Gas Boiler Archives -

If you have the unfortunate problem of a boiler breakdown in winter and you have to replace your gas boiler or you are simply looking to upgrade your gas boiler then there are a few things you need to consider when choosing what type of boiler to install in your home. The size of your boiler, the type, construction, and energy efficiency will all have an impact on your home and your energy bills. You should take some time to consider your options and think carefully about which boiler to choose.

Below is some information on the regular or ‘conventional’ gas boilers, system gas boilers and combination or ‘combi’ gas boilers. (System boilers are very similar to conventional boilers.)

Combi Gas Boilers

A combination or combi boiler is both a high-efficiency water heater and a central heating system boiler in a single compact unit. Combi boilers heat water directly from the mains when you turn on a tap, so you won’t need a hot water storage cylinder or a cold water storage tank in the attic.
They are also very cost-effective and energy-efficient as water is heated instantly rather than being heated and then stored in a cylinder. An added benefit is that hot water is delivered at mains pressure, which means that you could get a powerful shower without the need for a separate pump.

System Gas Boilers

System boilers require a cylinder for storing hot water, however the major heating and hot water system components are built into the boiler itself, making it quicker and easier to install. In addition, there is no need for a tank in the attic, so it can be an option in a home with little or no attic space or where the space is earmarked for a conversion.
These boilers are also compatible with solar water heating systems, which deliver environmental benefits as well as lower energy bills.

Regular Gas Boilers

Regular boilers (sometimes known as conventional or heat only boilers) are ideally suited to homes that already have a traditional central heating and hot water system which is linked to a separate hot water cylinder. These boilers also need a cold water storage tank in the attic to feed the hot water cylinder as well as a tank that maintains the water level of the central heating system.

A regular boiler may be the best option for replacing an existing boiler if the property has an older radiator system, as it might not be able to cope with the higher water pressure that is delivered by system or combi boilers.

We at Dewar Gas & Oil Service are specialist in this field, looking after ten of thousands of customers across Dublin city and surrounding areas. We would be more than happy to send out a directly employed, qualified and fully insured heating engineer to give you a free written quotation for a Gas Boiler Replacement.

Where is the best place to put a carbon monoxide detector?

What is Carbon Monoxide (CO) ?

Carbon Monoxide (also known as CO) is a colourless, odourless poisonous gas and is a common yet preventable cause of death from poisoning worldwide. Approximately half of the deaths from unintentional CO poisoning result from the inhalation of smoke from fires. Other significant causes are vehicle exhausts and deaths in industrial/commercial settings. On average between 1 and 2 people die each year in Ireland from unintentional CO poisoning in the home in incidents related to domestic heating or other fossil fuel installations in the home (i.e. excluding the inhalation of smoke from fires).

The incomplete combustion of organic fossil fuels such as oil, gas or coal is a common environmental source of CO and is responsible for many cases of non-fatal unintentional CO poisoning.

In normal conditions the combustion process (the addition of oxygen) will result in carbon in the fossil fuel, combining with oxygen, in the air, to produce Carbon Dioxide (CO2), the same substance we exhale when we breathe.

However, if there is a lack of air for the combustion process or the heating appliance is faulty, Carbon Monoxide can be produced.

When CO is inhaled into the body it combines with the blood, preventing it from absorbing oxygen. If a person is exposed to CO over a period, it can cause illness and even death.

Where should I place carbon monoxide detectors in my home ?

Since we are most vulnerable to the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning while we sleep, it is important to place alarms near your family’s bedrooms. If you only have one CO alarm, place it as close to everyone’s sleeping area as possible.

Ideally, you should have carbon monoxide detectors placed throughout your home, as you do smoke alarms. You should place a CO detector in each major area of your home: in the kitchen, in your living/dining room, in your bedrooms, and the office. If you have children or elderly family members living with you, provide extra protection near their rooms. If you live in a multi-story home, be sure to place at least one carbon monoxide detector on each level.

If you have a gas clothes dryer, put an alarm in the laundry room. Place one in the garage, if you park your cars there. Wherever you have a solid fuel-fired appliance – anything that could produce carbon monoxide – you should also have a CO alarm.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

You can be in danger of Carbon Monoxide poisoning at home if dangerous amounts of Carbon Monoxide accumulate in the home. This can happen as a result of any or a combination of the following:

Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide poisoning can be similar to those caused by other illnesses such as a cold or flu. They include

What to Do?

If anyone in your house has any of the symptoms outlined above, they should get fresh air immediately, then go to your doctor and ask him/her to check for Carbon Monoxide poisoning.

Stop using the appliance immediately and do not use it again until it has been checked by a registered gas installer.

The amount of CO which the blood absorbs depends chiefly on two things: how much CO is in the air and the time of the exposure. Adverse effects of CO on humans are reduced by periods of breathing fresh air. The degree of recovery depends on the number and length of those periods. The general state of health and degree of physical activity of a person exposed to CO are other factors involved in the effects of Carbon Monoxide on the body.

