Since about 60% of a home’s yearly energy expenditure is spent on running the boiler,
it stands to reason that by replacing an old one with a new one will make a big impact
on your energy bills.

By replacing an elderly and inefficient boiler with a high-efficiency condensing one that
has an A-rating, you will find that you not only will save around 360 Euros per year—and
you will also reduce your home’s carbon emissions significantly.

How Much Can Be Saved?
The exact amount you will save by replacing your old boiler depends greatly on how that
old and inefficient your current one is.

Old boiler rating              Annual saving   Carbon dioxide savings per year

G ( < 70%)                           €360                       1,220kg

F (70–74%)                          €220                       810kg

E (74–78%)                          €180                       610kg

D (78–82%)                         €125                       420kg

These figures are based on the installation of a brand-new, A-rated high-efficiency condensing
boiler with a complete complement of heating controls for a semi-detached, three-bedroom
home with all-gas heating.

Boiler replacement costs vary, but a simple gas boiler replacement normally costs about €2,760.

Why are newer Boilers more Efficient
Newer boilers are more energy-efficient for many reasons. The main reason is due to the fact
that all modern boilers are condensing boilers. A well-maintained boiler burns its fuel efficiently,
but non-condensing models will inevitably lose some of their heat through the escape of hot
gases, which means more fuel needs to be expended to maintain the level of heat desires.
Condensing boilers have bigger heat exchangers, which mean they recover more heat than non-
condensing models, sending cooler gases up the flue, which is more energy-efficient.

Sometimes, the gases that escape through the flue in a condensing boiler are actually cool enough
that the water vapor condenses, which allows the boiler to recuperate more energy from the
condensing vapor. This further increases the boiler’s energy efficiency.

New Boiler Installation
Should you need to change out your old boiler, the first order of business is deciding what kind
of new boiler is needed.

The Correct Fuel
If your heating system has mains gas, then the cheapest type of heating system for your home is
usually going to be a gas boiler.

If your home currently has a boiler that uses oil, coal, or LPG, you should look into how feasible
having gas supplied to the home would be financially. Should there be no gas pip nearby this
isn’t an affordable0 option, but if the pipeline is just around the block, it may be worth investing
in a new gas connection to obtain a more inexpensive fuel type. There are even grants that can
help cover the cost of connecting.

The correct Boiler
The majority of older gas and liquid oil boilers are regular boilers, with a separate water heating
cylinder instead of hot water being obtained directly from the boiler itself. When you are ready to
replace your boiler, you will have the option of purchasing a new regular boiler and retaining the
hot water cylinder, or purchasing a combination boiler without a cylinder.

Regular boilers are more efficient at heating water than a regular boiler, but a lot of the heat is lost
in the hot water cylinder. This means that a combination boiler system is often more energy efficient.
The right option for your home depends on several factors, such as:

How much hot water does your family need/consume?
Large families usually use a lot of hot water, so they might be better suited with a regular boiler,
while smaller families may be better suited with a combination boiler.

How much space do you have available for the boiler?
Combination boilers don’t need a hot water cylinder and are thus more space-efficient.

Are you considering installing a solar water heating system?
Many combination boiler systems aren’t compatible with solar systems or else can’t use the solar
heat very effectively.

Once you have chosen the boiler type you feel is right for your home, you must then narrow down
the most energy-efficient model and have it installed properly. By choosing a boiler that is rated for
the highest level of efficiency by the Energy Saving Trust, you know that you will get a product that
has been evaluated properly.

Heat recovery products and systems
Heat recovery systems that are recommended by SEAI will save as much as 17% of the energy
expended in heating the water in your home. A portion of the heat that is generated by your
home’s boiler actually escapes through its flue. By capturing some of this lost energy and using
it to heat the water, passive flue gas heat recovery systems make your home more energy efficient
and shave away substantially at your energy and heating bills.

