Have heard there are problems with them, and the lifetime expectancy is low compared to non-condensing.
Is there any truth to this?
Am undecided as to what boiler to get. have decided on Vaillant, either EcoMax (condensing), or TurboMax (non-condensing). The price difference is about £250, but the efficiency is better (91.1% comapred to 79.7%).
Any guidance appreciated.
(PS. going for the 28Kw boilers).
No. It's an old wives tale perpetrated by the plumbers talking to each other in the merchant's. You can easily identify them because they all have the same name - Mate. How they tell each other apart, I am not sure....
Anyway, the reality is that the first generation of UK manufactured condensing boilers were of questionnable reliability basically because a lot were constructed by adding second heat exchangers after the first main one and not designing the means to carry the condensate away properly or in suitable material. The condensate is mildly acidic and otherwise corroded the works.
Condensing boilers have been commonly used in Germany and Holland for more than 20 years and products designed and manufactured in these places are very good. Many of the latest UK made ones are as well. Designs incorporating down firing or radial burners and heat exchangers of stainless steel have made a big difference.
It's also worth pointing out that the minimum efficiency level permitted by Building Regulations of currently 78% is likely to be increased to 86% in 2005. This will not be achievable by conventional boiler technology.
There is, in any case, less and less difference in design and construction between condensing and conventional boilers.
You won't be disappointed with this product. Several people in this NG have used them.....
.andy
To email, substitute .nospam with .gl
I think they all have different shifty eyes. :-))
A condensing boiler is a high efficiency modern boiler that incorporates an extra heat exchanger so that the hot exhaust gases lose much of their energy to pre-heat the water in the boiler system. When working at peak efficiency, the water vapour produced in the combustion process condenses back into liquid form releasing the latent heat of vaporisation. A side effect is that this water, known as condensate, which is usually acidic, has to be piped away to a drain or soakaway.
If your existing boiler is more than 15 years old, replacing it with a condensing boiler could save you as much as 32p in the pound on your fuel bills.
Very few have an extra heat exchanger. Most now just have a larger heat exchanger. The extra heat exchanger was to convert existing system boilers to condensing units.
The acidic level is about the same as Coca Cola.
Also, as in the near future all boilers will be high efficiency, and then people will know the difference between the old boilers and the new. It will then be a selling feature for the house.
Can't answer this as my Vaillant EcoMax has only been installed for a month.
But the difference in heat and hot water is incredible. Nice warm house, and a bath that fills up with hot water to the wife's chest, not just to her navel. Although these days, they're not too far apart anyway........... So far I am well pleased, even when the pipe at the eaves is trailing white smoke / gas / steam / whatever.
ZD
Bl**dy H*ll - it's not as bad as that, is it?!
I remember a few years ago Which? tested WD40/Plus Gas type stuff ('dismantling lubricants'?). Must've been a Friday afternoon job because they decided to try out The Real Thing too: they found it ranked about midway amongst the various products for efficacy!
-- John Stumbles
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