About Condensing Boilers ...

[Gordon Henderson]

Our existing back boiler is in good enough condition and will hopefully last quite a few more years, but when the time comes to replace it, I'm concerned that the replacement won't be able to fit in the fireplace it's currently in due to the need to drain off some noxious condensates... (And the room it's in has no easy route to a drain)

I'm hoping it's going to be many years before I have to change the boiler, but I'm planning some major (re) plumbing this summer, so if I have to re-locate the boiler when I need a new one, I may be able to better plan for it when the time comes... (However, who knows what technology might be like in 10 years time though!!!)

Gordon

[Doctor Evil]

Your back boiler is probably about 55% efficient. New condensing boilers will be 92% Big savings in gas bills, of about 1/3 less, and gas has just gone up,. so even more savings in real £s. If you are doing big work soon, replace then an dbe done with. Avoid back boilers.

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[Ian Middleton]

Blimey 55% I don't know where you get your back boilers from but my replacement Baxi Bermuda was rated 75% min, which is of course less than a modern boiler but certainly greater than 55%.

[Tony Bryer]

You need to distinguish between bench and in-use efficiencies. Lots of CI CF boilers will give 75% on the bench running continuously but when running at part load (intermittently) whenever the boiler turns off the heat in the heat exchanger all goes up the chimney and then when the boiler restarts the heat exchanger soaks up a lot of heat. Thus a boiler which can deliver 75% in theory may have an effective efficiency in use of 55%.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

He plucks the figures out of thin air. Or maker's adverts.

[Doctor Evil]

An old cast iron back boiler would be around 55%

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[Doctor Evil]

Do not comment on fields you know nothing about. The OP is after clear information not childish crap from you.

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[Gordon Henderson]

Indeed, however the information I was after wasn't about efficiency, but rather more about the neccessities or otherwise of a drain or a mechanism for getting rid of the condensate for these new fangled things.

Gordon

[Owain]

"Gordon Henderson" wrote | Our existing back boiler ... when the time comes to replace it, I'm | concerned that the replacement won't be able to fit in the fireplace | it's currently in due to the need to drain off some noxious | condensates... (And the room it's in has no easy route to a drain)

What about the chimney breast of the room above, or even in the loft?

Failing that, some arrangement with the boiler discharging into a barrel under the floor, a valve topping up the barrel with water to dilute the condensate, and then a pump to void the barrel to a drain, might work.

| I'm hoping it's going to be many years before I have to change the | boiler, but I'm planning some major (re) plumbing this summer, | so if I have to re-locate the boiler when I need a new one, I may | be able to better plan for it when the time comes... (However, who | knows what technology might be like in 10 years time though!!!)

Back boilers will probably be rather less available then than they are now, and the regs permitting their replacement like for like will probably have been tightened.

Owain

[MikeS]

[Dave Plowman (News)]

If he's after clear information, why are you replying? You may have changed your name from the International Man of Misinformation, but leopards don't change their spots.

Go back to believing that efficiencies of more than 100% can be achieved.

[John Rumm]

There will still be situations in which you can still install lower efficency boilers, the documentation is here:-

said that with the addition of a pump, you can usually get the condensate out of most locations to a suitable drain point.

[Ian Middleton]

I wouldn't worry too much, a mate of mine is having his back boiler replaced as we speak (see previous posts) in is midterrace house. Fitter did consider alternatives, mainly in kitchen cupboard with condensate drain to sink plumbing, vent to outside. But would require new gas pipe and all plumbing re-arranged from back boiler space all at considerable cost, new ceiling in lounge etc etc etc Also my friend said "not on your nelly", as he's only got

4 wall mounted cupboards in the kitchen and loosing one isn't not an option. So I think a Baxi back boiler is being fitted.

[Tony Bryer]

Far, far less. For it to work safely the chimney of a CF boiler has to pull a draught up it at all times so when a CF boiler switches off the heat in the heat exchanger will all go up the chimney fairly quickly. With a fan flue boiler once the fan switches off there will be relatively little air flow through the boiler so the heat exchanger will retain most of its heat until the boiler next fires. And of course there's a lot less water and metal in most modern boilers.

[Gordon Henderson]

These routes probably aren't going to be suitable - the house is old, the floor concrete (not as old as the house I guess!) and it's in an old fireplace with an almost reasonable gas-fire on the front.

So I guess I'll try to make provision for installing a new boiler elsewhere when I do some major plumbing work in the house this summer, although I've no idea where it's going to go. There are no really suitable outside walls either, so it's going to be an intersting problem....

Indeed - and then theres the efficieny to be concerned about, as mentioned in other threads to this post!!!

Cheers,

Gordon

[Paul Barker]

The trend is to fit boilers in the loft. Vertical flues are a very rea

proposition since the plume is so visible and people live on top o their neighbours in houses better suited to battery hens. Any damag caused to neighbours property and council can make you move the boile and pay for damage.

A few firms including good old rotten burger are now making condensat drain sump and pumps.

Therefore boiler placement within an old chimney breat is feasible. I' not however volunteering, It's a job I'd put such a high price on I' hope not to get it.

People with normal houses easy to get at boilers and so on, and who pa more attention to the needs of a service engineer than to vanity get th best out of me

-- Paul Barker

[Ed Sirett]

Yep. And it's even worse than that because the circulation pump pushes the primary water that the boiler has been heating up through the heat exchanger for cooling.