Hot Water Cylinders
Hot water cylinders that have earned the Energy Saving Trust Recommended seal are factory
insulated, which means they keep the hot water at the desired temperature for a longer time.
These cylinders have an important part in dispensing hot water when you want it, so it is vital
that they are completely insulated to keep as much heat from escaping as possible.

By upgrading your home’s hot water cylinder to a model that is Energy Saving Trust Recommended,
you can  save around € 48 per year. These cylinders are highly insulated and ready to install, so be
sure to look for the appropriate label when you’re in the market for a cylinder that will save the most
energy (and, therefore, money).

If your boiler is more than about fifteen years old you may want to consider replacing it. It may be much less efficient than you would like it to be and this can translate into higher energy consumption. To lower energy bills and your home’s impact on the environment, here are things you need to consider when it is time to replace your boiler.

You will find two main benefits to replacing your home’s boiler. The first is that they use much less fuel than older models will. When you consider that energy bills are increasing at a rapid rate this can be quite attractive. You may even recoup the cost of your system in a very short period of time. The second benefit is that modern boilers are much safer and more reliable than they were in the past.

Which fuel system do you want to use
You should consider which fuel system you want to use. Some of the more common fuel sources include oil, natural gas and biomass. Biomass fuel is fuel that comes from a living source. Wood pellets are a good example of a biomass fuel source.

You should consider what fuel source you are already using. If you have used oil in the past, for example, you will have a storage tank. Running natural gas lines into your home is possible but it will increase the expense of your system. If you have used natural gas, you may want to continue using this fuel source as you will need to install a storage tank if you switch over to fuel oil.

Installing a biomass boiler is possible regardless of whether your home uses oil or natural gas. You can install a storage bin that will hold biomass fuel and automatically feed it into the boiler as it is needed to provide heat.

Condensing boilers are a good option
You may want to consider installing a condensing boiler. These tend to be much more efficient than non-condensing boilers. They use much less fuel and are much less expensive to run than non-condensing boilers would be. In a standard boiler, the combustion gasses that heat the water are simply allowed to dissipate into the atmosphere. With a condensing boiler, the heat that is contained in these combustion gasses is trapped and used to heat water. This means that you get more heat from the same amount of fuel.

Speaking with an experienced heating company can help you determine which kind of boiler is right for you. They will ask about your heating needs, the size of your home and the fuel source that you are already using.

If you heat your home with hot water, you may love the fact that your system is fairly low maintenance and can give you a steady supply of heat. Unfortunately, as with other types of heating systems, your boiler system can break down over time and there may come a time that it may need replacing. If you have it serviced regularly you may be able to delay this but eventually, any boiler will need to be replaced for a newer model.

Advantages of replacing your boiler

While it may seem like a large outlay of money to replace your boiler, the good news is that there can be many advantages to doing so. While they may vary depending on the kind of boiler you have now and the kind you are getting in the future, here are some general advantages to replacing your boiler.

The main advantage is that it can reduce your heating bills. This can be accomplished in one of two ways. The first is that it may use less energy in order to heat the water. An older boiler may take more gas or electricity to warm water to the point where it can warm your house. This ends up meaning that your energy bills are higher and that your heating bills may be higher than you would like them to be.

Another advantage to replacing your boiler is that it can reduce the carbon footprint that your home generates. Because older boilers use more energy to heat the water inside, they will generate a higher carbon footprint. Reducing the amount of carbon generated by powering your home is something that is appealing to individuals who want a much greener home.

How to minimize the cost of boiler replacement

Replacing a boiler may seem expensive to many people. However, there are ways that you may be able to reduce the cost of replacing the boiler you already have. If a new system is out of your price range, you may want to look at a boiler retrofit that may be able to make the boiler you have more efficient at producing heat.

There may also be government grants and rebates that you can take advantage of by changing your boiler from an inefficient model to one that is more energy efficient. These rebates will vary from area to area so it is worthwhile to find out which plans are available in your area.

