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Understanding the different types of Boilers

Category:Boilers Tags : 
 

Combination Boilers

A combination or ‘combi’ boiler is both a high efficiency water heater and a central heating boiler in a single compact unit. Combi boilers heat water directly from the mains when you turn on a tap, so you won’t need a hot water storage cylinder or a cold water storage tank in the roof space. They are also very cost-effective and energy-efficient as water is heated instantly rather than being heated and then stored in a cylinder. An added benefit is that hot water is delivered at mains pressure, which means that you could get a powerful shower without the need for a separate pump.
  • Compact sizes make combi boilers perfect for smaller properties
  • Ideal where there is little or no loft space
  • No need for a hot water cylinder allows increased living space
  • No cold water storage tank frees up a loft for conversion
  • No risk of loft pipework freezing
  • Less pipework in the home makes installation typically cheaper
  • Combination Boilers

System Boilers

System boilers require a cylinder for storing hot water, however the major heating and hot water system components are built into the boiler itself, making it quicker and easier to install. In addition, there is no need for a tank in the loft, so it can be an option in a home with little or no loft space or where the space is earmarked for a conversion. These boilers are also compatible with solar water heating systems, which deliver environmental benefits as well as lower energy bills.
  • Ideal for homes with more than one bathroom
  • Constant supply of hot water to any number of taps at the same time
  • No need for a loft tank, freeing up space and eliminating worries about leaks or frost damage
  • Economical to run
  • Built-in components makes installation quicker and neater

Regular Boilers

Regular boilers (sometimes known as traditional, conventional or heat only boilers) are ideally suited to homes that already have a traditional heating and hot water system which is linked to a separate hot water cylinder. These boilers also need a cold water storage tank in the loft to feed the hot water cylinder as well as a tank that maintains the water level of the central heating system. A regular boiler may be the best option for replacing an existing boiler if the property has an older radiator system, as it might not be able to cope with the higher water pressure that is delivered by system or combi boilers.
  • Perfect for homes where a lot of hot water is used at the same time
  • Ideal where there are two or more bathrooms
  • A good option in areas where water pressure is low
  • Compatible with solar water heating systems for a lower carbon footprint and lower energy costs

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Plumbing Standards

Plumbing standards adhered to by Kensign Engineering Ltd

Category:Standards adhered to Tags : 

Plumbing standards that we adhere to at Kensign Engineering are as follows:

 

Perform professionally, competently and responsibly

 

    • Carry out our work with due regard to technical quality, appropriate insurance cover and the interests of clients; communicating and performing to an acceptable standard; and with a duty of care to clients.

 

 

Safeguard the environment and public health and safety

 

    • Take all reasonable care to avoid damaging the environment or creating any danger or damage to property.

 

 

Comply with all relevant laws, regulations, standards and codes

 

    • Work in accordance with the relevant statutory requirements and conform to the appropriate British Standards Codes of Practice.

 

 

Broaden, improve and maintain our skills, knowledge and personal qualities.

 

    • Keep up-to-date with developments in the plumbing mechanical engineering services industry by attending and participating in Continuing Professional Development and other relevant training activities.

 

 

Uphold the dignity, standing and reputation of our company and the plumbing mechanical engineering services industry

 

    • Act professionally and adopt a form of behaviour and appearance that will not cause offence or embarrassment to others.

 

 


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gas fire installation

Gas fire Installation

Category:Gas Fires Tags : 

Installation Requirements: All gas appliances must be installed by a GAS SAFE Registered Engineer. The engineer will ensure that all of the requirements, as set out in the manufacturers installation manual, can be met. Important aspects are the chimney or flue system ventilation and gas pipes and gas pressure. By using a qualified person it will ensure that your gas fire is installed correctly and will operate safely and reliably. All GAS SAFE, Engineers are regularly audited to ensure they are working in line with the current regulations . The gas safe engineer is the person who takes overall responsibility for the product once the gas is connected and the user allowed to operate the appliance. Never allow an untrained person to install or connect a gas appliance, it is dangerous and will invalidate your home insurance.

