27 December 2016
No more gas fires
I’m having to give up working on gas fires indefinitely and probably permanently –
Heating Controls article
New on my Home Tips page is an article about heating controls, including smart controls, which we’re all supposed to be wanting and buying.
Acquiring a new boiler
On my Home Tips page I‘ve added an article which shares some recent and simple thoughts about choosing a new boiler –
Boiler and heating care schemes
Another addition in July 2016 to my Home Tips page is a short article on care schemes that deal with boiler and heating breakdowns, based on recent observations. It may pay you to take a quick read. (Updated December 2016.)
Immersion heaters
Electrical immersion heaters provide an emergency source of hot water heating in systems with stored hot water when the gas boiler isn’t working. Often forgotten or ignored, they can be invaluable.
I’ve added an article about them on my Home Tips page –
Corrosion costs dear!
In 2015 I came across several boilers in serious trouble or wrecked by corrosion sludge in the heating water, to which modern boilers with narrow water channels are intolerant. If you’re having a new boiler, beware the lowest quote that omits cleansing the system (powerflushing being the most effective method –
Chemical dosing
Added to the Home Tips page is an article on how to dose an open-
Tip – exercise the heating system:
Even if there’s no need for warmth, set the timer to turn on the central heating for just a short period each day to exercise the valves and keep water flowing round the system hoping to avoid motorised valve failures and airlocks causing cold radiators. This autumn has seen a crop of valve failures (I changed four in two days) and the odd seized pump.
Power- flushing
I receive enquiries about power-
However, a power-
Diagnosing heating water circulation problems can be difficult
The pump sounds like it’s working, but how well? How much more flow does the new pump produce? Why are those radiators cold (hot) when they shouldn’t be? Why does the boiler burn so briefly? To help answer questions like these I can now employ a differential thermometer, infrared camera and an ultrasonic flow meter.
Combi boiler – poor flow rate at hot taps
Within the boiler, this could be due to a blocked filter, or a heat exchanger (typically in an older boiler) clogged with lime-
Gas fire won’t light? Pilot jet (tiny orifice) may be blocked –
Gas fire stops after burning for a while –
Heating controls
We can expect the long-
Wireless and smart controls are inexpensive (considering their sophistication) and easy to install. If the thought of the disruption caused by installing cables is putting you off adding controls to your system, fear no more –
Thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs): a much-
Carbon Monoxide Kills: if you have an older “open-
(Modern boilers are “room-