During operation of a regular boiler the hot exhaust gases are given to the atmosphere. However, addition of a second heat exchanger makes it possible to gain the heat in the exhaust gas which is around 150^o – 200^o C. In the heat exchanger added the waste gas transfers its heat to the cooler water, and the water vapour that the gas contains is condensed and used in the heating system. This operation is what the condensing boilers take their names from. The water vapour in the waste gas contains 8% of the total fuel energy and re-gaining this amount means you gain 8% more energy than a regular boiler from each unit of fuel.

The only thing standing in the way of condensing boilers is that people still don’t know enough about them. Most of the things people think about condensing boilers are not correct.

• The main concern about them is their prices. The fact that they were once more expensive than traditional boilers is not true anymore. Like all developing technologies, their prices are decreasing and becoming comparable with the regular boilers. In addition to this, when the gain in fuel is considered, this makes them more economical than regular boilers. You can save up to 30% of your fuel costs and in a time as short as 2-3 years they will pay the money you spent on them.
• They are not more difficult to install than regular boilers. There is only a single unit which is different from regular boilers and an expert installer would install it with no problems.
• They are as reliable as regular boilers and they do not need any extra maintenance.
• They can even be used together with solar heating systems or underground heating systems which lets you save further for your energy expenses.
• They can be connected to your existing heating system. No matter which fuel source you use there is a boiler type available for you, gas or oil.

All you need to do is to calculate your savings and contact us for our condensing boiler products to choose one of them.

Combi or combination boilers are compact devices for   your domestic hot water (DHW) system and the home heating system. Both these systems are catered by the single boiler and hence the term “combi”. Home Energy Saving (HES) scheme of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) offers grants up to Euro 500 and 700 respectively for up grading the heating controls and the Gas/Oil burner Boiler. The minimum requirement of circuits for such a system is two which condition may be easily satisfied by the combined DHW and Space heating circuits. A quality A grade combi condensing boiler which can easily provide a fuel efficiency of up to 92% may be a good choice whether it is for a retrofit or a new construction.

Combi boilers are generally oil, natural gas or LPG gas burning whichever the fuel easily and
economically available in your part of the country.

Are they all condensing boilers?

Heaven forbid, no! There are many conventional combi boilers in use though the current preference is for condensing type boilers. The reason is obvious. The conventional boiler with an efficiency of about 80% is not in the same class as the efficient condensing boiler.

Advantages of condensing type combi boilers

A combi boiler is nothing but a wall mounted duel functional domestic hot water and Central heating unit.

• Being wall mounted and compact it is aesthetic and matches any interior décor.
• Can cater to both the DHW and home central heating systems which normally need two different temperatures.
• As we already know  they have high energy efficiencies inherent to condensing type boilers.
• Space saving as cylinders and storage tanks are eliminated.
• Can provide hot water at the turn of a tap when advanced electronic control systems are installed.
• It is very clean burning and non messy especially when the fuel is gas.
• Do not need booster pumps as the boiler is connected direct to the water mains (max. pressure 10 bar).

A few things to consider

Combi condensing boilers do look (and are) simple systems. But if your contractor makes a few wrong decisions your primary target of economy and environmental safety may be out of reach. Some facts to be aware of in this regard are:

• Your heat load used for equipment selection must be right. (For eg. The DHW load may be higher than the central heating load in general use. So selecting on the basis of the DHW load alone may be an over sizing, a common mistake often done in the past).
• Ensure your mains pressure is adequate (generally 2 bar or over).
• Ensure your water flow rate available at the combi boiler is sufficient.
• Ensure a proper heat load calculation is done for you rooms. Do not work out the central heating load by adding up the radiator capacities.

(No one custom makes radiators for your rooms .They are all standardized. So adding capacities will be again an over sizing).

• Have your water supply analysed for it’s quality if possible. You may already know whether it is hard water or not.  If not at least check with your neighbours who may already be using heat exchangers and have some idea of this. If the water is hard chemical treatment may be necessary to get rid of lime salts which tend to block the heat exchanger tubes.

