Crazy Gas Consumption

PlanesNotPlumbing · 9 Jan 2017

First post here and I'm more use to working on aircraft than CH systems so be gentle.

Moved into a house in September and since 14th October until today I've used 1770m3 of Gas. Basically my suppliers expected quota for the year! that's 19000kwh!

It's a four bed detached whimpey home, ten years old, two of us in it, cavity wall insulated etc etc.

We run lean, I run tight. Heating is set to 19 or off.

The system comprises of the following:

- Drayton stat in hallway
- Ideal FF350 boiler sited in the integral garage.
- boilermate 2000 running the CHW

I've read the online PDF on the boilermate and spoke to the owner about operating it. His advice was to leave the boiler stat maxed out (which agrees with boilermate instructions) and frost stat turned to 10degC.

The frost stat is next to the boiler in the garage.

I turned the boiler stat from 6 down to 5 as it didn't seem to cut out at that setting. I also dropped the temp on the frost stat to 2degC as that was also bringing the boiler on early. I've fitted a room thermometer to monitor that and the garage is staying around 10degC.

The boiler was serviced by BG when I bought the house.

So my question is what should I investigate first?

I can get the actual gas meter checked but wander if it's a boilermate issue that anyone has recognised from previous experience?

My gut is telling me to turn the boiler down to 2/3 but that goes against the logic of boilermate and the heating will run for longer.

Radiators all have TRVs and they heat evenly.

jono_h · 9 Jan 2017

Could it be something simple like you have an imperial meter? You've actually used 1770cu/ft of gas, but the units have got mixed up?

Aquaheat · 9 Jan 2017

Gas rate the appliance. A DIY approach to this is in the FAQ sticky at the top of this page.

Do you have any other gas appliances in the property?

If no and gas rate is pretty close then the bill is probably right.

The only other thing, and its a very long shot but not unthinkable, is that there may be a leak on pipework after meter but not visable/smellable maybe underfloor? A tightness test would prove this.

Jon

PlanesNotPlumbing · 9 Jan 2017

jono_h said:
Could it be something simple like you have an imperial meter? You've actually used 1770cu/ft of gas, but the units have got mixed up?

No it's metric meter and metric reads and billing.

I'd thought it could be but unfortunately not.

PlanesNotPlumbing · 9 Jan 2017

Aquaheat said:
Gas rate the appliance. A DIY approach to this is in the FAQ sticky at the top of this page.

Do you have any other gas appliances in the property?

If no and gas rate is pretty close then the bill is probably right.

The only other thing, and its a very long shot but not unthinkable, is that there may be a leak on pipework after meter but not visable/smellable maybe underfloor? A tightness test would prove this.

Jon

Hi Jon

I'll check that out for gas rating. The only other gas powered item is the cooker hob.

In terms of leaky gas pipe, the meter stays put when everything is off but spools up rapid when the CH fires.

Thanks both

gas112 · 9 Jan 2017

Is it a digital meter or old analoge

PlanesNotPlumbing · 9 Jan 2017

gas112 said:
Is it a digital meter or old analoge

The CH stat?

Old analogue job that's probably 3degC out.

We run cold though. I bought lots of little digital thermometers and have put them round the house.
At the moment it's mostly 16 apart from my sons little nursery at 18.

muggles · 9 Jan 2017

No, the gas meter...

Doggit · 9 Jan 2017

Having had a quick look on the gocompare website, 19000Kw costs almost £900 with BG, and that's bloody expensive. Having said that, although the house is only 10 years old, and has CWI, it is a 4 bed detached house, and that could be par of the course for this size of property. Maybe the thing to do is just change gas suppliers - make sure you tick on show all offers on the gocompare site though, the lowest price the drops to under £600.

PlanesNotPlumbing · 9 Jan 2017

muggles said:
No, the gas meter...

Yes, it's analogue job

PlanesNotPlumbing · 9 Jan 2017

Doggit said:
Having had a quick look on the gocompare website, 19000Kw costs almost £900 with BG, and that's bloody expensive. Having said that, although the house is only 10 years old, and has CWI, it is a 4 bed detached house, and that could be par of the course for this size of property. Maybe the thing to do is just change gas suppliers - make sure you tick on show all offers on the gocompare site though, the lowest price the drops to under £600.

It's used 19000kw since October!
Not per annum.

My current tariff is very good with GB Energy (Coop). Although as said 19850kwh was expected for the year not in the last 88 days!

Doggit · 9 Jan 2017

Ouch, definitely something wrong somewhere. Do you know what the previous owners usage was, and what is the EPC of the property.

PlanesNotPlumbing · 9 Jan 2017

I've looked at my boiler spec and it's a 17.4kw input.

Am I right in saying then it will use 17.4kw per hour (ignoring the specific calorific value of the supplying gas).

Based on that and the 19000kwh usage, I could calculate that during the 88 days, ignoring use of the hob (the only other gas appliance), the average consumption per day is 216kw.
If I divide this by the boiler consumption of 17.4kwh, that gives 12.4hrs.

There is no way my boiler has run for 12.4hrs on average per day. Not in terms of heat to the rads.

So either the boilermate is faulty and keeping the boiler running and not pumping it round the system or the meter is screwy!?!

Doggit · 9 Jan 2017

If the boiler wasn't pumping the heat round the system, then it would overheat, and cycle down, then when the heat had dissipated, it would switch itself back on again. So does it run normally, or switch on and off. What are the time periods that you use it for (how many hours a day).

JohnD · 9 Jan 2017

have you got a water meter? just in case it is heating water that is running away?

And a photo of the meter might be interesting.

You're not reading the decimal figure, I'm sure. You seem to be using 20 cu.m/day, where I've used average 5 in that period.

I'd be tempted to turn off the supply for a while and see if the neighbour's swimming pool goes cold.

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Crazy Gas Consumption

Doggit

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