Caused by the incomplete burning of all carbon based fuels, Carbon Monoxide, otherwise known as CO is not only tasteless, colourless and odourless, it is also incredibly poisonous. Fuels that can create CO include oil, coal, wood and gas, and are perfectly safe to use, it is only in the case of them burning poorly that they produce the excess harmful CO.

Carbon Dioxide is absorbed into the body by the air we breathe, and harms us by preventing the blood in our systems from providing essential oxygen to our organs, tissues and cells. This is because it “tricks” the body into putting itself into the spaces in the blood where oxygen should be.
According to information provided by the HSE, around 20 people per year die from CO poisoning primarily caused by gas consuming appliances and their flues which have not been correctly installed originally, maintained or in a poorly ventilated area. There are even more cases of people being harmed by COs from breathing it in over a long period of time, such as brain damage and paralysis in the worst case.

How to Prevent Carbon Monoxide

The dangers of Carbon Monoxide in the home can be decreased significantly by following some simple rules, these include:
Using a Gas Safe registered installer whenever a gas appliance is installed in the home. These include gas fires, as well as boilers and central heating systems, and when required, must have a flue installed.

Servicing all flues and carbon based fuel appliances in the home regularly to make sure that not faults have occurred.

Keeping the area in which your gas appliance is located well-ventilated at all times, ensuring no flues are blocked or vents obscured.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoining Symptoms

Many of the early symptoms of Carbon Monoxide (CO) are often mistaken for the symptoms of other common ailments and are ignored by many, such as viral infections and flu, as well as food poisoning or simple just feeling tired and run down. These symptoms include:

• Feeling Tired
• Recurring Headaches
• Giddiness
• Nausea and Vomiting
• Odd Pains in the Chest
• Breathlessness and Shortness of Breath
• Pains in the Stomach
• Odd and Erratic Behaviour and Mood Swings
• Drowsiness
• Blurring of Vision or other Visual Problems

If you experience any or many of these symptoms and are worried about CO poisoning, it is essential that you seek medical advice urgently, either from you own GP or at an accident or emergency department. A breath test or blood test is essential to confirm or renounce the presence of CO in the body, but CO is known to quickly leave the body and blood within four hours so tests are known not be inaccurate if taken after this time. If you require any more information about CO poisoning and its symptoms, visit the NHS direct website, or telephone 0845 4647 for advice.

What Should I Do Now?

Having a working, audible CO detector in the home is vital not only for piece of mind, but also to warn you if there is a build-up of the deadly CO gas. Regularly check your CO detector to make sure that it is functioning correctly, and if you have any doubts then replace it immediately.

Replacing your boiler can be an expensive and time consuming task and one that should not be taken lightly, being without hot water or heating can be inconvenient to say the least. It’s important to ensure you’re getting value for money alongside a boiler that is correctly specified and installed safely. David Holmes of Home Heating Guide takes a closer look at British Gas’s boiler offering to see what’s in store.

What Can British Gas Offer, That Others Can’t?

British Gas are the UK’s largest boiler and central heating installer employing over 6,900 Gas Safe Registered Engineers, these engineers receive additional tuition in the British Gas training academy so you can be pretty safe in the knowledge your system will be installed correctly and safely. All new boiler installation are also covered by British Gas HomeCare 200, British Gas’s boiler and central heating care service.

What’s This I Hear About Condensing Boilers?

In 2005 building regulations were introduced that stipulated all new boilers installed (with a few exceptions where it’s not viable) must be of the energy efficient condensing boilers, these come in various types such as regular or combi with British Gas installing branded versions of Worcester, Baxi, Glowworm, Ideal, Potterton and Vaillant amongst others. All of these are good, reliable makes of boiler with wide availability of parts and service options, it’s clear there is no branding of cheaper, less efficient, models.

New Intelligent Controls? How Do They Benefit Me?

Boilers controls used by British Gas, where appropriate, are the latest ‘Chronotherm’ or ‘intelligent controllers’. These work by constantly monitoring the homes current temperature and calculate how long it will take to reach the desired temperature and adjust start times accordingly. This ensures optimum use of gas and lowest possible heating bills.

Will A New Boiler Save Me Money?

Efficiency is the buzz word nowadays and for good reason, it can save you money, in fact you can reduce your heating bills by up to 40%. Simply put older boilers burn money, literally. For instance, an older type boiler with an efficiency of just 78% is equivalent to 22p going up the flue for every £1 you spend on gas. Newer type boilers can be up to 91% efficient, that’s 13p saved for every £1 spent, a big difference.

