Big boiler recommendations and installers in South Cambs?
Discussion
I'd highly recommend getting heat loss calculations done and running two boilers at half the rating than one at full. That way you will always have half the power available, should one fail.
Most commercial installations run this way, feeding a low loss header and each zone can be easily tapped in with it's own pump.
Just to confirm, Keston are awful boilers. They have major issues with their heat exchangers failing.
Most commercial installations run this way, feeding a low loss header and each zone can be easily tapped in with it's own pump.
Just to confirm, Keston are awful boilers. They have major issues with their heat exchangers failing.
Rickyy said:
I'd highly recommend getting heat loss calculations done and running two boilers at half the rating than one at full. That way you will always have half the power available, should one fail.
Most commercial installations run this way, feeding a low loss header and each zone can be easily tapped in with it's own pump.
Just to confirm, Keston are awful boilers. They have major issues with their heat exchangers failing.
To be fair to Keston they were ahead of the game with condensing boilers but lost the plot. The last three I fitted needed an engineers visit to fire them from new, I don't fit them any-more.Most commercial installations run this way, feeding a low loss header and each zone can be easily tapped in with it's own pump.
Just to confirm, Keston are awful boilers. They have major issues with their heat exchangers failing.
I used to Spec Potterton 115kW commercial boilers all the time - then had two bust (cascade plumbed) in 2 months. So now I use ATAG. Had 4 of them fitted so far but they are picky about how hard you can pump them - found out that if you have a decent (Wilo) twin head pump, running at full crack, they complain saying "Fill" even though I had the Potterton guy spec the pump, they think they are not getting enough water - at 2 bar.
ATAG come with a big header for 2 or 3 floors, and again in cascade mode they do the job.
I would attach a pic of a Potterton 115 which blew up (not a bang, just enough to flood the boiler room) but don't know how.
Oil boilers I know in and out, they are just a bigger version of a domestic oil boiler - but gas boilers - I am qualified to work on them, but don't want to touch them for maintenance.
I am "Gas Safe" - but bugger working on commercial boilers, almost all the commercial boys I know say "Just get a new one". Not my style.
ATAG come with a big header for 2 or 3 floors, and again in cascade mode they do the job.
I would attach a pic of a Potterton 115 which blew up (not a bang, just enough to flood the boiler room) but don't know how.
Oil boilers I know in and out, they are just a bigger version of a domestic oil boiler - but gas boilers - I am qualified to work on them, but don't want to touch them for maintenance.
I am "Gas Safe" - but bugger working on commercial boilers, almost all the commercial boys I know say "Just get a new one". Not my style.
guindilias said:
I used to Spec Potterton 115kW commercial boilers all the time - then had two bust (cascade plumbed) in 2 months. So now I use ATAG. Had 4 of them fitted so far but they are picky about how hard you can pump them - found out that if you have a decent (Wilo) twin head pump, running at full crack, they complain saying "Fill" even though I had the Potterton guy spec the pump, they think they are not getting enough water - at 2 bar.
ATAG come with a big header for 2 or 3 floors, and again in cascade mode they do the job.
I would attach a pic of a Potterton 115 which blew up (not a bang, just enough to flood the boiler room) but don't know how.
Oil boilers I know in and out, they are just a bigger version of a domestic oil boiler - but gas boilers - I am qualified to work on them, but don't want to touch them for maintenance.
I am "Gas Safe" - but bugger working on commercial boilers, almost all the commercial boys I know say "Just get a new one". Not my style.
Had similar on a Vaillant commercial boiler, big Grundfos was creating so much negative pressure, that the internal pressure sensor was reading 0.1 bar down from 18 and tripping the boiler out! I don't have my commercial qualifications though, so I can't open them up.ATAG come with a big header for 2 or 3 floors, and again in cascade mode they do the job.
I would attach a pic of a Potterton 115 which blew up (not a bang, just enough to flood the boiler room) but don't know how.
Oil boilers I know in and out, they are just a bigger version of a domestic oil boiler - but gas boilers - I am qualified to work on them, but don't want to touch them for maintenance.
I am "Gas Safe" - but bugger working on commercial boilers, almost all the commercial boys I know say "Just get a new one". Not my style.
I'm itching to have a go at maintenance on the big stuff. We fitted two 60kw Viessmanns a couple of months back and what a bloody nightmare they were to set up. Had to change loads of parameters just to get them to fire up and trying to navigate through the sub menus was a joke!
dirkgently said:
[
f
k me, you belong on PH 
Do you have a goatee?
