Jeff Howell's DIY advice: combi boilers

It is always a risk installing a pressurised combi system where copper pipes are buried below cement-based screeds, says Jeff Howell. 

Q About two months ago our elderly boiler sprung a leak and we were advised that we needed a new one. Our heating engineer and his plumber colleague installed a condensing boiler. The main reason for having a combi boiler was because we have been trying to sell our house in order to move somewhere smaller, but without much success. We had to have a HIP and our rating was very low. We thought we might get a few more brownie points with a modern boiler.
All seemed well for a while, but four days ago the pressure dropped quite suddenly. We topped up the water, but it started going down again fairly quickly.
Although it is not now going down so fast, it still needs topping up every day. The engineer came to look at it and, although he checked every radiator, he could not find a leak. He says that there must be a leak under the concrete floors somewhere, and can only suggest that we contact the Water Board and get them to try and locate it.
I know the fact that I am in my late seventies shouldn’t make any difference, but it does – I feel suicidal. Is the Water Board investigation the best solution, or are there any other possible explanations for what has happened; and are the Water Board the best people to go to? AC, by email
A This sounds like a real horror story. In the first place, it seems that you have made the common mistake of confusing the words “condensing” and “combination”.
There is no reason why a new condensing boiler has to be installed as part of a pressurised combi system – you could just as easily have a condensing boiler fitted to a traditional indirect-pressure (or gravity-fed) system. One of the many disadvantages of combi boilers is that the high water pressure will find out any minor leaks, leading to a pressure drop in the system, which will stop the boiler from firing up. The installer should have warned you of this possibility, and pressure-tested the pipework first. It is always a risk installing a pressurised combi system where copper pipes are buried below cement-based screeds, as the cement can cause corrosion damage to the soldered joints. From here, the situation turns from bad to worse. Why the installer suggests involving “the Water Board”, I cannot imagine. The responsibility of the privatised water suppliers ends at the stop-valve or meter under the pavement, and any Gas Safe (the new name for CORGI) registered heating engineer should know this.
I can only assume that this man is at best, ignorant, or at worst, an unqualified rogue trader. You should report him to your local authority trading standards officer immediately.
I’m afraid you have also been misadvised if you thought that spending thousands of pounds on a new boiler, in order to achieve a few extra points on an Energy Performance Certificate, would make your house more sellable.
All the evidence suggests that most buyers do not bother to look at EPCs and those that do, do not understand them. If you want to sell your house, then the best strategy is to market it at a price that attracts buyer interest.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/propertyadvice/jeffhowell/7072722/Jeff-Howells-DIY-advice-combi-boilers.html

 

Call for boiler scrappage scheme

The Scottish government is coming under pressure to commit funds to upgrading old central heating boilers, similar to the scheme announced for England.

Replacing old boilers could help cut carbon emissions

The boiler "scrappage" scheme was announced by Chancellor Alistair Darling in his pre-Budget report.
The Federation of Small Businesses in Scotland said extending the scheme to Scotland would boost the economy and help cut pollution.
Scottish Labour said Scotland was being frozen out of the scheme.
The chancellor announced grants in England and Wales of up to £400 for 125,000 households to replace old boilers with modern energy-efficient models.
'Greener boiler'
In Scotland, that meant £2m was added to Holyrood's block grant next year, for distribution through its budget.
The Scottish government is facing demands from the FSB, green campaigners and Labour to apply the money to boiler replacement.
Andy Willox, Scottish policy convener for the Federation of Small Businesses, said: "The 'greener boiler' incentive is good news for the environment and the householder but it also has the scope to provide work for local businesses, whether as prime or subcontractors."
A Scottish government spokesman said: "It is for Scottish ministers to determine how to use the consequentials available to them from the pre-Budget report, and we will make further announcements in due course.
"We are currently consulting on an energy-efficiency action plan for Scotland, and welcome views on any Scottish energy-saving scheme, including potential incentives to replace inefficient boilers."

