HE Boilers Can Make A Real Difference

Condensing boilers may now represent some 90% of the market, but there are still many households relying on old, fuel guzzling systems. Louis Pickersgill, Managing Director of the gas-fired boiler maker Ravenheat, extols the virtues of boiler efficiency as an energy saver.

Energy conservation is very much in the news and, since fossil fuel prices seem unlikely to decline, it will become more and more important. We had in the last budget indications that the Government is at last taking some action to aid energy saving and, possibly more important still, public awareness of the problem has been greatly heightened as fuel costs escalate. Most of the press talk is of alternative sources of energy and of course these are of vital importance in the long term, but short term measures can also be extremely valuable which brings me to my specialist subject — high efficiency gas boilers.

One of the biggest single causes of high domestic fuel bills and energy inefficiency is the use of outdated boilers, which are likely to waste huge amounts of money of fuel purchased. If you think that is a horrifying, here is another thought from the Energy Saving Trust. They claim that if everyone in this country installed a high efficiency boiler, enough money would be saved to pay the fuel and power bills of around two million households. So how can the energy savings be so large?
The simple answer is heat efficiency, for the ‘Band A’ rating means that at least 90% of energy input is actually used in the heating process. This efficiency will not only offer the domestic user a fuel saving of up to 35% on his fuel bills but also significantly cut the CO2 emissions that contribute to global warming.

Condensing boilers are designed to extract more heat from a smaller quantity of fuel by reducing the temperature of the flue gases to the point where the water vapour produced during combustion can be condensed out. This essentially recycles the latent heat that would otherwise escape into the atmosphere as hot flue gases. At Ravenheat we have various methods and principles to do this ranging from Atmospheric or Pre-mix designed appliances.

Public opinion
It is already a legal requirement since 1st April 2005 that all gas boilers installed in England and Wales should be condensing boilers, apart from a small number of exceptions, and certainly the Chancellor’s promise of £20 million to be spent over the next two years on promoting the greater use of energy efficient products should encourage the replacement of outdated systems. However, as far as gas-fired boilers are concerned, we have a problem — that of public perception.

For some reason, the gas boiler is seen as unwieldy and unsightly — but that is no longer true. The latest models, such as our most powerful 32 and 40kW combi’s — deliver unbelievable high levels of hot water, canceling the need for bulky storage tanks or boilers, something unheard of just a few years ago. They are of high quality appearance with a finish that will grace any modern setting. The controls are easy to use and easy to see with the essential valves colour-coded and set clip distance to the wall — the idea is to make life as simple as possible for the installer.

While some of the development work on condensing boilers may have been legislation led, it is certainly true to say that the industry was quick to catch on and produce the new generation of High Efficiency products. At Ravenheat we are certainly proud of our SEDBUK Band A & B range — a pride that is justified by proven quality and performance figures. We also make things to last, and the reliability of our A rated appliances are backed by a three years’ guarantee.

Sales here at Ravenheat, like that of most manufacturers, are for A rated appliances. It is quite interesting, however, that as the market continues to move more and more to condensing, Band B appliances have now got a significant hold within the market, particularly as some manufacturers do not produce Band B appliances.

So what is the difference between A and B rated appliances? The cost difference is quite significant, but from an efficiency point of view the answer is probably very little as there is only 0.1% SEDBUK calculation differential at the lower A rated versus upper B rated listings — which is insignificant. It must also be remembered that SEDBUK is only a mathematical formula that is designed to measure seasonal efficiencies of Ravenheat’s CSI 120 Low Nox boiler boilers using data provided by accredited independent test houses which may differ slightly from appliance to appliance, in much the same way as motor vehicles calculated fuel consumption.

I am not advocating buying Band B appliances, but if you can’t afford the cost then they are the best to buy. However, it’s also important to consider the durability and warranty period. At Ravenheat we give two years on Band B appliances and three years on A rated appliances, so that there is added value in using the A rated boilers.

APPEARED IN PHAM News - Oct 2006