We at BHL are always trying to keep abreast of the latest developments happening within the plumbing and heating industry.  The buzz word at the moment is renewables – and there has been tremendous growth and interest in renewable technologies recently.

BHL will be visiting this years EcoBuild 2010 at Earls Court, London. EcoBuild is the country’s largest exhibition for the sustainable building sector and it offers the opportunity to view the latest energy saving and renewable products including Solar Water Heating Panels, Solar PV Panels, Ground Source Heat Pumps, Water Harvesting and High Efficiency Condensing Boilers, as well as developments in sustainable design, construction and the build enviroment.

All the leading names from the industry will be displaying their latest products at the conference including Worcester Bosch, Vaillant, Glow-Worm, Baxi, Grundfos, Bristan, Biasi, Ideal Boilers, Pegler Yorkshire and Cistermiser.

Amongst the manufacturers displaying new lines at EcoBuild is Worcester Bosch who will showcase a selection of new products, including  the new Worcester Greenfloor underfloor heating system as well as the Worcester Micro CHP unit – which is due for release in 2011. Worcester are also launching MVHR (mechanical ventilation and heat recovery) which will be displayed as part of a model house.

To find out about our visit to EcoBuild and the products we discovered, be sure to follow our blog in the next few weeks.

New Central Heating Boilers today are the most energy efficient that they have ever been. A new A-rated high efficiency condensing boiler will boast an efficiency rating of around 90%. However, a lot of heat is still lost through the flue outlet.

A new innovative product has been designed to capture this heat and use it to help generate hot water for domestic use. Designed and manufactured in Britain, the Zenex GasSaver delivers more usable hot water than a typical solar hot water system.

The GasSaver is attached to the top of a domestic boiler and works by capturing waste heat from the exhaust gases to warm the water in the tank. These are then passed through a flue and pumped back into the system, which preheats the cold water entering the boiler.

The temperature of this water is kept below 50 degrees, giving an increase in efficiency over typical condensing boilers, whose performance drops if the water is above that temperature. The result is a boiler that uses less energy.

Installation should be relatively straightforward, a basic knowledge of plumbing should suffice. Another bonus is zero maintenance (no moving parts) or electrical supply (no electrician). New-builds and total refurbs may be the GasSaver’s natural home. It may prove difficult to install onto existing boilers, unless you are prepared for a bit of hassle. Another consideration maybe the GasSaver’s unsightly apprearance. Aesthetics shouldn’t really figure when saving money (and the planet) but the unit does look a little uncomfortable atop the boiler.

According to the manufacturers, the cost of the unit could be recovered within three to five years (compared to 20-40 years for Solar!) With energy prices anticipated to rise by up to 25% in the next five to ten years installing a GasSaver (which could save you 50% on your gas bill) may prove a wise investment.

Buying a GasSaver

The manufacturers of the GasSaver have licensed their products to leading boiler manufacturers Alpha Boilers and Baxi Boilers.

The Baxi MultiFit GasSaver currently works with the Baxi DuoTec and Baxi Platinum combi boilers.