On 19/05/2019 15:12, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Andrew wrote:
On 18/05/2019 11:22, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
A non balanced flue boiler is going to be about as inefficient as they
come.

Not necessarily.

Yes, necessarily.

My house, like millions of others, had a BAxi Bermuda back
boiler (about 15Kw) with a 3/6 Kw radiant fire.

A cheap job, then.

Fuel was cheap in the 1970's. New houses were built to the
standards that were deemed acceptable at the time.

The flue was Class 2 flue blocks built into the inner leaf
of the cavity wall, which passed through the upstairs front
bedroom and kept that North-facing room quite comfortable on
its own.

Just what you want on a nice day when the boiler is only heating the
water...

In the summer, you don't need much hot water, so that's what the
immersion heater is for, also when leccy was much cheaper.


Even the radiator was only half the size of the other,
in a south facing bedroom.

If the original numpty builders hadn't chucked the cement
snots inside the flue blocks and mortared the joints correctly
I might still have it today, but eventually the metal work
that directs the gas fire flue into the main flue corrodes
and then the fire is condemned even if the boiler works fine.

Think you mean as well as it ever worked.

But I'd guess you are one of those who don't mind throwing their pound
notes up the chimney.

They didn't go up the chimney, the heat warmed up the bedroom.

Nowhere near as inefficient as believed, and very, very
reliable and long-lasting (unlike todays junk).