More than 22 million UK households aren’t taking the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning seriously according to new research.

The findings, by npower hometeam which surveyed 2,000 people, found that awareness of the risks associated with carbon monoxide remain at an all time low, as more than two thirds of homeowners are failing to get gas appliances such as boiler, cookers and fires checked regularly for faults and leaks. 83 per cent of homeowners with gas fires don’t get them serviced regularly, whilst one in five gas cookers in the UK have never been checked. Only half of homeowners book an annual service for their boiler, even though a third of UK boilers are more than ten years old. One in six questioned never give it a second thought.

Carbon monoxide is the most common cause of fatal poisoning in the UK, with approximately 50 deaths a year, yet just 40 per cent of homeowners have a carbon monoxide alarm, half the number of those with a smoke alarm installed. This means that nearly 16 million homes currently don’t have a CO alarm and more than a third of these homeowners don’t think they need one. Women are more likely to own a smoke alarm (90 per cent compared to 82 per cent of men), and one in five males questioned didn’t know what a CO alarm was.

Joan Coe, marketing manager for npower hometeam, explains: “Carbon monoxide poisoning is often caused by failure or damage to gas appliances which prevents fuel from burning properly and because CO is colourless and odourless, leaks can be difficult to spot. Older appliances are a greater risk when it comes to CO leaks as they’re more likely to be inefficient and malfunction, wasting money and risking health. So it’s particularly worrying that at least a third of UK boilers are more than ten years old, not to mention other gas appliances such as fires and cookers.
“Millions of homes could be at risk of a carbon monoxide leak. But whilst many of us are aware of the risks associated with fire and are likely to have a smoke alarm installed, attitudes to carbon monoxide poisoning have yet to change in the same way, and very few of us have carbon monoxide alarms in place.

“There is a real danger in not having these appliances checked regularly and replaced when they become old, inefficient and potentially dangerous, as it’s not always apparent when something goes wrong. Just by investing in a CO alarm and having these appliances checked annually by an experienced Gas Safe registered engineer such as npower hometeam, you could significantly reduce your risk of CO poisoning.

“Homeowners with boilers reaching the ten year mark should also consider the benefits of installing a brand new A-rated energy efficient boiler, which would not only offer cost savings but is also less likely to malfunction. Furthermore, our team of expert Home Energy Consultants can visit you in your home and help to identify your central heating needs.”
Households in Wales and the North West are most at risk when it comes to problems with their boilers with nearly a quarter of respondents in each area having never booked a service. Meanwhile more than 50 per cent of respondents in the East Midlands, North East and North West had never had their gas cookers serviced.

Full Article here :- http://www.lets-do-diy.com/News/2011/June-2011/22-million-homes-dont-take-carbon-monoxide-risk-seriously.aspx

An unregistered gas installer has been sentenced to community service over illegal gas work.

Graham Nicholls, 66, incorrectly fitted a flue to his neighbour’s LPG boiler, leaving them at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning or an explosion at their property.

Mr Nicholls, of Wiltshire, had carried out the work despite not having CORGI registration, Chippenham Magistrates’ Court heard.

His unregistered status was exposed when he was unable to complete paperwork over work in Corsham between February and March 2009.

He was asked to fill in a benchmark book so it was recorded who had installed the flue, as well as a building compliance certificate.

The boiler was recognised as being in a dangerous condition by a Gas Safe registered inspector who was called in after the deception came to light.

Mr Nicholls was found guilty of breaching the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. He was sentenced to 300 hours of community service over 12 months and was also ordered to pay £2,280 in costs.

Full Article here at hvnplus.co.uk

For more information about the Gas Safe Register, which replaced CORGI, visit: http://www.gassaferegister.co.uk

The Provence Portable Calor Gas stove heater is an attractive why of keeping costs down and fullfilling this need.   The stove has been specifically designed with its warming living flame effect to blend in with the ambience of character cottages and traditional homes, and will bring a touch of ‘country chic’ wherever it is placed.  Even when it is not on, it is guaranteed to draw envious looks from guests and visitors!