Are British Gas Worth It?

British Gas Boilers have a comprehensive offering when it comes to boilers and central heating systems. They offer a free appointment for a no obligation quote, send out a surveyor prior to the installation to ensure all materials and supplies are ordered correctly, install a new, high quality, energy efficient boiler and throw in HomeCare 200 for a years free boiler insurance cover.

In summary, you can reduce your heating bills by up to 40%*, reduce your CO2 emissions by up to 30%* and rest assured your system is covered by HomeCare 200 (a product we recently reviewed). British Gas may not be the cheapest on the market, but they certainly have a very impressive package on offer. You can arrange a free quote by calling British Gas on 0845 358 2286.

If you live in England and your home is not properly insulated or your boiler and heating system is not as good as it should be, the Warm Front Scheme may be just what you need. With heating costs on the rise, it could save you a lot of money and at the same time give you a warmer home, there are a range heating grants and rebates. If you’re not eligble for a WarmFront grant then you may qualify for a rebate and could save you £300.

If you don’t qualify for a grant because you do not receive one of the listed benefits, you may be entitled to a £300 rebate instead. This rebate can be put towards the cost of installing or repairing central heating. You are eligible for a rebate if you:

own your own home or rent from a private landlord and are aged 60 or over and have no central heating or it is not working. You can find out your entitlement by applying to the Warm Front Scheme manager, EAGA, on 0800 3162805.

How the Scheme Operates

• If you are entitled to a rebate, you will be sent a letter and voucher/claim form. You will also be provided with a list of six registered installers in your area who can do the work. The rebate is only valid for three months from the date of the letter and so the work needs to be completed within that period. If the voucher is not used within the time, you can reapply but there is no guarantee that the offer will still be available.
• Contact one or more of the installers and arrange a visit. Note that:

you should always arrange a visit from at least two installers, possibly more, so that you can compare what they are offering and the costs; this will enable you to make a proper choice.

the rebate can only be used with installers who are registered with EAGA; these installers will be approved by Gas Safe, NICEIC and OFTEC and so will be qualified to handle the installation or repair.

• Each installer will carry out a technical survey and provide a quotation for the work.
• Go through the quotations and select the installer you prefer based on what they are offering and the price to be charged.
• Contact the selected installer and arrange for the work to be done.
• On completion of the work, the installer will give you an invoice. This should be for the quoted value of the work less the £300 rebate.
• If you are not satisfied with what has been done, contact the installer to get the matter put right. Do not hand over the voucher/claim form until you are satisfied.
• If you are happy with the work, pay the amount due and hand over the signed voucher/claim form so that the installer can claim the rebate value.
• EAGA may check the installation to verify that you are satisfied and the work has been done properly. This ensures that the registered installers are operating to the required standard.

In today’s modern world, we are often reminded about our impact on the environment with not just green charities and seemingly faddish green energy devices being thrust into our lives, but also the Government passing new laws and rules on how we consume energy in our homes. But, apart from the environmental benefits, why should you or I strive for higher energy efficiency – what are our bonuses for an often expensive choice?

The answer is in energy efficiency – the more efficient our boiler system is in our home, the cheaper our energy bills become, and with the steady rise in gas, oil and electricity prices we are all experiencing, investing in a boiler that is more efficient is the answer.

But what is a high efficiency condensing boiler – and how do they work?

The Basics

The condensing process that occurs on high efficiency condensing boilers are what gives them their name. Condensing occurs in the most efficient types of boilers, inside using a larger or a secondary heat exchanger – this means that more of the energy that is created by the boiler is extracted to the exchanger to heat the water while the boiler is in use, and reduces the amount of energy that is wasted. Normally, this heat would escape up the flue of an average boiler, but in a high efficiency condensing boiler the heat of the flue area is lower, reducing the temperature of the flue gases and producing condensate.

When it comes to energy efficiency, a high efficiency condensing boiler is the most efficient type of boiler available on the market today, converting more than 86% of all the fuel consumed into heat. Most conventional boilers only manage around 78%, with older boilers and back boilers managing even less.
High efficiency condensing boilers are not just efficient with their energy, but also in the amount of materials used in their construction, and ultimately, their size. Depending on the work-load of the boiler needed, the size will vary, but many will fit snugly into a standard kitchen cupboard space. This can be much smaller than many other boilers on the market, especially when you factor in the energy efficiency – a less efficient boiler may need to be larger to create the same output as a high efficiency condensing boiler.

