Efficient home heating

Heating your home during the colder months uses a large proportion of the energy you use throughout the entire year.

Ensuring your heating system is running efficiently and that you are not wasting any energy can therefore help you to make big savings on your fuel bills.

Heating experts at boiler manufacturer Glow-worm advise homeowners to consult a qualified engineer on the best boiler for their home, to ensure that you get it right from the very start.

Other top tips from Glow-worm to help homeowners get the most from your central heating:

•    Ensure your heating system is working most efficiently

Many people believe that keeping their heating on all day, even when out, is more efficient as it will take less energy to bring their home up to the desired temperature.

In fact, a far more efficient way to heat your home is to programme your system to operate when you need it most.

•    Intelligent controls

New, intelligent controls such as Glow-worm’s Climapro2 RF, a wireless programmable room thermostat with two channels, can be used as part of a heating system containing a cylinder, to accurately set your heating and hot water to come on together or at totally different times of the day.

The advanced programmable thermostat can also enable you to programme your specific heating and hot water requirements for the exact times you require, throughout each part of every day, so that you can manage your heating more effectively.

Controls like this are central to the efficient running of a heating system.  All Glow-worm controls use an advanced communication system to ‘talk’ directly to the boiler so the flow temperature of water to the central heating system can be controlled directly, based on the temperature measured in the room.  This helps to create a more efficient heating system which can deliver significant savings on household energy bills.

•    Thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs)

Your heating engineer may suggest installing thermostatic radiator valves.  This means applying a valve to each radiator, which will control the temperature of a room by regulating the flow of hot water to the radiator.  If a room is not used, then the thermostatic radiator valve can also be turned off completely.

•    Call in the boiler doctor for an annual maintenance check

It’s important to arrange an annual maintenance check for your boiler and central heating system by a Gas Safe Registered engineer, to ensure that it’s working correctly and efficiently.  A check up can sometimes seem unnecessary when nothing’s broken, but your installer or service engineer can help to ensure that everything is in good working order and reduce the risk of any breakdowns during the cold snaps of winter.  It’s also very important to get your boiler serviced annually as in many cases; you will need to do this to keep your manufacturers warranty valid.

Glow-worm has a list of installers available online at www.glow-wormheating.co.uk all searchable by postcode, or if you’re looking to get your Glow-worm boiler serviced call 01773 828100 to speak to our after sales service department.

Insulate

Loft insulation is effective for at least 40 years, and it will pay for itself over and over again in that time.

If your loft is already insulated, it’s worth checking that you’ve got enough insulation to get the maximum savings. The Energy Saving Trust estimates that if everyone in the UK installed 270mm loft insulation, we could save nearly £500 million – and 2.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year – the equivalent of taking nearly 100,000 cars off the road.

Approximately a third of all heat that is lost from un-insulated homes is lost through the wall, due to wall cavities, so investing in cavity wall insulation from the offset will keep your home warmer for longer, and limit costs in the long run.

As well as walls, heat can be lost through doors, windows and fireplaces, so make sure to shut the living room door in the winter to stay cosy, and ensure windows are all closed.  Leaving them open whilst the heating is on will mean your home doesn’t heat as efficiently.

As well as preventing heat from escaping your home, insulating your cylinder also avoids heat lost through the tank itself. Glow-worm’s  new range of high efficiency cylinders exceed Central Heating System Specifications (CHeSS) best practice with regards to insulation, making them the preferred choice for retaining heat, and for the ultimate choice in energy efficiency. The new Glow-worm Hydracyl and Flurocyl₂ cylinders are available as single and twin coil domestic hot water cylinders (for traditional boiler and renewable installations respectively) in a range of sizes, so you can find the one most suitable for your home.

Time zones

Be selective as to where and when to allocate your central heating. Most advanced heating systems allow flexible settings, so as to suit your preferences with regards to which rooms you would like heated and when. Taking the time to set up the timers correctly on your heating system, and checking to make sure they are functioning properly can save a lot of money on bills in the long run. Make sure you heat the zones of your home which you spend most of your time in and avoid heating those which aren’t used.

Plus, if you make sure to turn the heating off for the hours that no-one will be in the house , such as when you are at work, and set it to come on for when you will be arriving back in the evening, you will be saving a lot of otherwise wasteful heat and energy.

Intelligent boiler controls like the Climapro₂RF provide an easy way to control and time your heating to fit in around your lifestyle, enabling you to pre programme your heating and hot water requirements for each part of every day.  Controls like this can also be teamed with an outdoor sensor to benefit from external weather compensation, which enables your boiler to automatically adjust the temperature in your home in line with both the internal and outside temperature, meaning you’ll always have the heating at just the right level.

