is vital.  This will provide the property owner with a very efficient and cost effective heating system.

Air Source Heat Pumps

Air source heat pumps work in a similar way to ground source heat pumps but extract heat from the air outside rather than the ground. They upgrade this heat using a compressor circuit (similar to that found in a fridge).

Typically over a year an air source heat pump could have an efficiency of around 330% when heating a domestic home (including domestic hot water). This means that for every unit of electricity that it uses it generates 3.3 units of heat.

A modern high efficiency gas boiler has an efficiency of around 90%. This massive efficiency advantage means that the system will save you money off your fuel bills.

Comparing the system to a gas boiler you should save around 30%. Given the cost of oil, when replacing an oil boiler the savings can be up to 60%.

This type of heat pump can also be used for heating swimming pools.

Ground Source Heat Pump vs Air Source Heat Pump, which is right for me?

The difference between these systems is that Air Source Heat pumps do not need a ground loop , they extract heat from the air around us. The disadvantage with an air heat pump is that as the ambient temperature outside decreases, the air heat pump becomes less efficient at extracting the heat.

One other fact of central heating systems is that you need them most when the outside temperature is at it’s lowest. This means that air heat pumps are useful for heating properties that don’t have the room or funds for a ground loop or need heat when the ambient temperature is generally higher. This means that air heat pumps along with unglazed solar water panels are very useful for heating swimming pool water.

In summary, if you want to heat your home efficiently with electricity, consider a heat pump. If you have a ground source heat pump you will benefit from good efficiency all year round.

Given that the major consideration between these two technologies is the annual efficiency, it is worth knowing that a ground source system could have an efficiency of around 450% when an air source system would be about 350%.



Dean

Tal Potishman asked:


When it comes time to hire a professional to install your new gas and heating systems, price is absolutely going to be one of your top priorities. You should remember, however, to take care to make sure that the engineer you hire to install your gas and heating systems has all of the correct credentials. No matter how much money you allot for your renovation and rebuilding budget it is vitally important that your potential engineer is properly certified by the correct organization.

Even though readers might not want to believe this, there are quite a few people operating as engineers in the United Kingdom who have not been properly registered with Corgi, the authority for heating and gas engineers in this country. These engineers lie to their clients and tell them that they are registered with Corgi even though they are not. Some of these impostors will even create false Corgi documents to convince clients of their registration!

The most notorious engineer impostor to make the recent news is David Mees. Mees made news all over the United Kingdom when one of his clients discovered his extremely shoddy and dangerous work during a final home inspection and discovered that not only was he not Corgi certified but that the clients’ home could not pass inspection until a real Corgi inspector had redone the work. Mees had even advertised in the local telephone directory with a fake Corgi identification number!

The work done by Mees was done so badly that, had the clients attempted to use any of the wiring or piping they had installed, the clients could have risked imminent destruction of their homes or injury to themselves!

Heating and gas systems are complicated things and it is vital that they are installed properly and that everything about them is up to safety codes. Corgi engineers are well versed in these codes and are required to make sure that they stay current on them. The best way to ensure that you will, in fact, hire a Corgi registered engineer is to call Corgi and check the names of each of your potential engineers. This can be done by calling 0800 915 0485.

It is a good idea to check with your local business bureau to find out if any complaints have been filed against the engineer that you are considering for your home’s construction or renovation. You should also ask any potential engineer for a list of references and his work history. If the engineer hesitates before providing either of these, you should seriously consider moving on to the next candidate.

Gas and heating systems, when not properly installed, can cause great harm to both a home’s structural integrity and the health of the people who live in it!

Tal Potishman, editor of Heating Central, writes articles about efficient heating, plumbers, Sutton boiler, underfloor heating and solar thermal. He specializes in helping save money by advising on efficient heating.



Jeanette