Combi Boiler gas usage query

Lily-Lu

Hi,

When I had a combi boiler installed a few months ago, I asked whether it had a pilot light. He said it didn't and went on to say something about it being automatic. I know nothing about them, so don't really understand the difference.

Anyway, please can someone clarify that even though it's 'automatic' I will constantly be using gas even when the boiler (water or heating) isn't on?

Just feel it's better to check this is the reason my gas meter is still 'ticking over' even when nothing is being used.

Thanks

notbritishgas

Lily-Lu wrote: »

Hi,

When I had a combi boiler installed a few months ago, I asked whether it had a pilot light. He said it didn't and went on to say something about it being automatic. I know nothing about them, so don't really understand the difference.

Anyway, please can someone clarify that even though it's 'automatic' I will constantly be using gas even when the boiler (water or heating) isn't on?

Just feel it's better to check this is the reason my gas meter is still 'ticking over' even when nothing is being used.

Thanks

I think your installer was correct, most (if not all) modern boilers do not have a pilot light. Instead they must use an electronic spark generator to light the gas at the appropriate time.
If your meter continues to tick over look elsewhere.

Lily-Lu

notbritishgas wrote: »

I think your installer was correct, most (if not all) modern boilers do not have a pilot light. Instead they must use an electronic spark generator to light the gas at the appropriate time.
If your meter continues to tick over look elsewhere.

Thanks for that. So, I shouldn't be using any gas at all if the water or heating isn't on?

The gas meter ticks over constantly. It says m3 on the meter, so from what I've read on here that means it's cubic metres?
It has 4 main numbers, then 3 numbers in a red outined box. I checked the numbers in the red box and it was at 110 - forty minutes later it was at 112 and no hot water was used during this time There's nothing else that uses gas in the house, so does this mean we likely have a leak somewhere?

Canucklehead

HI

Quite a few combi boilers have a 'keep warm' facility ,it will keep the water in the secondary heat exchanger hot so that when you run the tap hot water comes out a little sooner. This means the boiler will fire intermittantly with no taps being opened.Read your user instructions,or find them online.
No you don't have a permanent pilot .
Your installer will have tested for leaks at least once after the installation. Ask him/her back to check again.?

Corgi Guy.

WestonDave

Ours (a Worcester Bosch 37CDi) has the keep warm facility but you can turn it off by pressing the Eco button. As far as I remember you only give the 4 main numbers when you read the meter as the others are fractions of a m3. My back of a fag packet calculation reckons you have probably spent less than 1/10th of a penny on gas with that usage. Fair enough it adds up but its not a major leak. Check out the keep warm/eco etc situation and you'll probably find its there as that sort of usage sounds about right.

Lily-Lu

Many thanks for the replies. It's much appreciated. Given me a few things to look into before calling anyone out

I don't recall them leaving a manual for it, but it's likely they did and I've just put it away without thinking. I'll have a good look for it and report back. It'll be good if I find it does have an eco function, as I'd rather turn that off and not use any gas while not in use. I'm on a fixed rate 2011 so although the meter is only ticking over slowly, it's costing almost 7.5p/ kwh (rate 1, then over 2p for rate 2) and I'm trying very hard to keep the costs down.

Thanks again.