Should I Get a Condenser Boiler.

Buzzbarr

I am currently upgrading my house step by step. I have recently installed a multifuel stove which is great, it heats my ground floor. I have also just got cavity wall and attic insulation in aswell. My question is should i upgrade my eight year old non condenser boiler (oil). Will it make much of a difference as my current boiler is relatively new. I think i read somewhere if your boiler is older than 15 years old it should be done.

kscobie

Buzzbarr wrote: »

I am currently upgrading my house step by step. I have recently installed a multifuel stove which is great, it heats my ground floor. I have also just got cavity wall and attic insulation in aswell. My question is should i upgrade my eight year old non condenser boiler (oil). Will it make much of a difference as my current boiler is relatively new. I think i read somewhere if your boiler is older than 15 years old it should be done.

Properly serviced and maintened,you should get anorther years from your current boiler, with decent efficiency levels

Outkast_IRE

I would also agree to keep your current boiler well maintained and change it when the time naturally comes.
They are continuously increasing efficiences and bringing out new products so hold tough till you actually need to change would be my advice.

Buzzbarr

That sounds like good advise. I will save a few quid. Do you think i should upgrade my heating controls and claim the grant. Fit thermostats and timers on different Zones.

Outkast_IRE

Buzzbarr wrote: »

That sounds like good advise. I will save a few quid. Do you think i should upgrade my heating controls and claim the grant. Fit thermostats and timers on different Zones.

Yes in my opinion these upgrades are good to have , as a side note i personally prefer good digital thermostats , and also sometimes extra pipes need to be ran back to the boiler in order to zone the cylinder seperate a plumber would need to check how your system is set up in order to establish this.

Buzzbarr

Do you have any opinions on retro fitting solar collectors for hot water heating. I have had a few quotes on fitting a new system aswell.

Outkast_IRE

Buzzbarr wrote: »

Do you have any opinions on retro fitting solar collectors for hot water heating. I have had a few quotes on fitting a new system aswell.

The solar is money well spent as long as long as all your showers take their hot water from the cylinder and arent heated electrically.

How many are in your family generally the more people the better the payback.

Buzzbarr

There is four of us. Two adults and two children. The plan is to take out the electrical heated showers and fit power showers. I have quotes for high end flat plate and tube systems. Price is about the same. My house is facing SSW. 20 degrees off south. What are your thoughts on flat Plate v tubes. I am seriously thinking about fitting solar and heating controls.

Outkast_IRE

Buzzbarr wrote: »

There is four of us. Two adults and two children. The plan is to take out the electrical heated showers and fit power showers. I have quotes for high end flat plate and tube systems. Price is about the same. My house is facing SSW. 20 degrees off south. What are your thoughts on flat Plate v tubes. I am seriously thinking about fitting solar and heating controls.

I prefer the tubes they should give better performance in a situation like yours , and the tube do perform better in the winter than the flatplate. like any product there are High Quality Expensive very good models , and cheap chinese imports , its up to you how much you spend but my main advice is spend time researching what company to go with and their reputation and what products they offer you.

Word of advice though on the power showers dont get too obsessed with getting a shower thats like a powerhose as some people like to ask for , the amount of water they can potentially consume is sickening . Especially if you have tennagers in the house who spend a full half hour in the shower.

heinbloed

@ the OP:
Ask for a condensing boiler, not for a "condensor boiler".

The wrong parole and you'll be ripped-off.

Get an energy demand calculation done (EN 12831), otherwise the boiler you get sold or installed would very likely be oversized.
Go for a modulating condensing boiler, modulating between the lowest possible thermal demand (1 radiator) and the highest possible thermal demand (all radiators on and the entire house heated).

When opting for ST energy make sure you are not ripped off being sold expensive trash, modern efficient ST DHW systems come in one unit. Collector and tank in one piece with electric back-up heating.
This will save on plumbing, maintenance. No glycol(antifreeze), no space demand in the house, no overheating of the house in summer, no 'heat-dump' and all the other trash ideas sold so frequently to the ignorant consumers.
If you want hot water cheap and simple and safe chose the single unit. Most ST DHW systems are based on single units, unsubsidised and money safing.
If you want to employe incompetent people go for the complicated things.

Here a sample:

http://www.aguasol.dk/

There are many other all-in-one units out there, much cheaper than the Danish 'darth father' but maybe not that spacy looking.
Check for an ESTIF label (solar keymark) to get an independantly tested eficiency.

Outkast_IRE

heinbloed wrote: »

@ the OP:
Ask for a condensing boiler, not for a "condensor boiler".

The wrong parole and you'll be ripped-off.

