The benefits of condensing boilers

Are you thinking about getting a new boiler?

If you are then it is certainly worth getting a condensing boiler as they are the most efficient and highly recommended type of boiler available.

Besides, since 2005 all gas central-heating boilers fitted in the England and Wales must be condensing boilers unless there are exceptional circumstances.

If you are thinking about getting a condensing boiler then it is a good idea to approach a major company who stock all of the top of the range models such as Saunier Duval, Vaillant and Potterton.

What makes condensing boilers the best on the market?

Condensing boilers have a very high efficiency – British Gas states that they are 88% efficient, although some manufacturers say that their unit can be up to 98% efficient.

Regardless of the true figure, the point is that condensing boilers are far more efficient than the conventional boilers that were used in the past. Due to their high efficiency there is also a considerable saving on monthly fuel bills.

Although condensing boilers can be more expensive to buy initially, on the long term, they end up paying for themselves many times over.

In the UK, condensing boilers have been installed in over 50% of homes – which goes to show just how popular they have become.

Also in the UK, tests were carried out on boilers on behalf of the government to find out how seasonally effective they were. Boilers were then rated according to how well they delivered in these tests. This has become known as the SEDBUK rating and can be applied to most domestic gas or oil boilers. In the UK condensing boilers have been given a SEDBUK Band A, or Band B, rating for their efficiency.

So how do condensing boilers work?

Well a condensing boiler is designed to recycle energy that is normally released into the surrounding environment or through a ‘flue’. When gas, in the boiler, is burnt a certain amount of water vapour is given off and it is in this heated vapour that energy escapes.

Condensing boilers condense the vapour back into water, hence the name. To condense the vapour air is drawn into the unit, which in turn is heated. This incoming heated air is then used. Basically, all of the heat is trapped within the unit, and is reused.

Although this may sound complex it is a very simple – and clever – method of improving the gas boilers efficiency.

The main drawback with condensing boilers is their initial cost. It is estimated that condensing boilers can be up to 50% more expensive than other types of boiler.

However, as mentioned above, in the long term this initial expenditure is recouped many times over.

Having said this, there are many ways of saving money on condensing boilers, so that everyone can take advantage of the new technology and make savings. British Gas, for one, provide discount on new boilers, including condensing models, if you join their Homecare service plans.

To insure this, and the contents of your home, it’s a sound idea to purchase a comprehensive home insurance policy, so that repair and replacement is at hand, and won’t cost you an arm and a leg.