There is no need to have the provence heater fitted into the gas supply as it runs off 15kg Calor Butane cylinders, and it has wheels so is easy to move from room to room. It has the timeless look of an old woodburning stove but does not take the same amount of maintenance. The Provence has a maximum heat input of 3kw and will provide up to 105 hours of heat dependant on the setting.
For safety it has a flame failure device and is also fitted with oxygen depletion cut off which shuts the product off if carbon dioxide levels room rise above 1.5%. Suitable for rooms greater than 64 cubic metres.

The Provence portable Calor gas stove provides you with instant hassle free heat to your property

Product size: 80 (H) x 46(W) x 56cm (D). Weight 35kg. Runs from Calor 7kg or 15kg gas cylinder. Available as 3 colour finishes.

Keeping you and your family safe should be a major concern when having any gas appliance fitted, replaced or repaired. That’s why we want to make sure you know about Carbon Monoxide (CO) and the steps you can take to keep everyone safe from harm.

As it isn’t attached to the wall, a wood-burning stove will radiate more heat thru a tiny or gigantic room.

Most frequently, wood-burning stoves are sometimes built of chrome steel, soapstone or ceramics study stone and brick but can remain graceful and recent thanks to new materials like fireproof glass and chrome steel details. The form of these stoves is most generally tall and cylindrical, with built in wood storage under the burning chamber. The fire of the oven should be heavy enough to please the eye as well as warm the room, but too much fire can literally turn your place into a cooker. When selecting a place to put your new stove, avoid traffic areas like doors. Do not forget to take stovepipe wants into the account, making sure they’re as per your local building codes. Since wood-burning stoves aren’t exactly fireplaces, they do not need any clearance between the fire chamber and surrounding flamable materials, for instance wood or fabric.

The virility of a wood-burning stove is conditional on what proportion of its combustion energy turns to heat which in its turn depends on how well it burns wood. The smoke is really consisting of unburned wood particles. Another factor that impacts the wood-burning stove’s virility is how much heat escapes thru the chimney. To boost the potential of your wood-burning stove, consider a chimney sweep in the 1st instance. This is going to be done by a professional hearth expert. If you spotted that a massive quantity of smoke is produced in the wood burning, you might have to change the scale of your stove opening, or reconfigure the present fire chamber. New designs of fire baskets can significantly improve air movement and heat potential. Wood fired stoves today offer a large assortment of looks and designs to be acceptable for any home style, from a retro Victorian house to a steel loft apartment. Painted black, brushed steel or perhaps red, with stovepipe to match, wood burning stoves with generous glass doors enable you admire the dancing flames in the cold winter season.

Basic wood burning stove parts as listed below :-

Door Adjustment

Check the seal on the loading door with paper money. Open the door on a cold stove, position the bill throughout the gasketed spot of the door, after that close and latch the door. Try to get rid of the bill by pulling. The bill should not pull out effortlessly.

Door Glass

Modern wood heaters use a clear ceramic material instead of the tempered glass that older fireplaces utilized. This ceramic material is usually known as stove glass for simplicity. It won’t break with heat generated by wood burners, but it can break if the fasteners are over-tightened or if it is struck hard with a poker or piece of wood.

Enamel

Several stoves are factory enameled, finish that cannot be added later. Enamel is quite difficult, even under heat stress, but can be broken by cracking. Touch up and enamel filler kits are accessible from stove dealers.

Firebrick

Firebrick is utilised in many wood stoves to protect steel or cast iron while growing firebox temperatures for greater combustion. Modern day EPA licensed wood heaters usually use a lighter, lower density brick for higher performance. When changing such brick it’s important to replace with the same brick kind to maintain your stove’s efficiency.

Baffles

Baffles in wood heaters reflect heat in the direction of the fire, enhance the length of the flame path and create a chamber for secondary combustion, all of which are necessary for clean burning and high effectiveness. They may possibly be steel, cast iron, firebrick, ceramic fiber board or a mixture of these supplies. Since they’re exposed to flame on both sides, baffles get extremely hot and may well fail more than time.