No goatee. Should I grow one?f
k me, you belong on PH Do you have a goatee?The reality is that I paid not very much for it 18 years ago. If I'd paid that in London back then, I'd have a far more valuable asset now. But it is a lovely place. We've been very happy here.
I can sympathise with you mate, my place is 9600sq ft, and I have twin potterton osprey 44kw boilers running a 4 zone heating system. This also goes up a head of 4 floors as well, with a circulation pump the size of a V8!
I couldn't tell you how many rads that feeds, but at full pelt it'll heat up all 4 floors very well, and very quickly. As yours, all ceilings are circa 3300mm high and have original Georgian single glazed Windows. Part of the advantages I have is that it is all new plumbing, and we made sure to keep the pipe diameter up as high as possible to keep as much flow in the system.
Another advantage of the twin boilers, is if one fails, or is off line for servicing, then you have at least got a backup option. I've had this once, and although it struggles, it means you still can have a shower and some warmth! And mine feeds twin 300litre water tanks as well!
I couldn't tell you how many rads that feeds, but at full pelt it'll heat up all 4 floors very well, and very quickly. As yours, all ceilings are circa 3300mm high and have original Georgian single glazed Windows. Part of the advantages I have is that it is all new plumbing, and we made sure to keep the pipe diameter up as high as possible to keep as much flow in the system.
Another advantage of the twin boilers, is if one fails, or is off line for servicing, then you have at least got a backup option. I've had this once, and although it struggles, it means you still can have a shower and some warmth! And mine feeds twin 300litre water tanks as well!
Rickyy said:
Had similar on a Vaillant commercial boiler, big Grundfos was creating so much negative pressure, that the internal pressure sensor was reading 0.1 bar down from 18 and tripping the boiler out! I don't have my commercial qualifications though, so I can't open them up.
I'm itching to have a go at maintenance on the big stuff. We fitted two 60kw Viessmanns a couple of months back and what a bloody nightmare they were to set up. Had to change loads of parameters just to get them to fire up and trying to navigate through the sub menus was a joke!
It's like an old BBC Basic menu, isn't it? I'm itching to have a go at maintenance on the big stuff. We fitted two 60kw Viessmanns a couple of months back and what a bloody nightmare they were to set up. Had to change loads of parameters just to get them to fire up and trying to navigate through the sub menus was a joke!
We had the boys on the Potterton sites pick through their pockets to find the thinnest penny they had, then left that on top of the boilers. Just about thin enough to turn the manual fill valve - new pennys are too thick.
Of course we could have specced a pressurisation unit - but at about a grand and a half, that's a lot of twists with a penny by the "General Maintenance" guys, who would check the pressure every morning on their rounds and give it a tweak up if needed, once they were shown where the magic penny sat!
[/url]It was the old boiler house (only accessed from outside) so the plumbing could be as agricultural as it liked (no idea how old it is). We turned it into a boot room and lost the gardener's loo in the process. The pipes were just covered in a cupboard. When we did that we elected to keep much of the pipework as it was going to be a nightmare to redo it all. I'll grab some pictures later.
Lovely House 
Brother in Law has a similar size house on the IOW.
3 boilers on split zones etc, with Magnaflow water thingy. Zones are timed to suit occupation. Works well considering the number of bathrooms etc, but I think his bum is still sore from the cost.
We do Marshalls work in Cambridge. They are having some boiler work at the moment, company are excellent doing the work.
Shall get details if it may help ?
Brother in Law has a similar size house on the IOW.
3 boilers on split zones etc, with Magnaflow water thingy. Zones are timed to suit occupation. Works well considering the number of bathrooms etc, but I think his bum is still sore from the cost.
We do Marshalls work in Cambridge. They are having some boiler work at the moment, company are excellent doing the work.
Shall get details if it may help ?
Edited by roofer on Saturday 7th May 19:53
AstonZagato said:
The early feedback I've had on CHP is that it works best in an environment where there is a 24/7 need for heat and power (nursing home/hotel/hospital). In a domestic setting, the efficiency isn't quite there. However I want to see more figures on it.
I have seen only 2 installs in realOne is biomass powered and was installed a couple of years back - I expect the green incentives were better then and made it look quite attractive at the time.
The other was installed earlier this year and is at a house of a similar size to yours, but with a swimming pool that is heated by the boiler too - maybe that tips the balance enough to make it pay.
AstonZagato said:
Interesting idea. The trouble is that the heating for the pool is quite far from the house. So far that we run it on oil rather than gas.
Biomass isn't a runner as access would be challenging.
Aiui if you have mains gas then biomass is a non starter financially.Biomass isn't a runner as access would be challenging.
Once you start digging and replacing another heating system, the install £ can get high quick. Payback period for the system stretching out forever
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