Gas Fitting Years

[Jimmy Hillman]

I don't know if this is the right place to mention the cost of heating but I will anyway..
I've trained as a gas fitter, did the Corgi course n all that, got my work examined and they were very intent that I didn't leave a boiler under gassed. I experimented with my own boiler at home and brought it down to 7kw from 22kw. I was previously burning a foot of gas in 20 seconds, this changed to 100 seconds. They came to read my meter and a month later came to read it twice in a week as I'd cut the cost by 2 thirds, obviously to see if I was changing the meter round. At 22 kw the heat reaches temperature in moments but most of the heat from the gas goes out the flu so all I did was put it on an hr earlier. Once it's up to temperature it stays like it. In my new much larger house I tripled the size of the radiators, a big sin apparently because there's more water to heat up but modern radiators hardly contain any water. My 32Kw boiler has been running at 10kw for the last 12 years and the house has gone from almost freezing till it's time for bed to cosy in moments. The boiler itself doesn't reach the specified 82c, it doesn't need to so it runs at 50c max in very cold weather and generally 45c when it isn't so cold.
When I was working for a firm fitting money saving AC in office blocks I could see instantly it was never going to work properly, the instructions are to drop the last unit to the floor below while each floor has its own outdoor unit. This means they are constantly arguing with each other but dems da rules..

[James Curry]

I would have thought one of the best ways to make the boiler more energy efficient is to improve the insulation in the home especially thicker loft insulation. My insulation is above the recommended 270 mm, it is tripple layered now and is 300mm. People think oh I have double glazing so that is okay, yes as long as it is modern, early units had a 6mm air gap maodern units are 12mm. I had two windows replaced last year (blown seals)and I was going to get tripple glazed units but very expensive. Did a search on market place got second hand units £40 each
All curtains in our house are thermal lined. I recently replaced the old wooden front door with a fully insulated UPVC door new £780, got a used but good door on Market place £95.
Keep the heat in and reduce heat loss by reducing drafts.

[happy daze john in oz]

You could also move to a warmer climate.

[Tony Taylor]

You could also move to a warmer climate.

An insulation distribution company I used to deal with in Perth (WA) used to make industrial pipe insulation segments from blocks of good quality rockwool but it generated a lot of waste, I commented on how good his pipe sections were but that it could not be economical due to waste; he then showed me a machine he had developed which shredded all the scrap rockwool which he said he made more money from by selling it for loft insulation to keep the heat out of houses.

[James Curry]

You could also move to a warmer climate.

# 3 Very true I could always come and live beside you John!!!

[Keith Tindell]

3 John, that's right mate, i had enough of that when i was out there, with the bloody air con churning away, night and day, lol

[Doc Vernon]

#3 John
Dont know about that here in Bleak Heath mate! My Ducted Gas Heater been going a long time this past Winter , its been a long and very Cold time!
Thank goodness it seems to now have passed (Hold Thumbs) , and the warm Days are creeping in!

But thats here for you, and as a few may know it can get Bleedin cold in these here Mountains! Snow Sleet and Ice . Brrrr!
Cheers

[Tony Taylor]

#3 John
Dont know about that here in Bleak Heath mate! My Ducted Gas Heater been going a long time this past Winter , its been a long and very Cold time!
Thank goodness it seems to now have passed (Hold Thumbs) , and the warm Days are creeping in!

But thats here for you, and as a few may know it can get Bleedin cold in these here Mountains! Snow Sleet and Ice . Brrrr!
Cheers

ha ha Doc, justed started using mine (ducted air) heater.

[happy daze john in oz]

Living in the UK way back we bought our first house, a two up, two down style.
It was at the end of a block of four and the only heating was a two bar electric fire, there was no gas.
The North Sea gas was discovered and installed in all the local houses.
So I set to and installed a central heating system with water filled rads.

Like most UK houses then the windows were only half high, unlike here where they are floor to celling.
Also i noticed in most houses the rads were under the windows!!
Alos on the ground floor rather than run the pipes under the floorboards, which would have reduced the heat efficiency of them I ran them around behind skirting boards, replacing the old ones.

So I installed mine on inner walls away from windows.
Then we hung floor to celling curtains.
The house was very warm then, and not too costly to run.