Boiler advice

I have a Worcester Bosch green star condenser boiler but a lot of grey smoke comes out of the flue when it’s on,done a little research and finding some that says condenser boilers shouldn’t do this can anyone give me any advice or point me in direction of someone I could get out to have a look,just recieved email from energy supplier saying they are having to increase my monthly direct debit to £185 due to usage trying to work out how I’m using so much in a 3 bed house family of 5
It's a condensing boiler and it will produce a plume when the temperature is as low as it is. The boiler is at its most efficient whilst running on central heating and this when it will produce more condensation. It basically happens when the warm flue gases hit the cooler outside air.
 


It's a condensing boiler and it will produce a plume when the temperature is as low as it is. The boiler is at its most efficient whilst running on central heating and this when it will produce more condensation. It basically happens when the warm flue gases hit the cooler outside air.
As my heating engineer colleague says it’s called plume, and appears when the boiler is working efficiently
 
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As my heating engineer colleague says it’s called plume, and appears when the boiler is working efficiently
I know, I'm a heating engineer
As my heating engineer colleague says it’s called plume, and appears when the boiler is working efficiently
I know, I'm a heating engineer
 
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£40 doesn't sound much but £2k for owt sounds a lot out of an annual wage . I freely admit to being a tight Yorkshireman
You're not gonna get bills as high once the summer comes. Gas and Electric are expensive these days.'
Wife and I live in a bungalow. WE don't hammer the heating, this months, bill was , £68 electric and £63 gas.
We cook electric .
Am getting grief about being on the computer 8/10 hrs a day plus we both have tv's on a lot.
We pay £87 pm direct debit so hope the lower summer usage will counteract what we are using now.
Simple terms.
The radiators are on a loop. Hot water goes in, then through every rad, then back into the boiler as less-hot water before being reheated.

In a condensing boiler, the "lost" heat from the flame is sent through a heat exchanger, and the cooled-water goes through that first, before going into the actual boiler. You recover some of the lost heat.
But the condensing temp of the gas is about 60C, so if the cooled-water is still above about 55C, it can't take much (or any) heat from the condenser

My rads are set to 60C. So for sure, the return water is able to get the most out of the condenser. Its 10-15% more efficient that setting them high like we used to with old boilers.


(I didn't look up the condensing temps, but feel free to confirm it for yourself. I did set mine to 60c based on the real numbers, though)
So are you on a "one pipe system " ?
Thats s an outdated inefficient pipework set up that was abandoned in the 90's.
Am retired and been out of the fame for 12 yrs but I can remember attending quite a few manufacturers seminars and one pipe systems were not recommended for use with low water content boilers , in fact we had a few situations with manufacturers reluctant to attend issues when they were informed that the system hadn't been upgraded when the boiler was installed. they soon added a rider in boiler installation details advising that one pipe systems weren't compatible.
If my memory serves me right in the thousands of boilers we fitted I only ever left a "one pipe" system in on a house in gateshead and the was because of the disruption an upgrade would have caused to an elderly client. Even then I had to run one rad "two piped" to achieve a decent balance between flow and return temp's at the boiler.
 
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You're not gonna get bills as high once the summer comes. Gas and Electric are expensive these days.'
Wife and I live in a bungalow. WE don't hammer the heating, this months, bill was , £68 electric and £63 gas.
We cook electric .
Am getting grief about being on the computer 8/10 hrs a day plus we both have tv's on a lot.
We pay £87 pm direct debit so hope the lower summer usage will counteract what we are using now.

So are you on a "one pipe system " ?
Thats s an outdated inefficient pipework set up that was abandoned in the 90's.
Am retired and been out of the fame for 12 yrs but I can remember attending quite a few manufacturers seminars and one pipe systems were not recommended for use with low water content boilers , in fact we had a few situations with manufacturers reluctant to attend issues when they were informed that the system hadn't been upgraded when the boiler was installed. they soon added a rider in boiler installation details advising that one pipe systems weren't compatible.
If my memory serves me right in the thousands of boilers we fitted I only ever left a "one pipe" system in on a house in gateshead and the was because of the disruption an upgrade would have caused to an elderly client. Even then I had to run one rad "two piped" to achieve a decent balance between flow and return temp's at the boiler.
I have no idea what you're talking about there?
 
Thanks for all the info and advice lads you’re right it is steam or water vapour got a appointment with someone to give me energy advice on Monday hopefully get somewhere with that cheers
 
You're not gonna get bills as high once the summer comes. Gas and Electric are expensive these days.'
Wife and I live in a bungalow. WE don't hammer the heating, this months, bill was , £68 electric and £63 gas.
We cook electric .
Am getting grief about being on the computer 8/10 hrs a day plus we both have tv's on a lot.
We pay £87 pm direct debit so hope the lower summer usage will counteract what we are using now.

So are you on a "one pipe system " ?
Thats s an outdated inefficient pipework set up that was abandoned in the 90's.
Am retired and been out of the fame for 12 yrs but I can remember attending quite a few manufacturers seminars and one pipe systems were not recommended for use with low water content boilers , in fact we had a few situations with manufacturers reluctant to attend issues when they were informed that the system hadn't been upgraded when the boiler was installed. they soon added a rider in boiler installation details advising that one pipe systems weren't compatible.
If my memory serves me right in the thousands of boilers we fitted I only ever left a "one pipe" system in on a house in gateshead and the was because of the disruption an upgrade would have caused to an elderly client. Even then I had to run one rad "two piped" to achieve a decent balance between flow and return temp's at the boiler.
He’s not a heating engineer mate
Just picked up a bit info here & there by the looks of it
Thanks for all the info and advice lads you’re right it is steam or water vapour got a appointment with someone to give me energy advice on Monday hopefully get somewhere with that cheers
There’s a few measures you can make to your existing installation to maximise savings
 
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Is there any reason why all the heating companies seem to be pushing Ideal boilers? Reviews online don't seem too great so must be some incentive surely.

Not sure what to go for.
 
Just had an upgraded baxi 830 fitted last week, much quieter than the one it replaced.

not as expensive as the Worcester’s from Bosch but probably the next best thing from a lot of reviews.
 
Is there any reason why all the heating companies seem to be pushing Ideal boilers? Reviews online don't seem too great so must be some incentive surely.

Not sure what to go for.
I just went with BOXT and had a Worcester Bosch Greenstar 30si fitted the next day after ordering.

No hassle at all.
 

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