Central heating boilers have come a long way since the old style, bulky cast iron models.
Most boilers now have all the controls fitted within itself, i.e. pump, timeclock, zone valve and thermostats.
Today we can supply and fit a wide range of different styles to fit just about all personal requirements.
The most common siting of a boiler is in the kitchen. This is generally because most of the services the boiler requires are located there, i.e. gas supply, hot and cold water pipework. Here, they can also be incorporated into your kitchen units.
The type of boiler you require generally depends on what type of system you choose or what system you already have installed.
The location of your boiler can also dictate what type you can have. The main types are Fan Flued and Open Flued, and can come as 'Wall mounted' or 'Floor standing'.
And last but not least: price. This can differ from as little as £400 up to as much as £2,000 for a domestic rated boiler.
Why choose a condensing boiler?
ENVIRONMENT: Lower emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxide (NOx), mean that condensing boilers are much more environmentally friendly than their conventional counterparts. They help to cut down on greenhouse gases and conserve fossil fuel resources.
COST AND FUEL: Not only do high efficiency condensing
boilers help protect the
environment, they also help to lower fuel bills for the homeowner. Compared
with conventional boilers, condensing models get more heat out of the same
amount of gas - which means less fuel used, and more savings made.
HOME COMFORT: The latest technology used in appliances
such as: The 'Remeha Exclusive' Type, means that the boiler output can be increased or decreased instantly in response to heating demand. When used with room thermostats and central heating
programmers this can create a far more controllable and comfortable living
environment.
BUILDING REGULATIONS: Building regulations from April
2005 require that new or replacement boilers installed in most domestic properties have to be condensing appliances. These must carry a SEDBUK efficiency rating of A. (SEDBUK = Standard
Efficiency of Domestic Boilers in the UK).
Put simply, a ‘high efficiency’ or ‘condensing’ boiler is far more efficient than a ‘conventional’ boiler. On average, through the
seasons, around 90%* of the gas used is converted to heat compared with around 78%* with a conventional appliance (*sedbuk efficiencies). However, condensing
boilers can also offer a wide range of other benefits: why “condensing”?
Because condensing boilers waste so little heat, the flue gases exiting the boilers are far cooler than conventional appliances. This leads under optimum conditions to the flue gases ‘condensing’
inside the boiler and flue pipe. The resulting water droplets (only equivalent in acidity to lemon juice) drain into the boiler’s integral trap and out to a normal domestic drain.