No pushover in tonight's season opener for Boilers

BY MICHAEL OSIPOFF, (219) 648-3137 OR MOSIPOFF@POST-TRIB.COM, BLOGS.POST-TRIB.COM/OSIPOFF

The curtain raises on Purdue's season of great expectations.
The No. 7 Boilermakers take on Cal State Northridge tonight at Mackey Arena as both teams play their first game.
Cal State Northridge last season made the NCAA Tournament -- the program's second trip -- overcoming a series of unfortunate events, before losing to Memphis 81-70 as a No. 15 seed to finish 17-14. The Matadors, who have won back-to-back Big West regular-season titles, were picked third in this preseason's conference poll, after losing five of their top six scorers. They do bring back three players who started, with Willie Galick the top returning scorer at 9.3 points per game. Three junior college transfers in Lenny Daniel, Kevin Menner and Rashaun McLemore were expected to start tonight against Purdue.
"I think they're very athletic," said Purdue coach Matt Painter, who is 4-0 in season openers with the Boilermakers.
"They're going to get into you, pressure you, get after you on the wings."
Painter also said the Matadors play some zone defense, though they didn't show it much in their two exhibition games, crash the boards and use 12 players.
Northridge went 2-0 in its preseason games, as did the Boilermakers. They got a taste of zone against California of Pennsylvania, and faced some physical play against Kentucky Wesleyan, aiding their preparation for the regular season.
"Coach Painter did a good job bringing in two quality teams that play two different styles," said junior forward Rob Hummel, who averaged a team-high 11.5 points in the two exhibitions.
Sophomore guard Lewis Jackson tonight will serve the final game of his three-game suspension, and freshman forward Sandi Marcius continues to be sidelined -- likely until at least December -- with a broken bone in his right foot. Painter on Wednesday said freshman guard Kelsey Barlow will not redshirt this season.
In July before last season, Northridge coach Bobby Braswell was in a serious car crash, missing close to a month of work. In January, the Matadors' leading scorer and the coach's son were arrested in connection with an alleged burglary and dismissed from the team. Then in February, their point guard was nearly killed in a car crash.
http://www.post-trib.com/sports/osipoff/1881878,bkc-purdue-114.article

Boilers seek proof at Michigan

WEST LAFAYETTE – Sometimes humiliation is a great motivator. Just ask Purdue linebacker Chris Carlino and the rest of the Boiler defense.

Nobody has forgotten the way Wisconsin steamrolled that defense with 266 rushing yards six days ago. Now Purdue heads to Michigan on Saturday and redemption is a top priority.

“We all feel we have something to prove,” Carlino said. “Getting beat like that gives you a sense that you have to re-establish yourself.”

The Boilers (3-6) have no margin for error, in part because they have to win their final three games to become bowl eligible, in part because they haven’t won at Michigan (5-4) since 1966.

At least they face a struggling Wolverine team. Michigan has lost four of its last five games after a 4-0 start. In the last two weeks it lost at Penn State 35-10 and at Illinois 38-13. The Illini had been winless in the Big Ten.

Still, coach Danny Hope doesn’t see the Wolverines as being vulnerable.

“They strike fast on offense and they’re quick on defense,” Hope said. “They have a lot of talented players. They’ve had some mishaps in games that have cost them. They’ve had some turnovers and unfortunate events. They weren’t that far off in some of the games they’ve lost. They have great players and make some great plays. Lots of them.”

Michigan wins with offense. It leads the Big Ten in scoring (31.6 points) and rushing offense (207.6 yards). It is seventh in the conference in scoring defense, allowing 25.1 points.

“Michigan’s offense does a great job of keeping them in the game,” quarterback Joey Elliott said, “so our defense will have to step up.”

The Wolverines are not a power-running team like Wisconsin. They utilize a spread attack that has enabled six players to rush for at least 181 yards. Tailback Carlos Brown leads with 465 yards.

“They’re fast and good,” Hope said. “They spread you out and get the ball to (their playmakers) in a hurry. It happens fast so you’d better get there in a hurry or they’ll be gone.”

Michigan plays two quarterbacks and both can run. Denard Robinson is the better runner. He’s rushed for 287 yards and five touchdowns while averaging 5.4 yards a carry. Tate Forcier has rushed for 214 yards and averages 2.5 yards a carry.

Forcier is the main passer. He’s 107-for-193 for 1,424 yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions. Robinson is just 11-for-22 for 179 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions.

“I don’t look at either one of them as being that much different,” Hope said. “Maybe they choose to use them differently, but both of those guys can really run and really throw. They’re exceptional athletes. (Robinson) was the fastest guy in the state of Florida last year. He’s really fast. Both of them are top-of-the-line passers and runners. I don’t see defending them differently.”

While the statistics show Michigan’s defensive liabilities (it is also sixth against the pass and eighth against the run), Elliott sees plenty of potential trouble.

“Their linebackers are very good and they have tremendous athletes,” he said. “They have athletes all over the field.”
http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091106/SPORTS/911060316/1002

Bio Mass boilers and Stoves wanted for UK

Our company will soon be opening the largest wood pellet and wood fuel showroom in the UK. I am looking to display upto 20-30 stoves or boilers and I will be selling to home and trade users thruout the UK. The showroom will be located close to the motorway network, and within 1.5 hours of 20m people.

I want as many units on display as possible and spend mor emoney on advertising and marketing. I will pay a 10% deposit on the units on delivery after 4 months if I have sold 2 of your units, I will pay the balance for the dispay models, if not can remove them and keep the 10%.

