March
21
2010
Do you want to have a well heated house?
Nowadays, when renting or purchasing a new house, one of the most important things to take into consideration is the heating system you are going to use. If you live in a cold climate –or in any place where you can expect cold winters–, it is wise to prepare your house to stay nice and warm. You should take into account the best energy saving possibilities and decide whether you will be using electricity, petrol, natural gas, propane, or alternative energies. If you live in a sunny climate, perhaps you could consider the solar panel alternative.
Traditional heating systems 
In the XX and XXI centuries, many big households installed gas central heating systems consisting of boilers which heat water and store it in a copper cylinder and channel it thru pipes to the different rooms.
When a house is small or does not have its own central heating system, most people nowadays use any of the great variety of portable electric or gas house heaters that exist in the market.
Providing you have access to free wood or logs, a fireplace can be a convenient and economical heating system. It is nice and cozy to warm up in front of your fireplace when you come from the cold outdoors, or when the kids are in bed, have a romantic time with your loved one just sitting together and watching the fire while you sip some wine.
The traditional kitchen iron stove of the olden days, would serve for the double purpose of cooking hearty meals and warming up the kitchen. Large quantities of logs were proactively stored during the summer, to be used in the cold months. Picture in your mind a grandmother sitting by the stove using a small fan to keep the fire burning. Those were the days when it was the norm for people to spend a lot of time doing menial jobs just to keep house, cook, bathe the children, etc.
The new Combi boilers
A combi boiler in the kitchen
In the last 10 or 15 years, it has become popular the use of the Combination boiler, or Combi boiler.A combi boiler is very convenient, because –unlike the traditional boilers– it does not require a hot water storage tank, or a cold water feed tank. Those tanks are bulky and take a lot of space in the loft or basement. Installing a combi boiler also reduces the amount of pipes and components.
The Combi boiler takes the cold water directly from the cold mains supply and instantly heats it for you. This is a big advantage, saving energy, money and space. As a result, combi boilers are more energy efficient and money saving than other boilers.
For more information, see the following review of the Alpha and Valiant boilers.
August
14
2010
Since its introduction to the market in 1986, the Titan brand has established a reputation for quality and reliability. Thousands of tankless heaters have been sold and installed, nationally and internationally, from small homes to apartment blocks and universities.
A Titan water heater heats water that passes through it quickly and efficiently, eliminating the need for a storage tank. As you turn on the tap or shower, water passes over an element in the heater immediately warming it to your preference. This means you will never run out of hot water, which has been the problem with big, bulky and expensive to run heated tanks.
Using a Titan tankless water heater can significantly reduce your heating costs by up to 60%. Heating only the water you need, when you need it, they can reduce your energy consumption, save water, and money.
With no tank and long waiting times to heat a large body of water you can enjoy shower after shower without ever running out. They are very reliable and very quiet using microchip technology, so there are no moving noisy mechanical parts.
Another great benefit the Titan heater is its size, allowing it to be installed almost anywhere. It does not need special ventilation requirements and add-ons such as venting valves and drip pipes. The unit is complete and compact. It can be positioned under baths, sinks, or even behind a water cooler dispenser and out the way of sight. It must have minimum of 12″ clearance from the top of the unit to the ceiling, and from bottom of unit to the floor. The titan water heater is designed to operate indoors and should be protected from rain and weather elements.
There are no sudden dips in temperature and rapid fluctuations as many of the units have advanced flow control. The Tempra Plus range ensures constant temperature output no matter how much water is demanded from the unit or interruptions in flow from other access points being used.
For peace of mind, the units come with a year to ten year manufacturer’s warranty. This covers the whole product: heating components, electronic parts etc. If the product fails for some reason, the manufacture will repair or replace the unit.
August
12
2010
Portable barbecue grills are perhaps the most versatile cooking appliances available nowadays and as their name implies, these grills have a small or compact body size that allows them to be carried or transported anywhere. Portable barbecue grills are usually manufactured from high caliber metals such as stainless steel, which makes them extremely easy to clean and maintain.
These grills have a lot of great features including electronic lighting; infinite control burner valves; and chromium steel burners that have the capability to generate 21,700 BTU per hour for cooking. Moreover, other versions are manufactured with porcelain enameled cast iron cooking grates; cast aluminum lids, removable catch pans and bodies; and reinforced chassis.
These functions help add to the versatility that portable grills have to offer. Popular portable barbecue grill manufacturers include Bayou Classic, Weber, Coleman, HotSpot, Camco, Freestyle, Woodflame, EZ Grill, Cadac, eDressMe, Cobb, and Kaye Home. These grills are available online at vendors such as Amazon.com as well as at big department stores.