Servicing: Kensign Engineering Ltd recommend that all gas fires are serviced every 12 months. This should be done regardless of how often the fire has been used in the last 12 months. There are number of issues which can effect a gas appliance functioning correctly, reliably and safely. Blockages in the gas pipes, gas leaks, chimney blockages, gas pressure drops etc can all be identified and rectified during a service.

Typical Installation Problems:

It is easy to blame the gas fire when it fails to function however in the majority of cases it is a site related issue that is causing the fire not to function. Gas fires have safety devices, these are fitted to switch the fire off should a problem arise while it is being used. If a gas fire is installed and it is unreliable and switching off periodically it indicates an installation issue. Do not use the gas fire until Kensign Engineering Ltd has inspected it.

Chimney Draw Is Too Strong

The draw on the chimney is causing the pilot flame to lift away from the thermocouple making the safety device shut the fire down.

Chimney Draw Is Too Weak

The draw is not strong enough, this could be because the chimney has become blocked, causing the fire to spill hazardous fumes into the room. This is very dangerous. The safety device senses the amount of oxygen in the air and will shut the fire down.

No Power

A remote control fire needs a power source. If it is powered by a mains supply has the fuse blown or the power switched off?  If it is battery powered – check and change the batteries.

Gas Pressure

A common cause of a gas fire shutting down while it is operating is that the gas pressure is not correct. This problem can be more noticeable when switching on other gas appliances within the property such as boilers etc. A drop in pressure will mean that the safety device on fire will shut the fire down to protect you. Contact Kensign Engineering Ltd regarding upgrading your gas pipe work.


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Landlords Gas safety Certificates

Landlords Gas safety Certificates

Category:Landlords Gas safety Certificates Tags : 

Gas safety checks – who needs them?

You must ensure that any gas appliances (permanent or portable), and gas flues that you own and provide for use by your tenants have regular gas safety checks.

Gas safety checks are needed by:

  • Landlords
  • Housing associations
  • Local authorities
  • Hotels and B&Bs
  • Colleges
  • Boarding schools
  • Hostels

In hotels and B&Bs, you must arrange an annual gas safety check for any gas appliances serving guest accommodation even if it is sited away from the guest accommodation.

My tenant shares the property in return for ‘rent’ (sub-letting)

As the original landlord you are still responsible for gas safety checks. You cannot transfer this responsibility to your tenant who is subletting. If your property is wholly sublet, your contract with your tenant must clearly allocate the responsibility for completing the gas safety check.

I have a family member staying rent-free in my home

Although a gas safety check is not required under the regulations, HSE strongly recommends that you maintain and service gas appliances as recommended by the manufacturer.

I employ domestic staff, who live in my home

You are classed as a landlord, so you need to arrange an annual gas safety check.

I have a lodger who pays me rent

You are classed as a landlord, so you need to arrange an annual gas safety check.

I allow students to stay with me for short periods, such as exchange trips

If a student stays with you for short periods and you are paid for things such as the students’ food, then you take on the duties of a landlord and must arrange for regular gas safety checks.

I own a shop and rent out the flat above

Domestic gas duties apply to the flat, so you must arrange an annual gas safety check.

How often do I need to arrange a gas safety check?

You must ensure that a gas safety check is done every year on each gas appliance/flue, contact Kensign Engineering Ltd


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What Is Central Heating?

Category:Boilers Tags : 

Central heating – this is the most common form of heating in the UK! A boiler heats up water that is pumped through pipes to radiators throughout the house as well as providing hot water to the kitchen and bathroom taps.