Please get in touch for more info regarding, advertising, marketing, showroom etc.
http://pellets-wood.com/bio_mass_boilers_and_stoves_wanted_for_uk-o516.html

Turnover margin drags Boilers down

Jaycen Taylor, Aaron Valentin and the other Purdue players who fumbled last week won’t be seen carrying footballs around campus or be cradling them at bedtime.
Coach Danny Hope said there won’t be any gimmicks that will fix Purdue’s turnover issues, especially considering there wasn’t one common cause among the six the team had in a 27-21 loss to Northwestern.
Joey Elliott’s interception came because receiver Keith Smith didn’t run a crisp route, Hope said. Elliott’s fumble was because he couldn’t hold on while he was getting his face mask yanked.
Another fumble came because a player was holding the ball in the wrong arm, another when the ball was held too loosely.
So Hope has specific drills ready this week to work on ball protection.
One way is to capitalize on every minute of practice with punt and kick returners when they may not be in other drills, either by having a machine send balls their way or getting a punter to kick to them.
Valentin, also the team’s No. 2 receiver, has fumbled three punts and kicks the past three weeks.
Hope has a plan for other players, too.
“We’ll have the scout team try to reach in there and pull the ball out some when the ballcarriers are going by them when they’re in play and when they’re coming back to the huddle, try to work on stripping the ball from them some,” Hope said. “(A turnover) manifests itself in a lot of different ways, and so we’ll look at all those different things and try to work on all those different things. You have to go out there and practice those situations.”
Hope and his players think turnovers are the reason the team is 1-4, the program’s worst start since 1993. That team also started 1-4 – and finished 1-10.
Purdue is tied for 113th out of 120 Division I teams in turnover margin (minus 8 for season, minus 1.6 per game). Four of the six teams worse than the Boilermakers also have losing records.
“Every game, we’ve had a couple turnovers that have changed the game,” Smith said. “But all in all, we’ve found a way to still be in it at the end of the game. It’s a couple turnovers away of being with a winning record. We’ve got to work on those little things. The little things turn into big things like they have in the last couple games. We’ll go out this week and get ready to go (for Minnesota).”
Part of evening out that dismal margin is limiting mistakes, but Purdue also can improve on it by getting its defense to force more turnovers.
The Boilermakers are eighth in the Big Ten in creating turnovers. They have recovered five fumbles and have four interceptions;only one of those picks is by a defensive back.
“When (the coaches) sat down and talked about the areas we turned the ball in the other day in the game and I said, ‘Anything else?’ The defensive coaches said, ‘Yeah, we need to get some more,’ ” Hope said. “So it’s recognized, and we have the guys to do that. Pressuring the quarterback is a big part of that. It’s the style of offenses you play against.
“We’d like to accrue more takeaways – that’s for sure.”
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20091007/SPORTS06/310079948/1008/SPORTS

Oxygen analyser helps keep boilers burning cleanly

Users of small industrial boilers need no longer be faced with the economic constraints of applying continuous online oxygen monitoring techniques for optimising energy efficiency.

Users of small industrial boilers need no longer be faced with the economic constraints of applying continuous online oxygen monitoring techniques for optimising energy efficiency, following the launch of ABB's AnalyzeIT AZ100 Zirconia oxygen analyser system.

Aimed primarily at the OEM market for boilers up to 5MW where oxygen monitoring is particularly price-critical, the new ABB analyser system provides an easy-to-use, highly cost-effective solution to maximum combustion efficiency and minimum oxygen flue emissions.
Previously, cost considerations have limited small boiler operators to using portable devices for oxygen checking on a regular basis.
Now, the price of the new ABB AZ100 system with its integral ABB 4600-based electronics platform brings economic viability to time-saving continuous online analysis.
The newly designed Zirconia oxygen probe is a key cost-saving feature.
Unlike ABB's high-end in-situ devices, it is a "limpet" type which sits on the outside of flue duct.
Flue gas samples are drawn up through a tube within the duct and directed to where the sensor is mounted.
A mains powered heater within the probe eliminates the need for expensive transformers and, since reference air is supplied by diffusion of ambient air, there is no need for the usual in-built air pumping facility.
The probe, available in length options of 200, 350, 500 and 650mm, operates in process temperatures from ambient to 600C and up to a maximum external duct wall temperature of 400C.
With a response speed of less than three seconds and a typical sensor life span of at least four to five years, the ABB AZ100 oxygen analyser brings to the small boiler market many of the benefits which have come to be internationally recognised with ABB high-end Zirconia ZFG/ZMT systems.
Protected to NEMA 4X/IP66 for reliable operation in demanding environments, the new AZ100 oxygen analyser employs a dedicated transmitter based on ABB's highly successful 4600 Series for interfacing the probe.
It is user-programmable and has a comprehensive diagnostics facility with in-built software.
High/low alarms and linear or logarithmic isolated retransmission are featured, together with displays which include percentage oxygen, cell temperature, cell millivolts, alarm set points, calibration sequence diagnostics and output settings.
Information displays can be programmed for English, French, German or Spanish languages.
The ABB AnalyzeIT AZ100 Zirconia oxygen analyser meets the requirement for the EN50081-1 general emission standard for residential, commercial and light industry, and the EN50082-2 generic immunity standard for industrial environments.
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/apr/apr110.html