Are you looking to replace your boiler? ProTec Boilers are here to assist you.
From the 1st of April 2007, a new law was introduced saying that it is a legal requirement that all gas and oil boilers replaced or installed in England and Wales must be condensing boilers. In Scotland, the law required all new boilers to be condensing boilers since 1st April 2005 and 1st April 2007 for replacement gas boilers.
All boilers now manufactured are condensing boilers whether they are open vents, sealed systems, or a combi. The options for condensing boilers are many and this can make it difficult to decide which condensing boiler best suits your needs.
Making your choice is made more difficult since the Boiler Plus regulations were introduced in April 2018. The new regulations introduced mean that boilers installed in England, Wales, and Scotland must now have a minimum performance standard of 92% Erp and include one of the following:
- Flue gas heat recovery systems
- Weather Compensation
- Load Compensation
- Smart controls featuring automation and optimisation functions
These measures were introduced to reduce carbon emissions and bring down consumer energy bills.
What Is A Condensing Boiler and How Does It Work?
Whether condensing or non-condensing all boilers have combustion emissions. These emissions are like heated gases which after passing through heat exchangers transfer generated energy to radiators which in turn spread the heat around your home. The combustion gases that remain are usually released outside through a flue which usually goes up through the roof
In non-condensing boilers, some of this heat is lost and this is because along with the gas waste that is released through a flue, there is a large amount of steam produced during the heat process, and that steam when released, carries a large amount of wasted evaporated energy that older type non-condensing boilers cannot make use of.
The newer condensing boilers will now recycle the steam through a primary heat exchanger and recover latent heat to utilise vaporisation. This condensed vapour will now leave the boiler in a liquid form via a condensate pipe into the drain.
What is a condensate Pipe?
The job of the condensate pipe is to transfer wastewater or condensate produced by the boiler to the sewer. Condensate is produced through the boiler producing hot water or heating for your home. When your boiler burns fuel there is a chemical reaction that produces water vapour and carbon dioxide. When enough heat is produced from the vapour it is then condensed back into a water form, collected and removed from the system via the condensate pipe.
Just using your boiler for an hour can produce up to 3 litres of wastewater that is released in 300ml increments through the condensate pipe.
Condensing Boiler Technology
All condensing boilers have a fan next to the heat exchanger. Within the condensing boiler is a closed combustion chamber that is connected to a flue which allows combustion gases to pass through. By controlling the fan speed an optimum combustion ratio of air and can be maintained, allowing the water condensation to be released through the condensate pipe, which will minimise heat loss through flue gases
Saving Money on your Energy Bills
When installed properly, a condensing boiler will heat you home and provide hot water consistently. Gas consumption can be reduced by 25%. This means, according to the Energy Saving Trust, that you can save up to £500 and often more, per year on your energy bills by updating to a condensing boiler
How are energy savings Calculated?
When considering buying a condensing boiler you can be assured that it will be at least 90% energy efficient and efficiency can be up to 98% by utilising either programmable thermostats or internet-enabled thermostats like Nest or Tado
This compared to older non-condensing boilers which start at 80-85% energy efficiently and over the years of use can drop to as low as 50% efficiency. This is because the internal components of a boiler go through thermal stresses which result in corrosion of parts and a reduction of efficiency of the boiler. If a boiler is older than 12-15 years then the chances are that it’s a non-condensing boiler and costing more in energy bills that is necessary.
When speaking in monetary terms, an older non-condensing boiler that’s operating at 50% or even 70% efficiency you could lose £30 to £50 for every £100 spent. However, with a condensing boiler operating at 94% efficiency that loss only £6 for every £100 spent on energy bills which is a big saving.
Condensing Boiler Cost
We are here at ProTec Boilers to give you reliable and trustworthy advice so that you get the best boiler to suit your needs and a price that’s reasonable for you. Contact us today to discuss your boiler needs on – 01924 731 838
