Comments on: What is a High Efficiency Condensing Boiler?

By: robert miles

robert miles — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 15:45:30 +0000

Please, Is there anyone out there who may have a solution to my boiler problems. I have an Ideal combi boiler, 7 years old regularly serviced. In recent weeks I have had fitted a new pcb board, a flame detection electrode and lastly a gas valve and still the L and F error appears and the boiler fails. It has been now suggested that the plastic pipe 22mm which goes through to the outside should be changed to 32mm throughout its length other than when inside the house. I am on a pension and cannot keep paying large bills. I would be very grateful for any info.

By: Perry525

Perry525 — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 13:33:09 +0000

This is an interesting question. One of the bye products of turning off or turning down a boiler is the production of water vapour leading to condensation.
The position is that water vapour is held in the air in our homes as long as the temperature is constant, when the room temperature drops the air can no longer hold the same amount of water vapour and the vapour moves to the nearest cold surface, usually a window where you have condensation along the bottom of the window, which is sometimes heavy and runs down onto the window cill and or soaks into the walls. Sometimes the walls or ceiling are colder than the windows and this leads to damp walls often the damp moves into our beds and other soft furnishings.
From a comfort and health position keeping the temperature the same is beneficial, one important thing that happens is that the walls and furniture warm up and the comfort zone is indeed more pleasant.
As for comparing the relative costs, comparing running the same temperature all the time as against turning the heating off or down at times. Our weather changes constantly and there is no way of running a comparison as the same weather pattern never happens twice. So far, there are so many different boilers on the market that no one has the money to run the type of research required, to correctly ascertain which boiler is the most economical or efficient.
So far quoted running costs are merely an estimation by the manufacturer.

By: Phil

Phil — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 13:26:46 +0000

I Have a modulating condensing combi gas boiler. Is it more efficient to have the radiators on continuously at a lower temperature or intermittently at a higher setting? Any research to back this up?