I'm in my GCSE year at school and have found a vocation in renewable technologies and the environment. I'm currently doing some work experience for an environmental consultancy firm and just want to start learning as much as I can about energy efficiency etc. Anyway, I'm still pretty new to all this and wondered if you can tell me how gas is used in the average home? Does a house itself have its own significant carbon emissions, or do most of these just come from the power stations supplying the mains?
In the UK modern condensing gas boilers are closely controlled and the air gas ratio is set during manufacture, this leads to a clean burning appliance whic gives off water vapour, carbon dioxide, some carbon monoxide and some sulphur. The boilers are 'sealed to room' which means that the combustion of the gas is contained within a sealed unit, no air is taken from the room and no exhust gas ie let into the room. Combustion air is drawn in from outside through a double pipe flue system which is assisted by a fan.
In anything that uses gas which properly burned, the result is H20 and CO2. If there are additional elements in the gas, such as sulfur, which is normally taken out before the gas is put in the pipe line, there may be oxidized products of the elements. It goes up the vent into the atmosphere.
Natural gas or propane gas burners if not adjusted properly can produce CO gas. This gas is picked up better than oxygen in a person, and it kills about 170 people every year in the US. Therefore, laws prohibit directly heating a house with combustion gas. An approved heat exchanger is required to separate the air in the home from combustion gasses. The combustion gas is vented outside. The efficiency of the heat exchanger varies widely, so it is wise to consider this efficiency when buying a new heater if you value the environment and would like to save money on gas. In the eastern US, oil or coal is burned in a boiler to heat water, which is circulated to radiators in the house. Again, poor maintenance will produce more CO, plus other gasses like NOx and SO2. SO2 because cheaper grades of coal and oil have sulfur compounds in the fuel. An efficient boiler will save on fuel costs and result in less damaging pollutants released for a given amount of heat produced.
Use as..... Gas stove for cooking. Gas hot water tank. Both produce toxic CO,CO2 and SO3 after burning or incomplete burning that kill human and pet.