Different Kinds Of Portable Barbecue Grills
Portable Charcoal Grills: these kinds of portable grills basically use charcoal as their major cooking material. Lots of people claim that food which is prepared on portable charcoal grills have a distinct flavor that other kinds of grills and cooking methods can’t achieve.
Portable Electric Grills: these varieties of grills are the most convenient to use since all you need to do is to plug them in and you’re good to go. The main principle by which portable electrical grills function is conduction. The process of conduction allows the transfer of energy by producing heat with the metal plate that is used on the grill. On the other hand, other types of portable electric grills make use of ceramics plate burners.
These grills are very handy to take on camping and fishing trips as well as to sporting events.
July
29
2010
With the concerns of green house gases and global warning, it is imperative to be able to properly measure the particulates and pollutants being released into the atmosphere. Combustion boilers release a variety of gases while operating, although these exact gases may vary depending on what type of fuel is being burnt. Most countries have regulations on the gas output of these boilers. The EPA has required that testing is performed on gases like H2S, SO2, NO2, and NO. These testing parameters and methods may sometimes require a certificate in order to show that your boiler is under the regulation.
You can take the gas reading of your own boiler by using a thermocouple and portable electrochemical analyzer. Thermocouples are not very difficult to obtain and can be found at most boiler stores. This probe can help to record and measure the temperature towards the flue’s base.
Find an area on the combi boiler stack where you want to perform your test. Select a spot with two stack diameter downstream away from any restrictions, expansions, or any other flow disturbances. Drill a hole in the selected area, this hole should be about the same size as your electrochemical analyzer probe. Insert the EC probe into the hole, but try to make sure that no flue gases escape while you are working.
For 5 minutes, take a gas reading every 30 seconds throughout the ramp up phase. Record your gas sample readings, along with the sample temperature and flow rate. Take the flue gas readings again for 2 minutes every 15 seconds during the test data phase period. Again, record all of your readings and samples. Use the second phase to help calculate the estimated concentration of each gas level tested.
The final phase is known as the refresh phase. You should take records every eight minutes during this time. You could also follow the instructions on the EC that should specify when the boiler is ‘refreshed’. Record all the readings and then analyze them with the emission requirements in your area.
March
21
2010
Solar Panels
Solar compatible Combi Boiler
Nowadays, with the global pollution and shortage of oil, it is very commendable when some people try to use the more clean, renewable and alternative kinds of energy. After all, every little effort pays. Solar panels can be very useful and economical in the long run, so why not use this free solar energy to supply your house with hot water?
A combi boiler has the advantage of instantly heating water on demand and it does not need a storage tank. It provides mains pressure hot water.
The use of Solar Water Heating (SWH) on the other hand, requires a storage tank, and works with low pressure.
How can you combine both? It is difficult, but not impossible if you have the right conditions and a good specialist to help you with the installation.
For this combination to be successful, it is required that the hot water tank can take pressurised water and the particular combi can take pre-heated water from the solar panel. If you are not sure, check with the manufacturer because if you go ahead it can end in a big expensive mistake.
Specialized companies provide “modulating” boilers that monitor the water temperature when it enters the system and modulate the flame accordingly. This is the best solution if you are starting from scratch and want to install solar water heating alongside a new combi boiler.
If you already have a combi boiler in your home and would like to adapt a solar water heating system to go along, it is possible –but quite difficult– and needs the help of an expert. One possibility –in this case—would be to have both the combi boiler and the solar panels heat the same water tank. For this you should adapt a thermostat and a heat exchanger to the combi boiler and a separate outlet leading from the combi to the shower and radiators. This way you would still have mains pressure hot water and the boiler would fire full power, which is important for its good functioning.
There are some companies that provide expert heating engineers whom may assist you with your particular situation. If your combi boiler or your solar panels are not compatible and the company doesn´t have the right combination already manufactured, they can always design the right system for you.
See some technical UK associations listed below:
www.solartradeassociation.org.uk
www.licensedplumber.co.uk
www.imaginationsolar.com
www.eco-hometec-co-uk
www.viessmann.co.uk
www.atmos.uk.com
March
21
2010
There are many reliable Combi Boilers in the market. Read the review of two of the best Manufacturers available (Alpha and Vaillant) and find out their combi boiler prices and special features.
Latest Combi Boiler Lines:
Alpha CDC “Flagship”
The Alpha CDC model is the “Flagship” combi boiler and has advanced features to make it more efficient and easy to use and instsall. The pipework is short and accessible for servicing and the control panel is easy to understand.