Greentech.ie is your friendly advisor on all matters pertaining to energy and environmental conservation. Their consultation is provided free. To find out how to save on your home heating,  combi boilers, condensing boilers, what government grants you can expect, best choice of  equipment and contractors for your installation etc etc.  contact them on call save 1890 245 345 today for an appointment.

If you want to make sure that your heating system is working as efficiently as possible you need to remember to have your boiler serviced. While many people try to avoid doing this because of the expense the fact is that it can actually save you money in the long run.

What does boiler servicing involve?

Having a boiler serviced will involve performing a number of tests and diagnostic procedures. These will vary depending on whether you have a gas or an oil powered boiler. They will ensure that areas such as the heating element are clean and functioning properly and that there are no problems with the electrical systems that run these devices.

Some of the issues that can arise with boilers may be harmful to our health in addition to raising the cost of heating our home. When fuel such as natural gas and oil is burned it can produce carbon monoxide. This is a colorless, odorless gas which is deadly if inhaled. By checking to make sure that your boiler is not emitting carbon monoxide, boiler servicing can ensure that you and your family are safe from this silent killer.

What if a problem is detected?

If a problem is detected, the method of dealing with it will depend on the nature of the problem. Parts may need to be repaired or replaced. The unit may need cleaning especially around the burner unit. If a profound problem is detected, a technician will let you know. You may need to make arrangements to have your boiler replaced or it may need to be shut down until repairs can be performed.

A technician often works with a heating company and can schedule repairs or the replacement of your boiler at a time that is convenient for you.

How often should a boiler be serviced?

Ideally, a boiler would be serviced on a regular basis. If you have a warranty or protection plan on your boiler you may want to review the terms as it may specify how often servicing should be performed. If you do not follow this schedule you may find that you negate your warranty and would then be responsible for paying for repairs or replacement parts out of your own pocket.

A good schedule is to have routine servicing performed before the heating season begins each year. This will ensure that your system is working well and will be able to handle the cooler weather when it arrives.

Biomass burning heating systems inherently have several facets just like in the popular movie and expression the good, bad and the ugly. The most widely used fuel product of biomass combustion for heating is wood pellet and wood chips.  The good side of the pellet stoves is worth pitting against the bad and the ugly. This exercise will give you an idea why the SEAI in their Home Energy Saving Scheme is willing to award grants up to Euro 2,500 for a Boiler installation, Euro 800 for a Stove installation and Euro 1,400 for a Stove with integral Back Boiler installation.

The good side of Wood Pellet burning appliances

Here are some interesting facts in favour of Wood Pellet appliances.

• The pellet stove and boiler are still simple devices. There is a storage container or a hopper which feet the solid bio-mass fuel in to an auger which conveys the fuel to a burn pot. By adjusting the speed of rotation of the auger a steady and regulated fuel feed is ensured.
• Modern units while being attractive also utilizes microprocessor controls, thermostats etc and automatic ignition and shut down, for user friendly operation. They are also therefore available as remote controlled units which recycle on the operation of a thermostat.
• The fuel is made out of waste material and the raw material prices are cheap. Only the vendors of the final product engage in overprizing etc. most of the time in order to make a quick buck.
• The fuel is pure bio mass and therefore has a very low carbon foot print. Naturally bio mass is a renewable fuel.
• The efficiency of modern microprocessor controlled   pellet stoves is as high as 90%. In many countries the users are provided with special incentives like tax rebates and grants even when the efficiency is anything over 75%.
• Still the wood pellet price is reasonable while only a few months back fossil fuel prices peaked indiscriminately creating economic chaos everywhere.
• The wastage in transit, handling and storage of wood pellets is high. The manufacturing costs too are high. In spite of this the prices are reasonable at present.
• The raw material is a resource locally available and therefore the manufacture is not hampered greatly by external influences of petroleum producers etc.
• Some pellet stoves can burn not only straight wood pellets but also mixtures of it with corn, sunflower seed, wheat and cherry pits.