Most boilers run on mains gas, but in areas where mains gas is not available, the boiler can run on oil. Mains gas is usually the cheapest, and it has the lowest carbon dioxide emissions. Some boilers also have an electric immersion heater as a back-up.

central heating

If you have a central heating system, you may consider these energy-saving improvements:

  • Let Kensign Engineering Ltd replace your boiler with a newer, more efficient model.
  • Fit better controls and use them to make sure your boiler only provides heat where and when you want it.
  • Switch to a cheaper energy tariff
  • Make any insulation and draught-proofing improvements that you can.
  • Use chemical inhibitors to help maintain central heating system efficiency

For more information on central heating systems please contact us today!


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radiator installation

Radiator Installation

Category:Radiator Installation Tags : 

At Kensign Engineering Ltd we have the expertise to deal with all your radiator installation requirements.  Including one-off replacements and radiator valve repairs.

Our fully qualified heating engineers also have the know-how to install a brand new radiator or towel rail and all the necessary pipework into a room or wall space which currently doesn’t have one.  Kensign Engineering Ltd can also offer advice and recommendations regarding the best way to control your new radiator installation using Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs), which can help you to optimise your central heating’s performance and save you money on your fuel bills in the long term.

We offer an impressive range of radiators from top brands such as Stelrad, who are recognised for providing the finest and most efficient range of radiators in the UK.  So whether you need to add something to your existing central heating system or are simply looking for replacement radiators, Kensign Engineering Ltd are here to assist with a radiator installation which is second to none.


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What Is Secondary Heating?

Category:Central Heating Tags : 

Many households use individual heaters, such as portable electric heaters or fixed gas fires, in addition to their central heating. This is called ‘secondary heating’. Modern central heating systems are usually more efficient than individual heaters, but it can make sense to use an individual heater to heat one space for a limited time. This can help avoid over heating spaces that do not need to be heated, or are used infrequently. Secondary heating is typically provided by one or more of the following:

  • Portable electric heaters such as oil filled, convection, panel or fan heaters
  • Portable halogen heaters
  • Open gas fires
  • Range cookers
  • Traditional gas fires
  • Wall-mounted gas heaters

secondary heating

Kensign Engineering Ltd can help you with all these heating devices.


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heating system

Understanding Your Heating System

Category:Central Heating Tags : 

In a typical UK household, more than half the money spent on fuel bills goes towards providing heating and hot water. As fuel costs rise, having an efficient and cost effective heating system is vital, and it’s one of the main steps you can take to reducing your carbon dioxide emissions.

heating system

 

Kensign Engineering Ltd can give you advice on all the efficient boilers on the market.

It’s important to understand your current heating configuration. Nearly all homes in the UK have either a central heating system – a boiler and radiators – or they use electric storage heaters. Some homes will also make use of individual heaters that are not part of the main central heating system.

Call us on 07903 160061 for further information and advice regarding your heating requirements.


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Choosing the right boiler

What Is A Combi Boiler?

Category:Boilers,Central Heating Tags : 

What is a combi boiler?

A combi boiler combines a highly efficient water heater and a central heating boiler into one compact unit.  As a result, the combi boiler is fast becoming the heating system of choice in new homes across the UK, with over 50% of new installations being this type of boiler.

Combi boilers and storage space

Combi boilers provide central heating and hot water without the need for a hot water cylinder in an airing cupboard or a cold water tank in the loft. The combi boiler is not only an ideal space saving solution (as the combi boiler unit is very compact), but also it limits the heat that escapes as waste compared to traditional models, via things like the hot water tank.

Combi boilers and heating hot water

Combi boilers take water from the mains and then heat it as required, but are on standby when there is no water demand. Therefore hot water is available 24/7 and also just as importantly, the water is delivered at mains pressure, so no pump is required to deliver the ‘power shower’ experience (provided your home has adequate mains water pressure).

To produce the hot water that comes out of the taps, the cold mains water passes over a highly efficient heat exchanger. The heat exchanger transfers the vast majority of the heat from the burnt gas (90% or more) to the cold water, and then delivers it to the taps as required. Since combi boilers do away with the hot water tank, they are much more energy efficient, since there are no heat losses associated with stored hot water, it is simply created as needed.