Prevention is always better than cure: by having your gas boiler and gas appliances correctly installed in good ventilated areas, properly repaired and getting a gas boiler service annually by Registered Gas Installers (RGI) the risks of being exposed to CO poisoning are reduced.

How Does a Combi Boiler Work?

Combi Boiler / Combination Boiler

A combi boiler or ( combination boiler ) is an ingenious space-saving idea and an increasingly popular choice in homes. Combi boilers now account for well over half of all the new domestic boilers installed every year.

A combi boiler is both a high-efficiency water heater and a central heating boiler, combined within one compact unit. Therefore, no separate hot water cylinder is required, offering space saving within the property.

Combination boilers are capable of providing instant hot water and heating while saving space within a home.

The conventional arrangement in Ireland is to have a normal boiler which heats the radiators via a sealed water circuit. By “sealed” it is meant that the water is contained within the system, going around in a loop between the radiators and the boiler.

To heat the “domestic hot water” (i.e. the water that comes out of the hot taps) the storage cylinder in the hot press has a coil in it through which the “radiator water” flows.

The disadvantage of this arrangement is that if the cylinder does not have hot water in it you have to wait some time for the coil to heat it up.

A ‘combi’ boiler is a boiler which combines both a conventional boiler for radiators and an independent water heater, together in the one unit. This dispenses with the hot water cylinder in the hot press. But better still, it means that hot water is always available instantly and for as long as you need it.

Control valves inside combi boilers operate in different directions, either letting the water flow through the central heating system or diverting it to a hot water tap, as required, but never both at the same time.

Important Factors Affecting Operation of a Combi Boiler

Combi boilers require sufficient mains water pressure in order to deliver a good water flow rate; low mains water pressure means hot water will merely trickle. If your mains water pressure is low or you have more than one bathroom, a conventional system boiler might be a better option for you.

It is also important to ensure that the heat output of the boiler is correct for your needs. Combi boilers have two heat outputs: one for Domestic Hot Water and the other for Central Heating. More effort and hence more heat is required to produce hot water than to heat a home through the radiators, so it is usually the hot water output that determines your choice of combi boiler.

Benefits

What a Gas Boiler Replacement Costs

Everyone will agree that there are many benefits related to replacing your old gas boiler with a new high efficiency condensing model. For example, even the very best non-condensing gas boilers that are in perfect running order operate at an efficiency level of, at most, 70% (the vast majority of non-condensing boilers have a considerably lower efficiency rating). By contrast, a modern A-rated high-efficiency gas condensing boiler can run at efficiency levels of up to 98%.

A gas boiler’s efficiency rating directly translates into monetary savings. In other words, if you replace a gas boiler that runs at 65% efficiency with a high efficiency condensing unit that has an efficiency rating of 98% you will be using 33% less fuel to heat your home, meaning your total heating bill for the year will be reduced by a third.

When you consider that gas prices increased in October, bringing the rise in gas fuel costs since 2011 to over 32%, replacing your old gas boiler with a high efficiency condensing unit will bring your heating bill down to the same level that it was at three years ago – a massive saving!

One of the main things putting people off replacing their old gas boilers is the perceived high cost of purchasing a gas boiler upgrade and installing the new high efficiency condensing boiler itself. Fortunately, there are a number of ways in which you can greatly reduce this cost:

The SEAI (Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland) offer two main types of grant which can be availed of when upgrading your gas boiler. When having a full gas heating system upgrade undertaken, which involves getting in a high efficiency condensing boiler as well as heating controls installed, you can save a massive €560 off the cost of the job.

If you do not need to replace your boiler you can still avail of a SEAI grant of up to €400 should you decide to have heating controls installed. Heating controls will allow you to take better control of when and how your home heating system is operated, which means you can further reduce the price of your fuel bills by not letting any gas go to waste.

The Building Energy Rating (BER) process involves calculating how much energy your home uses up and how much carbon it produces on a yearly basis. All homes in Ireland, whether they are purchased or rented, must have a BER certificate. When seeking to improve your home’s energy efficiency you can apply for a BER grant up to the value of €80.

When getting a new high efficiency condensing boiler installed, it can sometimes be a problem to dispose of your old gas boiler properly. That’s why DeWAR Gas & Oil Service offers a special gas boiler scrappage deal where we take away your old boiler and see that it gets recycled. As an incentive for this environmentally friendly means of disposing of old gas boilers, DeWAR offers a discount of €350 off the price of a gas boiler replacement if you choose to avail of this service.

Please note that the gas boiler scrappage deal is not available in conjunction with SEAI grants.

Different Types of Gas Boilers for your Central Heating System

Types of Gas Boilers

Combi Gas Boilers

System Gas Boilers

Regular Gas Boilers

Where is the best place to put a carbon monoxide detector?

What is Carbon Monoxide (CO) ?

Where should I place carbon monoxide detectors in my home ?

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

What to Do?

How Does a Combi Boiler Work?

Combi Boiler / Combination Boiler

Important Factors Affecting Operation of a Combi Boiler

Benefits

What a Gas Boiler Replacement Costs