The Bad and the Ugly of Wood Pellet burners

The bad side too is interesting.

• Unless properly maintained and the system is well designed, the emissions of green house and toxic gases may take place. Many European countries have strict regulations regarding this.
• The carbonaceous solid fuel produces a lot of ash and has to be cleaned regularly. This of course is dependent on the quality of fuel used as well. The use of premium grade fuel may result in less than 1% ash residue. On the other hand use of low grade wood pellets may produce up to 4% residual ash.
• The product is hygroscopic. The European Norms specify maximum moisture content at production. However during transport and storage wood pellets may absorb moisture lowering its quality. The combustion in the stove or boiler may not be therefore complete and as a consequence inefficient while producing considerable smoke during the process.
• The powdery nature of the raw material, wood work waste, is considered an explosion hazard like all other powders.
• The readily perishable nature of the wood pellets makes it necessary to have a well protected storage room which makes the initial cost of installation high.
• The total wood pellet requirement for an year is purchased in the hot season in the early parts of the year when the prices are low. This quantity runs into several tons even for an average home.
• If the pellet stove is not cleaned and maintained regularly the tarry black, combustible, sticky substance known as creosote will accumulate in chimneys and may cause chimney fires.

Who can avail the Bio Mass Stove/Boiler Grants?

According to the terms and conditions of Home Energy Saving Scheme, the following Bio Mass burning stoves and boilers  (and complying with the rest of the terms are eligible) for the grants.

• Individuals who are home owners
• Installing eligible products, in this instance a new wood chip / pellet, boiler or stove with back boiler or a stand alone stove (using the same fuels) and also wood gasification boilers.
• Using installers who are registered with the SEAI for the above work.
• Individuals intending to retrofit or install a new renewable energy heating system in an existing home built prior to July 2008.

Greentech.ie is your friendly advisor on all matters pertaining to energy and environmental conservation. Their consultation is provided free. To find out how to save on your home heating, wood chip and pellet stoves and boilers, what government grants you can expect, best choice of  equipment and contractors for your installation etc etc.  contact them on call save 1890 245 345 today for an appointment.

Wood Pellet Stoves and boilers are devices that can burn biomass to produce space heating in the fall and winter in your home. It is advancement on the age old technology of open stoves, fire places or open fires. Biomass such as firewood has been abounding in the past and even now quite a quantity is available. Unlike in the days gone by, it is not possible in the present day to cut down boughs or trees as and when you need fuel for your stoves.

Man designed biomass fuel!

An answer has been found in the fuel crises hit seventies in wood pellet, a pelletized waste product of timber and furniture manufacture. The hitherto piled up wood chips, shavings and saw dust that created a disposal problem to the industrialist, at last  found a way to clear the saw mill or the factory dump yard.

Today you would find fully automated pellet boilers which you would install and forget, so to speak.
A thermostat would sense your room heating need, feed in wood pellets to the burner through an auger, regulate the heat out put, and cut off when not needed. All you would have to get involved for is to clear the left over of combustion – ash.

What are wood pellets?

Wood pellets are compressed industrial waste of wood. The biomass wood is a good source of energy easily undergoing combustion and releasing huge amounts of heat energy within a stove or a boiler of a centralized hydronic system. In Europe the  pellets are manufactured according to very stringent standards in line with DIN 51731 or  O-Norm M 7135.

Each wood pellet is about 15-20 mm in length and has diametre of about 6 – 8 mm. It is extremely dense due to high compaction at manufacture. So much so that unlike wood it would not float in water but sink to the bottom as soon as it hit the water.

The fuel pellet is extremely dry and generally the moisture content is less than 10% at the manufacture.

However it is highly hygroscopic and unless properly stored under strictly monitored conditions, will be soggy like a crispy biscuit left exposed. This unfortunately renders the costly product useless.