This model has 3 maximum flow rates:
CD25C Flow Rates – 9.6 Ltrs/min. PRICE: (£757.88 Inc Vat)
CD28C Flow Rates -11.4 Ltrs/min. PRICE: (£821.33 Inc Vat)
CD35C Flow Rates -14.2 Ltrs/min. PRICE: (£885.95 Inc Vat)
Alpha´s Flagship Boiler has a standard 3 year warranty. The boiler includes a seasonality valve which automatically adjusts the water flow DHW by up to 35% based on the incoming mains temperature.
Alpha CDX Combi
The new CDX combi has the same high standards as the above CDC, using stainless steel heat exchanger and the same components, except it has a 2yr warranty.
CD25X Flow Rates - 9.6 Ltrs/min PRICE: (£734.85 Inc Vat)
CD28X Flow Rates – 11.4 Ltrs/min PRICE: (£803.85 Inc Vat)
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March
20
2010
In 1868, an Englishman named Benjamin Maugham invented and patented the first water heater in history. He called it the Gas Geyser, probably because of the noise the gas made when the burners went on, or perhaps it was from watching a real geyser that the idea of building the water heater came to him. Just like Newton saw the apple fall from the tree and got inspired to discover the Law of Gravity.
The Gas Geyser that Benjamin Maugham conceived, was an iron furnace or boiler fuelled by gas. The flames from the burner would heat the cold water from the mains supply. The hot water was then stored it into a big tank. When a faucet was open, the hot water would flow into the tub. The Gas Geyser boiler was in its initial stage and may not have been totally finalized or not properly operational, because it did not become commercialized or very popular in his days. The appliance was quite dangerous and people were afraid of installing it in their homes. It did not have a proper ventilation system and the gas emissions were a health hazard.
Just 21 years later, in 1889, Edwin Ruud –a Norwegian engineer who had emigrated to the US with his family—found out about Maugham’s invention, studied it and came up with some technical improvements that made it more operational. Ruud patented the automatic storage water heater . It consisted of a cast iron appliance gas heater with a copper heat exchanger. When the water faucet was opened, a valve turned on the heater’s burners and the appliance delivered instant hot water to the sink or bathtub.
This invention was very popular and slowly many families installed it in their houses and enjoyed the benefits of having running hot water in their homes. No more boiling water in the kitchen to take a hot bath!
Ten years later, Edwin Ruud was so successful that he opened his own company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Ruud Manufacturing Company became the leader in water heating products, and manufactured different models of domestic and commercial water heaters. Gas central heating became popular and the combination boiler was on its way.
Nowadays, more than one hundred years after, the Ruud Manufacturing Company is still in operation and going strong in the US, amongst all the other Combi Boiler competitors.
March
20
2010
For thousands of years, whoever wanted to take a hot bath –once or twice a year–, had to do it to their own risk (as people believed it was very dangerous). Our ancestors managed to stay fairly clean by regular sponge bathing and occasionally swimming in rivers or oceans.
To fill up a tub with hot water took them a lot of time, as they had to heat big copper pots over the kitchen stove or an open fire. Probably they used the same water for different family members.
I still remember the days without combi boilers. We definitely didn´t have a combi boiler when I grew up. My mom used to pour a couple of big pots of boiling water into the bathtub. She would run the cold tap water until the temperature was just perfect for me to jump in the tub. We did not have gas central heating either. In cold days, my dad would make sure to keep the bathroom warm while I was having a bath. He placed a little metal bowl on the tiled floor and burn rubbing alcohol. Taking a bath –in those days– was a big operation that could take more than two hours, considering the pre-heating of water and bathroom. This must have been one of the reasons why I only took a bath on Saturday nights, beside being nice and clean for Sunday Mass.
Mom would wash my hair with regular soap. Sometimes she would give me a second wash with one raw egg or beer, which was supposed to strengthen my hair. She would put some vinegar in the rinsing water (to avoid leaving traces of soap on my hair) and scoop it over my head. I remember I didn’t like that part, because I had to stand up from my nice warm bath in order to get all rinsed up and sometimes the vinegar would get into my eyes and cause discomfort. I had to get out of the tall tub and step down unto the towel laid on the floor. I appreciated very much that my dad had previously heated the bathroom with burning alcohol. The days he didn’t, I shivered and my mom would wrap me up in towels and shove me inside the bed with a hot water bottle to keep me warm. They were very concerned that I would not catch pneumonia. I was also their only child.
Now, married and with my own children, I have the convenience of a combi boiler that produces hot water on demand whenever I need it, and also keeps my house nicely warm all day long.