Don’t forget to make the most of your controls, and set your heating requirements for night time too.  It is easy to forget to turn the heating back off before going to sleep which means the system continues to work overnight and wastes energy while you’re sleeping – this will not only expend unnecessary heat energy and crank up the energy bills, but it will also leave your home uncomfortably hot at night.

Some extra wooly warmers!

Putting some extra layers on, may be the cheapest way to keep us warm, but sometimes it takes more than that to keep us cosy when trying to keep the heat in and the cold out. A well insulated home and an efficient central heating system should do the main job, but here are some good old fashioned tips for that extra bit of winter warming at home:

•    Hot water bottles: even though we now have more modern, practical solutions to keeping warm, more traditional ways of staying warm can still top up your temperature.

•    Drink up! Hot drinks warm us up instantly, as they work like an internal radiator, and although the effects are short-lived, your body temperature will go up for a time, meaning you can turn the thermostat down!

•    Thermal curtains: Thermal curtains can significantly reduce heat loss around the home and offer a cheaper alternative to insulated walls. You can either buy these readymade or the make your own by simply lining your curtains with an insulating material.

For more tips on energy efficient home heating, visit our advice page.

Keeping cosy

Making sure you insulate your home efficiently will not only save you money on energy bills, but will also keep your home toasty and warm over the winter months. Finding the most efficient heating system for your home and its specific needs is the first step towards energy efficient home heating.  By using a modern day high efficiency condensing boiler in a well insulated property, your heating system will modulate to control the output to give the best performance, ensuring that it operates in the most economic and fuel efficient way to help you save money on energy bills.

In addition, once a suitable level of insulation has been achieved the property will be in a much better position to take advantage of the latest renewable technology – which could mean even bigger savings!

For more information and advice, visit our Home Heating advice page.

It may sound scary, but don’t be alarmed!  These are all key indicators that could suggest your central heating system maybe suffering from a case of system sludge.  Over time, many central heating systems develop sludge, and your heating engineer will be able to diagnose and treat your system to eliminate the problem.
Known technically as Black Oxide Sludge or magnetite, system sludge is the result of debris and corrosion of some of the components within your heating system.

Here to educate you on the symptoms of system sludge, what to do if you think it’s in your heating system and how to prevent it, is our very own Glow-worm guide to system sludge.
What causes system sludge?

Sludge is caused by the natural corrosion of radiators and other heating system components (other than the boiler), in addition to any existing dirt in the water and air in the system.
As water flows past the debris, it creates a circular pattern moving the dirt around your radiators. This causes cold spots in the centre of the radiator to appear where the dirt is moved to, leaving only the top, bottom and side of the radiator to warm your rooms.

System sludge can also find its way into your boiler, restricting flow rates, and in rare, extreme cases causing failure to key components.  It is something many central heating systems will develop in time and the symptoms should not be ignored.
What are the symptoms of system sludge?

System sludge presents itself in a number of ways. The tell-tale signs to look out for include:
•    A reduction in the overall heat in your home
•    Your heating taking longer to heat up
•    Cold spots in parts of your radiator
•    Radiators only working in some of your rooms
•    Excessive noise from your boiler including drumming, knocking and thudding

Untreated sludge can lead to an increase in your heating bills, less heat, key components in your heating system being damaged and blockages. If you think your heating system may have system sludge, it is important to seek professional advice.

Treating system sludge

The treatment of heating system sludge requires thorough boiler cleaning which should be carried out by a heating engineer. Using mains water and a specialised cleanser, the system is power flushed using a mechanised pump. Professional treatment can take just a couple of hours for a basic system flush, through to a full day if each radiator requires individual treatment. The treatment type is dependent on the amount of sludge in your system.

When a new boiler is installed it is also important that the system is flushed to prolong the life of your boiler, in addition to treating the system with a chemical inhibitor to prevent future corrosion. The less sludge in your system, the more efficient your heating will be through the cold winter months.

So if your central heating system isn’t operating quite like normal this winter, don’t panic or ignore it, your system could just be in need of a good clean and a bit of TLC!  If you think your heating system may have system sludge, seek professional advice and find an engineer in your area using our free online tool or alternatively call our Group Service team on 01773 828100.

But with the arrival of milder temperatures, most households will have turned the central heating off, trying to make the most of the limited sunshine.

Your boiler will tick along quite happily, supplying hot water for showers and general hot water demand until you need to crank up the heating again come September.

That’s when boilers, which haven’t been serviced, often experience problems. Experts at Glow-worm suggest that in fact the summer can be the best time to pay your heating equipment some vital attention. An annual maintenance check, like an MOT for your car, will help to ensure that your boiler remains in good working order for as long as possible ready for when you need it most.