The metamorphosis of pellet stove

The device which was a very business like simple steel box when it was invented in the 1930s, has changed face to an attractive piece of decoration in your living room or wherever you intend to keep it for heating and a comfortable interior. The pellet stove may be either free standing or placed as fire place insert that vent in to an exiting chimney.

The material of construction is heavy cast iron or steel which conduct and radiate heat off them.
The control system electrical or electronic components and exhaust functioning sections are encased in stainless steel.

Similarly, just like the decorative stove pellet boilers and furnaces too are available depending on your requirements. The boiler used in hydronic systems have the useful property to store heat energy generated by combustion. These are mainly applied in retrofits with minimum changes to the ducting, plumbing, venting etc of the existing heating arrangement.

Government grants are available for retrofits

In Ireland wood pellet stoves and boiler retrofits would enable you to qualify for a grant aid from the Sustainable Authority of Ireland. This may vary from Euro 800 to 2500 depending on your  process.
It is no different in any other country as well where wood pellet stoves and boilers are being sold, due to it’s many user beneficial attractions. If it is not a government grant at least a substantial tax rebate will be on offer to encourage you.

You can do no better than seek advice from your friends at Greentech .ie, which is provided at no cost to you by the way, how wood pellet boilers help you to save on energy costs, how your action would reduce your motherland’s dependence on imported fossil fuel, how the planet’s future will be ensured for our future generations and last but not least, what government grants are available for your retrofit. Contact them today on call save 1890 245 345 for an appointment.

In the part 1 of this article we discussed Viessmann model Vitorond 100, a gem of an energy saver.Compare what you will get from Model Vitola 200 - their other star performer for decades.

Having been first designed in 1970, Vitola 200 which is available in capacity range 83,000 but/hr to 300,000 btu/hr is an ultra low temperature heating boiler. The construction of the heat exchanger is cast iron/steel composite which resist corrosion (caused by condensation of moisture due to low water temperature) and therefore premature failure.By design the water walls are larger and also hold a larger quantity of water.

This model can be incorporated withVitotronic-200 digital control system which is similar to that inVitorond 100. There are over 2 million users of these model boilers all over the world the manufacturers claim. It is worthwhile to check why this particular design stands out over others.

Patented Oil burner
An oil burner patented by Viessmann is used in all Vitolo 200.Named Vitoflame 200 by the manufacturer, the burner ensures maximum combustion of the fuel.

The patented Heat Exchanger
40 years ago Viessmann developed and incorporated their ground breaking heat exchanger in Vitola 200. And it remains to date arguably the most reliable and technologically advanced boiler.

What makes the heat exchanger of Vitola 200 stand out from other brands of oil fired boilers?

• For one thing it’s heat exchanger is with a double wall construction of steel and cast iron.
• For the current trend of radiant floor heating systems, Vitola 200 boiler is an ideal choice.
• Even at low boiler water temperatures the boiler would provide safe operation. The heat exchanger operates like a double pane window, preventing the condensation of moisture of combustion at low boiler water temperatures leading to troublesome corrosion of heat exchanger and wherever water accumulate.
• Provide heating at excellent room comfort conditions.

A microprocessor based control system
In addition, the Vitola 200 also has a unique microprocessor based control system which is basically the same as used in Vitorond 100, the Vitotronic system. What unique advantages does it offer?

• The system senses the outdoor temperature, whether winter, summer or in between and by means of  the microprocessor determines whether to run, at what temperature, when to shut down etc.
• The outdoor reset function senses the temperature fluctuations and adjusts the boiler water temperature accordingly. It enables the boiler to work at temperatures as low as 27 ⁰ C with no damage to the heat exchanger, a feat quite beyond conventional oil fired boilers.
• This would enable the boiler to shut down fully when no heating is needed, saving barrels of fuels and sacks of cash for you.

Other great features
Some other great features included in Vitola 200 are:

• As an energy efficient  process, will result in low emissions of CO₂ and NO_x
• The  combustion chamber is of stainless steel
• Thermal insulation of  3 ½” (90 mm  nom. thickness)
• Ability to retain a large volume of water in the large water walls of boiler, retaining the temperature for a long time.
• Reduced burner cycling and fuel consumption
• Energy Star qualified appliance.

