New Building Regulations & Boiler Replacement

Since 2005 all new gas powered boilers fitted in England must be high-efficiency condensing boilers. Condensing boilers are the most energy efficient Central Heating boilers on the market today. They achieve this high level of efficiency by removing the heat from the fuel it is burning and also cooling the products of combustion, which are normally wasted up the flue, so much so that the water vapour in them turns into liquid. This happens at around 55°C. For a boiler to cool the flue products this much, it has to have a larger, more efficient heat exchanger than traditional boilers.
Close to a fifth of the carbon dioxide emitted each year comes from the boilers we use to provide home heating.

If your boiler is old, worn out, inefficient, or significantly oversized, the simplest solution is to replace it with a modern high-efficiency model. Gas boilers with pilot lights rather than electronic ignitions are prime candidates for replacement.

Replacing your existing boiler with a condensing boiler will save you money on your gas bill and emit less carbon dioxide. This type of boiler reduces the heat that escapes via the flue, thus reducing wasted energy.

Conservation efforts and a new high-efficiency heating system can often cut your fuel bills and your boiler's pollution output in half.
Upgrading your boiler from 50% to 90% efficiency in an average cold-climate house will save your money and approximately 1.5 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year if you heat with gas.

SEDBUK was developed under the UK Government’s Energy Efficiency Best Practice Programme with the involvement of boiler manufacturers, and provides a consistent basis for the comparison of the energy performance of different boilers.
To simplify the assessment SEDBUK ratings are from A to G, A-rated boilers being more than 90% efficient.

SEDBUK (Seasonal Efficiency of Domestic Boilers in the UK) is a new method for calculating the seasonal efficiency of central heating boilers, developed and agreed with boiler manufacturers. Its purpose is to identify differences in efficiency between different boilers in such a way that they are recognized and treated fairly in the SAP. The new method uses efficiency test results already obtained by manufacturers to demonstrate compliance with the European Boiler Efficiency Directive, so does not require any additional testing to be carried out.

As a simple guide to efficiency, a scheme has been created with SEDBUK efficiency bands assigned to boilers on an "A" to "G" scale.
Older boilers are only about 50-60% efficient and should be replaced by either a modern conventional model - efficiency 70-80% - or a condensing boiler - about 90% efficient. Condensing boilers cost more than a conventional boiler but savings in fuel bills will give a payback period of 3-6 years. New 'high efficiency' gas boilers, for example, those with thermal capacity heat exchangers, are more efficient than standard new boilers and may be more suitable for small or medium sized houses

Band	SEDBUK range
	90% and above
	86% - 90%
	82% - 86%
	78% - 82%
	74% - 78%
	70% - 74%
	below 70%

Only A rated boilers - having efficiencies of over 90% carry the energy saving recommended logo.

Boiler efficiency is important to you. Not only does an efficient boiler produce less CO2 it also consumes less fuel for the same heat output - this will reduce your gas heating costs.

Remember the purchase price is paid once only, the heating costs are paid every year and any saving is repeated year after year. When Traditional boilers burn gas to producing heat for heating your water and radiators they eject waste gases through the boiler flue. These waste gases can be 120-200ºC and hence the system is inefficient ejecting significant heat to the atmosphere. This is energy you have paid for.

Modern condensing boilers have large heat exchangers designed to extract the heat from these hot flue gases. Current heat exchangers can reduce the temperature of the ejected gases to below 100ºC and sometimes as low as 50ºC for the most efficient. This extracted heat is used to heat your home and improves the SEDBUK measured efficiency of the boiler to over 90%, a SEDBUK A rating.

For this reason you should ensure that the new or replacement condensing boiler that you purchase is an ‘A’ rated boiler on the SEDBUK scale.

For more information’s please visit www.vaillant.co.uk/homeowners/heating-solutions/high-efficiency-boilers/.

Boiler Quote

We will be happy to arrange a visit to your property, where we can find out about all your needs and check all relevant information needed to produce the best possible quote for your given situation. We can quote to carry out as much or as little of the work as needed.

Powerflush

A Powerflush (or power flush) is an efficient way of removing the sludge and dirt that build up inside your central heating system over time. Without a Powerflush you could see a gradual reduction in efficiency of your boiler system as this sludge coats the internal piping and reduces circulating efficiency.

Most central heating systems develop this sludge over time, there will be more in older systems. You do not want to replace and update your boiler with the latest model without commissioning a Powerflush first. As the sludge and general dirt are disturbed in the new installation it will find its way into your new boiler and reduce its effectiveness or life span.
The following are some of the problems that could be avoided with a Powerflush as it removes the Magnetite sludge from your system : -

• Cold Radiators

• Boiler Deposits

• Heating Pump circulation problems

• Pipe Blockages

• Internal Corrosion

• System blockages

• Noisy systems

As a result the benefits of a professionally delivered Powerflush could be :-

• Increased pump life as your central heating pump handles clear water instead of sludge

• Curing radiator cold spots so that the full surface of the radiator heats your room

• Improved central heating system efficiency so reducing fuel costs in future years.

• Clearing the boiler heat exchanger to stop banging noises (kettling) and prolonging the boiler life

• Reduces Hydrogen gas build up which can lead to radiator corrosion and reduced heat output

• Clearing your system of contaminated water which could lead to internal heating system corrosion.

A Powerflush machine is used to complete the task. It is connected to your system and the central heating water is routed through the machine where it filters out the contaminants. The Powerflush literally flushes the new liquid through your central heating system. Once the task is completed the Engineer should refill your central heating system adding a corrosion inhibiter to prolong its operating life.
Powerflush need to be performed by trained engineers and there will be no mess or complicated installations. The Powerflush machine connects to your existing piping enabling the task to be completed rapidly, it can then be de-coupled leaving your heating system as it was, minus the sludge.

For more information’s please visit www.kamco.co.uk/powerflushing.htm.