What is a condensing boiler??
It is estimated that 16% of the planets CO/2 emmissions come from non-condensing boilers. A condensing boiler effectively burns less gas to get the same results as a non-condensing boiler. In order to reduce these CO/2 emissions the government brought in regulations that after 1st April 2005 any boiler fitted in the uk should be condenssing.
The measures taken to reduce CO/2 production in the uk means you installing a condensing boiler would be helping the envioronment and at at the same time making a considerable reduction on gas consumption, ''CHEAPER GAS BILLS''
How does it work??
Traditional boilers rely on the production of heat to draw fumes away from the appliance, for instance up the chimney.
Open flued appliances draw all air required for combustion from within the property into the open chamber of the boiler. As 'heat rises' the fumes are drawn away from the appliance and dispelled externally. The fumes expelled on leaving the appliance exit at temperatures in excess of 200 degrees celcius. Now you have payed good money for the gas required to be burnt to produce this heat.
More recent technology has seen the introduction of 'room sealed appliances' far safer types of boilers.
Room sealed meaning ''independently sealed from the room of which it is sited''. in a room sealled appliance burner assembly and components are sealled in a combustion chamber, generally incorporating a fan which mechanicaly expells fumes safely outside of the property and at the same time, due to the design of the flue/exhaust, draws all required oxygen for combustion from the outside of the property, a much safer alternative to an open flued appliances.
Although these boilers incorporate a fan the exhaust fumes are still in excess of 200 degrees.
The technology in a condensing boiler simply exstracts the heat from flue gases and tranfers it into your heating system rather than pumping heated fumes directly into the atmosphere.
A heat exchanger is simply a metal block heated by the gas burner of the boiler, and tranfers or exchanges the heat into the central heating circuit via the water passing through it. With the transfer of additional heat from the flue gasses, the heat exchanger stays hotter for longer effectively burning a lot less gas.