Looks the 2 million users have made the right choice after all!

Greentech .ie is your friendly consultant on oil fired and alternate fuel based boilers that would save your money now just burnt away as wasteful energy.

Outdated technology
Most of the homes in the developed world still depend on millions of boilers 15 to 20 years old, designed with       outdated technology. Designed and built for a bygone era when fuel prices were insignificant and concern for environment was almost nonexistent, today they cost a packet to the owners. The worst part is that they do not have the least inclination how much money they waste due to the inefficiency of the old technology.

Oversized!
To aggravate the situation the heating system is often oversized. It is depressing to note that not only money being wasted but also the systems contribute to the emission of polluting gases.

Can you check this wastage and harm to Environment?
Sure the wastage and the emission of harmful gases can be reduced. Only way however is by;

• Selecting a low temperature heating boiler
• Selecting an outdoor reset control (based on an accurate heat load calculation).

How much can you expect to save with these improvements? It is estimated that up to 30% of your annual heating cost can be saved. Simultaneously a significant reduction in harm to the environment may be achieved ( for an average Northern European home up to 15 Tons of CO₂ emissions over a period of 15 years).

Add a seamless integration type solar system to supplement the Oil fired boiler and your savings on heating fuel costs will increase by a further 60% and the CO₂ emissions will reduce by a further 16 Tons approximately.

New Innovations
With the increased cost of fuel prices and also the concern for the conservation of the environment, manufacturers have developed new designs incorporating many innovations to overcome the previously encountered problems. The following is to illustrate such advancements found in Viessmann  oil fired boilers, a major stake holder in this sphere.

Viessmann offers two different design series which they call

(a) Vitorond 100

(b) Vitola 200
Both these are low temperature boilers.

Vitorond 100 oil fired boiler

Innovative Heat Exchanger designs

This model incorporates a triple pass heat exchanger which is designed to achieve a higher degree of efficiency. The common single pass heat exchanger design would pass the flue gas through it once. But the three pass heat exchanger of Viessmann Vitorond 100 would send the energy laden flue gas three times through it to extract energy which otherwise would have been just released to the atmosphere as waste.

Greater Control with electronics for heating efficiency
The common practice with a boiler is to install a easy to use space thermostat. But for better control and extra saving of energy this particular manufacturer has developed their own microprocessor based control system known as  Victronic system. In a conventional space heating boiler the temper of water temperature is set at a high temperature by default. One of the outstanding features of the new system is the sensing of outdoor temperature and regulating automatically the optimum indoor temperature by means of boiler water temperature control. Naturally this optimization saves you much on heating bills while making the indoor conditions more comfortable by being precise. In addition, this innovation enables it possible to run boiler at low temperature safely by protecting the heat exchanger from condensation leading to corrosions and numerous other complications. This low temperature feature would significantly contribute to energy saving and environmental protection.

Pressed for space?
The old conventional oil fired boilers and what is commonly available now in the market, are generally not concerned about space saving. They therefore in addition create problems in a retrofit when shifting to location and placing. New designs are however compact and lighter making it possible to negotiate them in narrow corridors and small machine rooms. This in turn would reduce material used and resulting in less CO₂ released.

Direct vent designs
Oil fired condensing boilers with direct vent option, do not require a chimney or a combustion air supply which is a great convenience when installing new or retrofit. In addition included are full-swing doors which can have left or right sided hinges installed in combustion chamber and easy to clean flue gas passage ways would make them conveniently accessible for all maintenance work.

It is worthwhile studying Viessmann model Vitola 200 designed 40 years ago and of which there are over 2 million boilers are still in use all over the world. Don’t miss part 2 of this article that will follow.

Greentech .ie is your friendly consultant on oil fired and alternate fuel based boilers that would save your money now just burnt away as wasteful energy.