Air tubes

Stainless steel air tubes are utilised at the top of the fire below the horizontal baffle in several contemporary EPA certified stoves. The intense heat in this area can cause them to sag or disintegrate in time. The tubes are detachable by undoing the fastener or converting to unlock the keyed ends. Replace with factory parts and new fasteners.

In America, lobbying has started to try and save the future of the gas fireplace. From Net Zero policies through to No Burn rules, the gas industry is facing some serious threats – the Hearth and Patio Association gets set for a battle.

According to a recent document released by the Hearth, Patio and BBQ Association of America (HPBA) the gas industry has some serious obstacles to overcome to sustain its current acceptance in the market. Some of their current battles include:

Net Zero: A law that requires that any new home built from 2020 onwards must consume no more energy (gas & electric) than it can produce with solar panels on the roof. Gas Fireplaces don’t qualify as part of the heating system and may only be allowed if enough extra solar panels are installed on the home to off-set the annual consumption of the fireplace. This would make it extremely expensive to install any gas fireplace in new constructions.

No Burn Rules: Burning wood is being restricted. No burn nights are increasing which means the suitability of this source of heating is diminishing – if it’s cold, you want to burn your fireplace – if it falls on a No Burn night it could be mightly chilly!

NSPS: The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) is tightening up emission limits on all solid fuel applicances.

DOE: The Department of Energy (DOE) plans new rules for decorative gas appliances including limiting non-heater rated gas fireplaces to 9,000 btu’s or less which would mean a lot of lost business for gas manufacturers.

Establishing bioethanol as an alternative fuel source has had its fair share of scepticism – it appears however that it might be on the rise as tighter restrictions are introduced to achieve greener sources of heating.

Stearn offers a wide choice of electric, gas and solid fuel fires and stoves in a range of different colours and styles to create the mood, atmosphere and look you want. And if you can’t decide which fire you prefer, we also offer a range of complete suites to help make your decision easier!

Whilst ‘The’ guide shows a comprehensive selection of fires stocked and fully available from STEARN, the complete brand range is also fully available upon request.

While electric heating systems are not as energy efficient as gas heaters, they are usually cheaper and come in a wider variety of styles and price ranges, from small, portable space heaters to wall hung area heaters. This brief guide is designed to help you make the best and most energy efficient choice for your electric heating needs.

Types of Electric Heating

The two basic types of electric heating are radiant and convection. The third, a combined radiant/convection heater, rounds out your options.

• Radiant heaters simply “radiate” heat. The cheaper models have two or more quartz heating elements (bars) backed by a reflective aluminium panel. More expensive models feature ceramic heating elements. Ceramic elements retain and radiate a more even heat than quartz models.
• Convection heaters: The most basic type of convection heater can cost $25 or even less. A basic convection electric heater will have a coil heating element behind a simple fan, which disperses the heated air throughout the room.  Better convection heaters will have ceramic heating elements and more sophisticated fans. These range in price from around $50 to up to $300, depending on heating capacity and features.
• Radiant/convection heaters are a popular alternative to the others. A simple version will just be a portable space heater, while more expensive models include electric fire heaters that can cost up to a thousand dollars or more.

Features of Electric Heating Devices

Even the cheapest electric heaters usually now come with both automatic overheat shut off and most also automatically shut off  if they accidentally tip over. No matter what type of portable heater you choose, look for these important safety features. Other features to look for include:

• Multiple Heat Levels: Cheaper models may just have three settings, while others will have thermostat controls for more precise heating.
• Oscillating Heaters distribute heat over a wider area as they swing back and forth. The popular tower electric heaters often come with this feature.
• Electronic Controls and Displays give you even more control over the heat that is distributed.
• Programmable Timers are a good idea if you want the house to be toasty warm when you come home from work or want to be sure it turns off  if you fall asleep or forget to turn off the heater when you go out.
• Air Filters on convection and radiant/convection heaters help prevent recirculating allergens and impurities.