Combi boilers and your central heating system

On the central heating side, combi boilers pump the water round the heating system in a completely sealed system. The boiler incorporates an expansion tank internally, so there is no need for an external feed and expansion tank in the loft, which obviously saves a great deal of space.

One of the issues with a combi boiler is that they struggle to produce both hot water and central heating at the same time, so priority is given to your domestic hot water whenever a hot water tap is opened in the home. For example, if you are running a bath, during this time no hot water will be circulated through your heating system, but as soon as the bath is full, the central heating circulation will resume.

Combi boiler efficiency

Since combi boilers don’t have to store any hot water, the heat losses via the hot water tank are zero, helping save you money on your gas bills.

Most boilers installed today are condensing boilers, so if you choose a combi boiler you would actually get a condensing combi boiler installed. These types of boilers use the heat contained within exhaust gases that would normally be released in to the atmosphere via the flue. They take advantage of heat exchangers to make the most of this latent heat, so less fuel is needed each time to heat the water, thereby further reducing your fuel costs.

The main 2 issues with combi boilers

The first issue is that since the hot water is produced at mains pressure, if the hot water is required in multiple outlets at the same time (e.g. a shower and the washing machine are running at the same time), there will be pressure drops at the different outlets. There are two solutions for this, firstly you can install a mains booster which recognises when pressure and flow are low and automatically boosts the performance of the incoming mains water. The second solution is to install an accumulator tank, which is a steel vessel that stores mains water at the pressure it is supplied into the home. Air within the steel vessel (trapped in a rubber diaphragm) is compressed by the mains water.  When a tap is opened the water can rush out of the vessel to the tap – faster than the mains

The downside of the accumulator tank is that once all the water in the tank is gone, you have the same pressure issues that you would experience if this wasn’t present.

The other issue is that if your combi boiler breaks, quite simply you will have no hot water generating facility other than the kettle. Most hot water tanks (within the system or regular boiler systems) come equipped with a electric immersion heater, so even if the boiler breaks you can still produce hot water for showers and baths (albeit in a rather expensive way).

Kensigns thoughts on combi boilers

In new homes where hot water demand is not extravagant, then a combi boiler is the most effective central heating / hot water system. They are very reliable and simple to install, save space (since they do away with cold and hot water tanks) and produce the hot water on demand as it is required in the home. As a result, in most situations we would recommend installing this type of boiler when you current boiler reaches the end of its useful life.

Benefits

  • The hot water is available 24/7 on demand at mains pressure, giving that ‘power shower’ effect.
  • Combi boilers are very compact and can sit fairly innocuously in your kitchen, or take up a small amount of space in your airing cupboard.
  • Combi boilers only produce hot water when it is needed, so no hot water is produced unnecessarily, which can help lower your bills.
  • There is no need for a hot water tank in an airing cupboard or a cold water storage tank in the loft.

Limitations

  • The main issue with a combi boiler is that it will struggle to cope with high demand for hot water from
  • multiple sources at the same time, because the hot water flow rate is divided by each of the water sources.
  • If the combi boiler does break down for some reason, then you have no capacity to produce hot water other than the kettle.
  • Combi boilers are currently not compatible with solar thermal technology.

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Worcester Boiler Warranty

Worcester Boiler Warranty

Category:Boilers,Central Heating Tags : 

Worcester Boiler Warranty

To benefit from your free Worcester boiler warranty, all you need to do is buy an eligible Worcester Greenstar boiler and arrange for it to be installed within your property by Kensign Engineering Ltd

Kensign Engineering Ltd will register your warranty via the Worcester Bosch website.

In order to retain the extended warranty period you must ensure that your boiler is serviced annually over the 5 year period as per Worcester’s terms and conditions.