Get an energy demand calculation done (EN 12831), otherwise the boiler you get sold or installed would very likely be oversized.
Go for a modulating condensing boiler, modulating between the lowest possible thermal demand (1 radiator) and the highest possible thermal demand (all radiators on and the entire house heated).

When opting for ST energy make sure you are not ripped off being sold expensive trash, modern efficient ST DHW systems come in one unit. Collector and tank in one piece with electric back-up heating.
This will save on plumbing, maintenance. No glycol(antifreeze), no space demand in the house, no overheating of the house in summer, no 'heat-dump' and all the other trash ideas sold so frequently to the ignorant consumers.
If you want hot water cheap and simple and safe chose the single unit. Most ST DHW systems are based on single units, unsubsidised and money safing.
If you want to employe incompetent people go for the complicated things.

Here a sample:

http://www.aguasol.dk/

There are many other all-in-one units out there, much cheaper than the Danish 'darth father' but maybe not that spacy looking.
Check for an ESTIF label (solar keymark) to get an independantly tested eficiency.

Have you any experience with the aguasol system in cold weather ? Just wondering as i like the idea but i cant seem to find information on how it is in prolonged freezing cold weather etc

Buzzbarr

This aguasol system looks interesting. I can't seem to find anything on it on an irish website. What kind of money are we talking to supply a family of four.

JohnnieK

heinbloed wrote: »

@ the OP:
Ask for a condensing boiler, not for a "condensor boiler".

The wrong parole and you'll be ripped-off.

Get an energy demand calculation done (EN 12831), otherwise the boiler you get sold or installed would very likely be oversized.
Go for a modulating condensing boiler, modulating between the lowest possible thermal demand (1 radiator) and the highest possible thermal demand (all radiators on and the entire house heated).

When opting for ST energy make sure you are not ripped off being sold expensive trash, modern efficient ST DHW systems come in one unit. Collector and tank in one piece with electric back-up heating.
This will save on plumbing, maintenance. No glycol(antifreeze), no space demand in the house, no overheating of the house in summer, no 'heat-dump' and all the other trash ideas sold so frequently to the ignorant consumers.
If you want hot water cheap and simple and safe chose the single unit. Most ST DHW systems are based on single units, unsubsidised and money safing.
If you want to employe incompetent people go for the complicated things.

Here a sample:

http://www.aguasol.dk/

There are many other all-in-one units out there, much cheaper than the Danish 'darth father' but maybe not that spacy looking.
Check for an ESTIF label (solar keymark) to get an independantly tested eficiency.

I've seen loads of similar units on roofs in Grease while on holiday. A lot of solar gain over there I wonder how well it would do over here.

heinbloed

Outkast_IRE asks:

Have you any experience with the aguasol system in cold weather ? Just wondering as i like the idea but i cant seem to find information on how it is in prolonged freezing cold weather etc

No, I have no experience with the aquasol all-in-one system.
This collector is based on the standard vacuum collector method as used in Asia, they simply can't freeze as long as they are situated below the arctic circle and facing the sun some time during the day.

I'm using a collector system from Sunshore based on the same principle:

http://www.sunshore.cn/en/Project_3.asp?page=2

They took some of my pics on their home page, here during freezing weather the collector's outer surfaces still covered in ice after the night and thawing in the morning's sun:

http://www.sunshore.cn/en/Project_3_Page.asp?id=17

I have them now installed since a couple of years, they simply don't freece. No glycol, no forced circulation, no electric heating element. Plain laws of physics.


Buzzbar asks:

This aguasol system looks interesting. I can't seem to find anything on it on an irish website. What kind of money are we talking to supply a family of four.

No idea what the aquasol systems cost. Technical similar all-in-one systems cost in Europe around € 900.- incl. mounting, in China they are installed by the millions without subsidies, available there from about € 250.-.
Quality costs, so with a solar keymark they cost here from around € 500.- upwards depending on surface and volume, expect to be the aquasol system in the very top range. They won several (design) awards.

Contact them, sure they'll tell you.

Figure out how much demand you have, do not opt for a 100% coverage and this will keep ST beneficial, economical.
The advantage of these systems is their simplicity, a DIY installation is no problem.

heinbloed

JohnnyK asks:

I've seen loads of similar units on roofs in Grease while on holiday. A lot of solar gain over there I wonder how well it would do over here.

I'm using 8 of these to heat my house and to provide it with DHW, the energy bill/ kWh purchased has dropped by half since installation. Meassured now over 3 winters/years.

heinbloed

@ the OP:

Here is a solar keymark certified (important for grants!) all-in-one ST collector:

http://www.sunshore.cn/en/Products_Page.asp?id=9

This is sold for around €1,000 in Europe.

There are many more manufacturers and types out there, check the www. and your local plumbing store.