Electric Heating and Energy Efficiency

If you are just looking for a small space heater to keep you warm while you work on the computer or watch TV, the size and electric output of the heater is not a serious consideration. If you want to heat an entire room, though, you need take more careful consideration. Electric heating elements use a great deal of energy. If you get a heater that is too small for your room, it will have to run constantly in order to keep the room at a comfortable temperature. Investing a little more in a good 2.0 or 2.4Kw (Kilowatt) convection or radiant/convection heater with an electronic thermostat may save you money in the long run on your electric bill and reduce your energy consumption.

The least energy efficient type of electric heating is the radiant heater. These are fine for small spaces like bathrooms, where you just need quick heat for a short period of time, but not recommended for extended use. Some newer heaters have halogen elements, which are said to be more energy efficient than bar (quartz) heaters.

The environmental impact

So what does burning wood in a stove actually do to the environment? There are three main areas to be considered:

• The air pollution produced from the actual act of burning the wood;
• How the air quality inside the building is effected by the act of burning the wood, and;
• The environmental impact of the act of collecting the wood to be later burnt

Lets examine each of these in turn.

Air pollution

Burning wood ‘straight’ produces a lot of smoke with complex chemicals that can be unhealthy if breathed in. Basically the wood smoke contains a lot of unburnt elements from the wood that get carried away before they can be burnt off themselves.

Now if one uses a high efficiency wood stove that manages the wood burning process to encourage full combustion of the wood and the gases it gives off – the actual smoke produced consists of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, a few other trace gases, water and a some trace hydrocarbons. Basically these emissions are a lot more environmentally friendly compared to ‘straight’ wood burning, plus a lot more heat is recovered for your use.

Building air quality

Of course if your stove is ‘open’ to the internal environment then any gases that don’t go up the flu will go into the building; such gases can be bad for your health. Obviously if you have a stove which is closed, this problem is reduced, and if that stove is designed to not ‘gas out’ into the room when opened then you won’t have any problems.

Wood collecting environmental impact

Obviously the further the wood is sourced from where you burn it the higher the consumption of fossil fuels used to deliver it to you. Ideally you want to be growing your own wood, cutting it, seasoning it and then burning it if you can to minimize that usage of fossil fuel.

Climate impact

So does burning wood have an impact on the climate? Actually, if one looks at the bigger picture it does not…  How so?  Well wood contains carbon that was taken from the atmosphere when the tree was growing; so by burning the wood you are only returning to the atmosphere the carbon the tree initially captured during its life. This is basically a variation on the natural cycle of carbon usage that occurs in nature.

Fossil fuel usage, on the other hand, is releasing carbon that has been ‘in storage’ for possibly millions of years in a short space of time – so compared to the natural rate of carbon turnover this is an artificial injection of carbon en mass into the environment. So actually burning wood in an high efficiency stove is essentially carbon neutral.

In conclusion

Basically, if you have stove which is high efficiency in its wood burning and the wood is locally sourced, then yes, burning wood can be very green indeed.

Can you be even Greener?

Yes, you can!

• Install heat recovery coils in the chimney or surround to capture otherwise wasted heat and use it to heat water to either heat the rest of your house or just heat your hot water for you
• Install a heat transfer system. Basically a vent is installed in the ceiling from the room where the stove is to a room you want to heat. A fan is then used to draw the hot air into the other room.
• Always remember the amount of heating you need is directly proportional to the degree of insulation you have in the rooms you want to keep warm.

Cooker manufacturer Aga has announced plans to develop a smartphone application capable of controlling its latest stove remotely.

The company has just unveiled the Aga Total Control stove which has taken the firm’s products in a completely new direction. According to a report by the Independent, the new product looks traditional but it actually has electric elements in the doors, walls and ceiling, and a programmable panel tucked away.

cooker repairs and oven repairs are sometimes unavoidable, but Aga has built its reputation on manufacturing robust, if not technologically advanced, stoves.  By this Christmas however, the company hopes to have developed a new technology that will allow the Total Control to be operated via a mobile phone application.

William McGrath, the chief executive of Aga Rangemaster Group, admits the launch of the Aga Total Control represents a significant shift in direction.

He said: “It’s a big change. The product has become programmable. The important thing was to keep everything people liked but to look at a new approach. It’s probably the biggest change in the way we have done things since 1935.”