End of the pipe line for gas engineers

[bernardgreen]

Climate change: Ban all gas boilers from 2025 to reach net-zero

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-57149059

 

[Londoner2]

Not gonna happen, its just an opinion, plus theres loads of boilers to maintain n fix.

 

[Gasguru]

Only in their dreams....
Yet another pointless article from a BBC journalist without any scientific background or education
It's bad enough that their health correspondents are equally clueless.

 

[ianmcd]

Good try Bennyboy

 

[fixitflav]

Climate change: Ban all gas boilers from 2025 to reach net-zero

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-57149059

I thought the idea was to ban natural gas boilers, to be replaced by hydrogen boilers, heat pumps, electric heating, or something else. Wouldn't need much retraining for GSR guys to work on hydrogen.
In any case, I'll believe it when I see it (if I'm still around). And what's the point of the UK doing this when others don't. Eg Germany is ready to build a new natural gas pipeline from Russia. Plenty of potential problems there, apart from climate change.

 

[sxturbo]

it's dependant on how much influence the international energy agency have with the government.

the reality is that what they are saying isnt really 100% possible in the real world, and a lot of what they are saying is pie in the sky. The optimum solution is to continue upgrading the gas network with plastic pipe, and when ready add a hydrogen mix into the network. obviously we'll all have to have boiler upgrades but will be a dam site cheaper in the long term than forcing everyone who needs a boiler replacement to have some form of heat pump.

that or it will force people to install wood burners in there houses instead then they'll see the emissions go up and we'll all be living in smog

 

[Captain Nemesis]

The optimum solution is to continue upgrading the gas network with plastic pipe,

Are they having the foresight to use plastic which is not porous to hydrogen?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I thought the idea was to ban natural gas boilers, to be replaced by hydrogen boilers, heat pumps, electric heating, or something else. Wouldn't need much retraining for GSR guys to work on hydrogen.

Would the network even cope with hydrogen? I was under the impression that hydrogen molecules were smaller than natural gas, so more likely to leak out.

 

[fixitflav]

Would the network even cope with hydrogen? I was under the impression that hydrogen molecules were smaller than natural gas, so more likely to leak out.

No doubt some kit would need replacing. I think steel and copper pipes would be OK, maybe not all plastics. Not sure whether the thinking is that boilers would need replacing, or perhaps some models can be modded for hydrogen. That's if it happens.
Edit - according to data I have, following plastics are OK with hydrogen - ABS, uPVC, MDPE, and PP. Also EPDM for gaskets and seals

 

[Old Salt]

Jeremy Vine ( I know, sorry) had a guy on espousing the benefits of heat pumps, reckons their the dogs danglies and can be fitted anywhere as long as its got filled cavity walls. Hydrogen is crap because it needs to be produced near to where it will be used.

I can see a U turn coming up once reality hits. But we shall see.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I can see a U turn coming up once reality hits. But we shall see.

I foresee lots of U turns in the pipeline, for these grand ideas.

 

[bernardgreen]

reckons their the dogs danglies and can be fitted anywhere as long as its got filled cavity walls.

Of course they can be fitted (almost) anywhere, the only problem is they will not work every where and if they do "work" their performance is not guaranteed to be good.

 

[Old Salt]

I was being sarcastic

 

[bernardgreen]

I was being sarcastic

I knew that

 

[boolie]

the king is dead, long live the king!

RGI's make much more money from installs than repairs. Also a lot of RGI's haven't got the skills for diagnostics (present company excepted @Madrab , @muggles , @ianmcd , etc)

So if this is really gonna happen the writing's on the wall for RGI's. Although having said that, I suspect most punters wont DIY install a Hydrogen boiler even though it will be legal.. so as long as you learn about installation/repair of the new boilers you'll be fine. DIY-ers are few and far between.