Booking a Summer time service

• Lots of people wait until their boiler has already broken before getting it serviced, but this leaves you at risk of getting caught out in the cold winter months. Play it safe and organise an annual check-up in advance of colder weather

• The cost of an emergency boiler replacement in the peak season can far exceed the cost of getting a regular annual checkup earlier on in the year, so although it may seem like an additional expense at the time, you could be saving yourself cash in the long run

• Engineers tend to have more availability in the summer, when they aren’t getting called out to emergency boiler repairs, so they can work around you and your family more easily.

We have over 230 engineers on the road across the country with each carrying over 1500 spare parts in their van at any one time. We’re also incredibly proud to boast a 97% first time fix rate so if something does need attention we can get everything sorted ASAP.

Call our dedicated customer services team to arrange a service on 01773 828100.

Considering buying a new boiler but unsure which boiler is right for you? Try our boiler calculator or contact an installer in your area using our online tool.

The new Ultracom2 35 Store is our new High Efficiency storage combi boiler and the latest addition to the Glow-worm’s Ultracom range of High Efficiency boilers. It provides central heating and high performance instant and unlimited hot water in one wall hung, self contained unit; perfect for larger homes where demand for hot water is high, but space is limited.

The Clever bit

The unique design of the Ultracom2 35 Store; with two 21 litre cylinders contained within the unit, ensures efficient, reliable and instant hot water however high the demand is. When there is a low demand for hot water the boiler will operate as a normal combi model, to provide instant hot water to the home. At peak times of the day, when the demand for hot water increases however; the Ultracom2 35 Store really comes into its own. As the domestic hot water demand increases the boiler will use both its combi functionality in addition to the two 21 litre storage cylinders stored inside the model, to ensure you have all the hot water you need.

Being able to rely on getting a high volume of hot water really quickly, is a real benefit of the Ultracom2 35 store, as it takes less than 5 minutes for the cylinders to regenerate and reheat to maximum capacity, compared to some comparable performance systems which can take half an hour or more.

The best bit however is that because the Ultracom2 35 store is one self contained model, you can enjoy high performance continuous and instant hot water, using up far less space than you would with a comparable performance system which uses a boiler and separate cylinder.

The newest member of the Ultracom family

As a new addition to the popular Glow-worm Ultracom range, you can rest assured that quality and reliability are built in as standard. The Ultracom2 35 store is really quiet during operation so you’ll barely know it’s the there, and it works perfectly with the Climapro2 RF handheld programmable room thermostat; so you can easily programme your specific heating and hot water requirements for each part of every day, giving you total flexibility and control.

For extra piece of mind it also comes with 2 years parts and labour warranty so you can be confident that help is at hand should you ever need it.

So if you live in a home with 4+ bedrooms and typically have a high demand for hot water, why not ask an installer about the Ultracom2 35 store, to see if it could be the new heating system you’ve been looking for? He or she will be able to advise on the suitability of the boiler for your property so that you get the right option to suit your family, property type and lifestyle.

To find an installer in your local area search by postcode using our free online tool.

The right boiler for you will be dependent upon on the heating and hot water requirements of you and your family.

There are a few factors to consider, to name but a few:
• How many baths, sinks and showers do you have?
• What type of house do you live in? (e.g. ‘semi-detached’)
• Is it important for you to minimise the amount of space occupied by the boiler?

While all this may seem daunting, our handy Glow-worm boiler calculator provides a simple way to weigh up which boiler is best for you and your home. This can be used along with your installer’s advice when you arrange for an installer to visit your home.

2. Understanding the terminology

SEDBUK efficiency

A SEDBUK rating is the Seasonal Efficiency of a Domestic Boiler (in the UK) and works to provide a universal basis on which to assess the maximum efficiency of boilers.

SEDBUK rates a boiler based on amount of fuel used, boiler type, boiler water content and typical domestic usage patterns. Until recently, grades given by SEDBUK ran from A to G, with A being the best at 90% energy efficient.

Since October 2010 changes to UK Building Regulations have meant that SEDBUK letter banding has been replaced, and only boilers rated 88%* efficient or above (using SAP 2009 calculations) are suitable for new boiler installations in the UK, as energy efficiency requirements have been raised.

This simply means that when choosing a new boiler you can be sure that you’re getting the highest levels of boiler efficiency which can help you to save carbon, and money on your heating bills.
*SEDBUK 2009 calculations are not compatible with SEDBUK 2005 calculations

Boiler type
Every home has its own specific heating and hot water requirements, which is why there are a number of different types of heating systems available to suit every type of house. There are 3 main types of traditional boilers in the UK; Combination (combi) boilers, Sealed systems, and Open vent (or Heat only) boilers.

Combi boilers provide central heating and hot water without the need for a separate water tank to store water. Although used in a wide variety of homes, this type of boiler is most suited to homes with just one bathroom.

