The Ultimate Workhorse (Glow-worm Ultimate Wall Hung Cast Iron Boiler)

Member Name: Botmission

Product:	Glow-worm Ultimate Wall Hung Cast Iron Boiler
Date:	20/03/02 (7882 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: it works ok

Disadvantages: Uninspiring design

How bored am I? So bored that I am prompted to comment on the most boring of appliances, A Glowworm Ultimate! I service hundreds of these things each year, and they are one of the most uninteresting things I can imagine. Other than ?Shake and Vac?, or Golf. That said, there's little to go wrong with it and it's easily repaired, which must be a good thing.

They are about the size of the average kitchen cupboard, which is a redeeming feature I suppose, it does fit reasonably well into a fitted kitchen. Mind you, if you have paid out for a fitted kitchen, you won?t want this ugly thing stuck on the wall! It works ok, but it?s a workhorse, and not something of beauty. Buy something else. So instead, lets talk about the difference between an open flue, and a balanced flue.

This boiler is available with both types of flue. Don?t buy the open flued version. This goes for any boiler in my opinion. There is a council estate in West London, which is having all it?s open flued boilers replaced because they have been found to be dangerous. Only they haven?t told the tenants??

An open flue is a means of removing products of combustion to outside via a chimney type structure. Which is usually esthetically undesirable. It needs ventilation for it to work properly. If you block the ventilation, like many people do, you risk drawing fumes into your home. Fumes of course, are poisonous, and are obviously very dangerous. Open flued boilers need annual servicing, as they attract dust, which can block the burner and consequently blocks the heat exchanger with soot. This is terribly dangerous and often results in fatalities. When I worked at British Gas, we had circulars every time there was a gas related death. Nearly every time it was an open flue that caused it.

Here?s a good tip. Buy a carbon monoxide detector/alarm. Leave it in the room, which the boiler is installed. When you go on holiday, take it with you. Too often I hear of a death, w
hich could have been easily prevented by one of these things.

A balanced flued boiler on the other
hand, is room sealed, as it takes all the air it needs from outside and runs very little risk of passing fumes into the room it occupies.
Quite often no flue is visible inside. These appliances need very little servicing at all. In fact the four that I have owned were never serviced! Always buy a room sealed gas appliance if possible.

Now, what?s the difference between a combi, a condenser, and a conventional boiler?

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