Energy Efficiency
This is a major heading
Plumbers in Brighton: Energy Efficiency
In these days of high energy costs and environmental awareness, making your heating system energy efficient should be a high priority. For instance, modernising your back boiler to an A-rated condensing boiler can save you roughly 35% on your gas bill. This is because a back boiler is around 55% efficient, where as an A-rated condensing boiler is 90% efficient. Savings are also to be found by installing or upgrading existing controls, in some instances this is mandatory due Part L of the Building Regulations.
Part L of the Building Regulations
In 2005, Part L of the building regulations was introduced to reduce the amount of carbon being released into the atmosphere. This regulation stated that all boilers being replaced after this date, must be replaced by condensing boilers with a minimum sedbuk rating of B. Also, all heating systems must able of providing boiler interlock. This means that all systems, must, at least, have a time switch/programmer, room thermostat and radiator thermostats. This is known as basic practice under C.H.E.S.S guide lines.
Boilers
All boilers with few exceptions, must now be condensing boilers. They will either be A-rated, 90% efficient, or B-rated, 85% efficient. Compare this to non condensing modern boilers, 70-75% efficiency, or back boilers and old floor standing boilers, 55-65% efficiency. If your boiler is over 20 years old, regardless of service history, you should strongly consider modernisation. This is due to fuel cost reductions and reducing the cost of repairing a boiler coming to the end of its working life.
Controls
As mentioned it is now mandatory to have a certain leavel of controls, the bonus of this is that when used correctly, they save up to 20% of your fuel bill. The minum amount of control required is room thermostat, thermostatic radiator valves and programmer/time switch. Depending on type of system, by using other controls, higher efficiences can be achieved.
System boilers & Regular boiler :
Basic practice - Programmer, Thermostatic radiator valves, cylinder thermostat and room thermostat.
Best practice - Thermostatic radiator valves, and a programmable room thermostat providing control for hot water and central heating.
Plumbers Brighton - Combination Boiler:
Basic practice - room Thermostat, Programmer and Thermostatic Radiator valves.
Best practice - Programmable Room Thermostat and Thermostatic radiator valves.
Savings
Savings vary depending on what system is currently in use and what system you replace it with. Adding a programmable room stat to a system that does not have a room stat, would save 10% at average use on the central heating bill. If a sedbuk G rated boiler(back boiler), with no controls, was replaced with a Sedbuk A-rated boiler(condensing) complete with controls meeting best practice standards, the savings would be in excess of £200.00 per Annam. To find out what you can do to reduce your gas bill, feel free to contact ALS Plumbing and Heating for qualified advice. All our engineers hold current energy efficiency certificates.
Boiler Servicing
Please remember that without servicing, your boiler overtime will decline in efficiency. It will use more gas to achieve the same results with out annual maintenance, just the same as a car looses horse power without servicing. Servicing and safety checks must be carried out in line with laws and manufacturer's guide lines. There is no point installing the most efficient systems if it is allowed to become inefficient over time.