Any reason to move a new boiler?

[gerbils]

We're in the market for a new boiler; we have had 3 quotes and all but one of the companies that quoted seem keen to move it and keep quoting for us to relocate the boiler upstairs in our airing cupboard. We've told them we want it in the same place as that is surely cheaper but they seem to indicate this is more problematic without explaining why; more via a case of avoidance than outright saying it.

Any reason why this would be?

 

[ianmcd]

More information needed , it will probably be either the Gas run or the flue run , post some pics of where it is and where they want to put it

 

[gerbils]

It's currently in a utility room on an external wall with the flu going through the wall and straight outside. They want to put in the loft - I don't know exactly where.

 

[fixitflav]

It's currently in a utility room on an external wall with the flu going through the wall and straight outside. They want to put in the loft - I don't know exactly where.

Are they trying to get you to change from heat-only boiler to a combi?

 

[gerbils]

Are they trying to get you to change from heat-only boiler to a combi?

Yes, but so is everyone else. To be fair there seem to be some benefits
- More space in loft
- More space in airing cupboard
- More water pressure for shower

 

[fixitflav]

Yes, but so is everyone else. To be fair there seem to be some benefits
- More space in loft
- More space in airing cupboard
- More water pressure for shower

There are plenty of disadvantages too
- everything in one box so if there's a fault harder to diagnose and very likely to need a gas-safe guy
- if there's a fault you've lost the lot. With a HW cylinder you just switch on the immersion and at least you have normal HW till it's fixed. Happened to me a few years ago.

Did they mention more profit for the installer? Your current location sounds ideal. You would only put it in the loft as a last resort IMO.
What do you have currently - heat-only or system? F/E tank or pressurised expansion vessel?

 

[gerbils]

There are plenty of disadvantages too
- everything in one box so if there's a fault harder to diagnose and very likely to need a gas-safe guy
- if there's a fault you've lost the lot. With a HW cylinder you just switch on the immersion and at least you have normal HW till it's fixed. Happened to me a few years ago.

Did they mention more profit for the installer? Your current location sounds ideal. You would only put it in the loft as a last resort IMO.
What do you have currently - heat-only or system? F/E tank or pressurised expansion vessel?

We have a standard boiler from about 1986. Working fine to be honest but only about 65% efficient when new.

We have very poor gravity-fed showers and whilst we have a big tank, we keep running out of hot water as trying to be efficient with pre-heating only 45 mins a day. Some says we don't use it and I feel that's wasteful.

 

[johnny2007]

Reason is... they want a bigger job to charge more money.
Inevitably they will find leaks, obstacles, problems and everything else once you appoint them.
Tell them to get lost and employ someone who wants to do what you want.
Easy to say, hard to do.
But be persistent and you'll succeed.
I was desperate for a gas man to run a new pipe and I got a nice, knowledgeable guy on mybuilder who did the job for a very reasonable price and explained all he was doing.
He even had a look at my ageing coughing boiler and didn't suggest a replacement.

 

[fixitflav]

We have a standard boiler from about 1986. Working fine to be honest but only about 65% efficient when new.

We have very poor gravity-fed showers and whilst we have a big tank, we keep running out of hot water as trying to be efficient with pre-heating only 45 mins a day. Some says we don't use it and I feel that's wasteful.

I should have added to combi cons - probably need to increase the gas pipe size as boiler output likely to be much higher, determined by the need to give decent instantaneous HW flow.

Is your current system fully pumped or gravity to the HW cylinder primary? (as distinct from gravity-fed shower). If the latter it's worth upgrading to pumped and modernise the controls.
To improve the shower you could consider replacing the HW cylinder with a mains-pressure one. They're well insulated so you could heat it for longer and unlikely to cost much more. But worth checking your mains flow and pressure as if that's not adequate, no advantage.

 

[gerbils]

We have a regular heating pump, but doesn't affect showers.

 

[jeff the gasman]

There’s a lot of misinformed views here!
Relocation may be down to flue clearances or accessibility to hot and cold supplies.
I’m sure someone would be able to give you their reasons for relocating.
Pay no attention to those knocking combi boilers. Far less gas used for hot water in a normal household and acceptable performance.
Send those pics.

 

[JonathanM]

We have a regular heating pump, but doesn't affect showers.

I think it was asking whether the heating pump pumps the boiler water around your cylinder to heat it up, or whether it relies on gravity. This is testing my memory, but in the old days, some systems were set up so that when you had the hot water on, without the central heating, the heating pump didn't run, and the boiler water would rise up when it got hot and go around the cylinder, then drop back to the boiler as it cooled. Or something like that.

 

[gerbils]

I think it was asking whether the heating pump pumps the boiler water around your cylinder to heat it up, or whether it relies on gravity. This is testing my memory, but in the old days, some systems were set up so that when you had the hot water on, without the central heating, the heating pump didn't run, and the boiler water would rise up when it got hot and go around the cylinder, then drop back to the boiler as it cooled. Or something like that.

OK, I have no idea in that case lol

 

[JonathanM]

OK, I have no idea in that case lol

I'm thinking that if you turn the hot water on, without the central heating, you should probably be able to tell whether the pump is running. I can with mine, even though it's pretty quiet. A pumped system works a lot better.

 

[gerbils]

Just tested it, and nothing form the pump.