Types of High Efficiency Condensing Boilers

There are three main different types of high efficiency condensing boilers on the market today, these include:

Regular Boilers – A heat only or regular boiler provides hot water straight to your radiators. The system needs a storage cylinder for supplying hot water to taps and showers.
System Boilers – Requiring a separate hot water cylinder for storing heated hot water, but not requiring a roof tank like some types of boiler.
And
Combi Boilers – Requiring no tank, a combination boiler will heat up hot water on demand and circulate it where required. These are the most popular type of modern boiler, as they take up considerably less space.

What are the Negatives of a High Efficiency Condensing Boiler?

A high efficiency condensing boiler will suffer from an effect called ‘pluming’, which occurs in all types of condensing boilers. Pluming is a side effect of the condensing method, and looks like steam or gas escaping from the boiler and is much more noticeable in colder weather as it has an average temperature of 54°C. This plume of wet steam vapour will condense on a cold surface into small droplets of water, similar to when breathing on a window, and for this reason it is advised that all high efficiency condensing boilers are situated away from windows or cooler surfaces, as well as walls or internal corners where the damp may be trapped.

Earlier this year, The Hermitage Project, a river boat community charity based on the Thames, teamed up with a leading environmentally friendly energy supplier to provide ‘green’ heat for its community.

ISO Energy, which offers a range of sustainable energy systems, employed the use of a special German engineered heat pump that extracts heat directly from the Thames. Other than the pump itself, which is powered by any standard electricity source including solar panels, the energy that is produced for The Hermitage Project is completely renewable. Furthermore, it does not cost a penny!

The system works by using looped piping that is connected to a ground source heat pump (or in this case water source). Heat is extracted from the ambient water temperature, which in this case is sourced from the Thames, and then compressed in order to produce heating. In order to provide underfloor heating, the heat is compressed up to ten times, whilst, in order to produce hot water, the heat must be compressed up to twenty times. Thus, other than the pump itself, there is no further cost to either The Hermitage Project or the environment.

ISO Energy claims that this revolutionary method of generating renewable energy is the way forward for future communities. This technology can be employed in existing riverside communities with the effect of significantly reducing energy prices. Furthermore, the carbon emissions associated with this form of energy supply are virtually zero. It has been estimated that The Hermitage Project will now be able to reduce its carbon footprint by up to five tonnes each year whilst reducing its central heating costs by a massive 80%. If this water source heating system can be replicated worldwide, the savings for the environment will be considerable.

When it comes to the boiler in your home it has to be serviced to keep it functioning properly. This means you have to know when to have the boiler serviced and how often to prevent problems before they occur.

The servicing process

Knowing what is involved in servicing will help to make the determination of whether or not it is time to service the boiler in your home. There is more to servicing than just fixing the problems that are being experienced with the boiler and the replacement of parts especially so with new style high efficiency condensing boilers. A visual inspection is normally performed during the servicing of the boiler.

The visual inspection will check both the internal and external aspects of the boiler to ensure there is no visible damage to the unit. Should visible damage be found to any part of the unit then that item will be fixed or replaced depending on where and what it is.

The dangers of not having your boiler serviced

In reality it is up to you just how often you want your boiler inspected for safety. It is suggested that it be done at the same time each year and when the boiler begins to age this becomes even more important, the service can be carried out as part of an boiler service contract or as a one off service. An annual service is a must if your heating system contains an open flue. These can contribute to death from carbon monoxide making it vital to ensure they remain safe.

Things to check regularly

There are some things that you should keep track of regularly in order to get an idea of when your boiler should be serviced. For example, when the water level in the boiler falls to levels that are not adequate for normal functioning or if the low water cut off does not work properly when it is tested you should get the boiler serviced. Also, if the temperature and pressure that the boiler normally operates under suddenly drops or undergoes any other type of drastic change you should have the boiler serviced. The same applies if something out of the ordinary happens to the temperature of the feed water or condensate. A change in pressure for the feed water can also indicate a need for servicing.

There are various other signs to look for as well ,however, the manufacturer’s handbook will often list these in much greater detail

Conclusion

When a decrease in the efficiency of the boiler is noticed it probably means it needs cleaning and servicing. This should be performed as soon as the first signs are noted as you want to keep the boiler as efficient as possible and also as safe as possible. Most manufacturers recommend an annual service and in some cases the boiler’s warranty depends on the service being carried out. A service may seem like an expensive process, however, it is much cheaper than replacing an irreparable boiler.