Sealed system boilers provide central heating and hot water via a storage cylinder housed in an airing cupboard so there is no need for water tanks in the loft. This type of system is great for larger homes with multiple bathrooms/en suites.

Open vent boilers provide central heating and hot water via a boiler, a storage cylinder housed in the airing cupboard and water tanks in your loft. Homeowners looking to replace a current open vent system in a larger house may find this type of system the best option for their home.

A qualified, Gas Safe Registered installer will be able to give you an accurate indication of what type of boiler would be best suited to your home, but in the mean time, you can find lots more information by visiting our handy guide.

3. Making the purchase

Don’t panic!
Replacing a boiler can be daunting – but don’t panic! Head to websites like the Energy Saving Trust and Which? They can quickly help point you in the right direction. And of course, our own website has loads of great information on where to get expert help and advice.

Installation
Finding an installer is often another hurdle where boiler replacement is concerned, so make use of helpful devices like the Glow-worm installer finder – with a pre-selected list of installers UK wide, where you can swiftly and easily locate an installer near you.

In all cases we’d recommend contacting a qualified, Gas Safe Registered installer before making your final decision, to get an accurate quote and a tailored recommendation on the best boiler for your home.

For some people the decision to choose a new boiler is made because their old one has stopped working – as a result choosing a new boiler can often be seen as a distress purchase, something which is needed very quickly to keep your family and home happy and in full working order. Even if this is the case, it’s still very important to make sure you find a reputable installer who can give you tailored advice on the right boiler for you and your home – and finding them needn’t add to the strain.

In fact finding a reputable installer with our postcode search facility couldn’t be easier. All of installers on the list are Glow-worm recommended and registered with a competent person’s scheme such as Gas Safe Register. So they have been trained by Glow-worm and are well equipped to install and maintain Glow-worm products.

You can either contact a local installer to find the best boiler for you, or ask an installer to contact you directly using our boiler calculator to ascertain the best model for your home. In either case you can be confident that you’ll get the right boiler to match your heating and hot water requirements.

Access our boiler calculator here or skip straight to our find an installer facility to search by postcode.

We all know moving house can be stressful.

On top of unpacking and trying to separate the tea pot from the children’s’ toys, a successful move can often be heavily dependent on the state of the property you’re moving into.

Does it need a thorough clean? Have the fixtures and fittings been left in a usable condition? Have you been left the relevant details for utility suppliers or user manuals for all relevant appliances?

One of the queries we received recently here at needanewboiler.com was regarding a new homeowner’s boiler, which they hadn’t been left the manual for. How do they work it? Where is the user manual? Where are the controls – are they on the boiler?

So we thought we’d offer some advice to help out those of you who may have moved into a new property, with a Glow-worm boiler, and have been left scratching your heads trying to find the manual or instructions.

1. Our trade website includes lots of user manuals for both current and discontinued Glow-worm products, just take a look at www.glow-worm.co.uk/literature for more information. If you can’t find the manual you’re looking for then why not give our Literature line a call who should be able to help (01773 596105)
2. We also have guidance on our comprehensive range of Glow-worm controls, so if you’ve not been left a manual or have mislaid yours, you can access helpful information via the relevant listings at our trade site
3. When you move into a new property it’s advisable to book a service for your new boiler – you can check it’s in good working order and also ask any questions about how it operates and how to make it work for your family. Interested? Search by postcode to find the nearest recommended engineers in your area.
4. Our trade website includes all the installation and service guides for our full range of boilers – most of this is highly technical but this may be useful for if your boiler needs a service or you’re your installer needs some advice on spare parts.
5. Our products are all guaranteed for a number of months after installation, however we’d always recommend that you consider taking out Boiler Breakdown cover, details of which you can find here.
6. Our customer services team are here to help – contact them on 01773 828100, via the contact form on our website or leave a comment here on needanewboiler.com and we’ll endeavour to respond as soon as we can.

As long as the heating is off and the windows are open, we otherwise don’t need to worry about the temperature of our homes. Right? Wrong. Experts at Glow-worm suggest that in fact the summer can be the best time to settle down and pay your heating equipment some vital attention!

Here’s why:

•    Lots of people wait until their boiler has already broken before getting it serviced, but this leaves you at risk of getting caught out in the cold winter months and stuck with no heating.  Play it safe and organise an annual check-up in advance of the cold weather.

•    The cost of an emergency boiler replacement in the peak season can far exceed the cost of getting a regular annual check up earlier on in the year, so though it may seem an unnecessary expense at the time, you could be saving yourself cash in the long run.

•    Engineers tend to have more availability in the summer, when they aren’t getting called out to emergency boiler repairs, so they can work around you more easily.

Glow-worm’s online installer locater tool can help you easily find your nearest installer if you’re considering a new boiler or just want to discuss the best options for you and your family.