Locations for gas boilers?

[amason79]

Where can you install a fan assisted concealed gas boiler?

Loft?
Lounge?
Kitchen?
Bedroom?
Bathroom?

Is it true that all gas boilers have to be condensing now?

I checked the odpm (John Prescott) website and it was stating that they all had to be!

Thing is they were also stating not to install a flue within 2.5 metres of a fence, wall or boundary with neighbours house!

Problem, Our terrace is only 14' wide so there is no where you can put a flue! Or is that just there recommendation?

Any way I can not find a reasonably price HE Combi that will provide the same level of DHW as a standard combi will (Ableit Biasi and Ravenheat, but I read that they bodge there HE by just putting in a secondary heat exchanger).

Can't I just have a normal boiler?

Thanks

 

[Paul Barker]

You can do as you please, but no corgi reg fitter can install it or commission it, and if you sell your house you can't have a building regs compliance cert for it, the guarantee is dubious if you don't get corgi person to do the work.

The 2.5 meters is not law yet but might become and is best adhered to. The salient point is you musn't cause a nuicance to your neighbours, if your kettle boiling style plume does cross the boundary you are a nuicance. In court you could be made to move the boiler.

Vertical flue through roof is viable and not excessive. You need a through slate (generic one 25 quid) a vertical kit and sometimes an extension. Should be under £100 all together.

You can put a room sealed boiler in zone 3 of a bathroom (go to electrical forum to find out where z3 is) and in any other room. I don't personally fit them in bedrooms unless there is absolutely no other way and the people are properly informed of the drawbacks (one of which being reduced sales value of home, ask your estate agent about it).

In a loft you have to now have adequate flooring and lighting around boiler and a walk way to boiler, with banister if not wide enough, a proper loft ladder adequate loft hatch, means of isolating gas water and electricity to the boiler NOT in the loft as well as in the loft, filling loop and pressure guage not in the loft. Don't put a cheap boiler in the loft unless you don't mind visiting it bi weekly to press the reset button.

In any location you have to consider the condensate drain. In a basement consider a soakaway or a pump.

 

[amason79]

So I can put a fan assissted concealed HE combi in a bathroom as long as it is in a cupboard for which a key is required to access?

Am I right in that the concealed fan assissted boilers do not need air bricks or vent into the cupboard, because they draw external air in around the ouside of the flue pipe?

So a loft installation is very expensive?

Can you put them under the stairs, in a cupboard?

 

[Paul Barker]

Yes it can go in said cupboiard, but also in zone 3 if you have a big enough bathroom to have a zone 3.

I wouldn't say loft was expensive option, these days one of the few places left, because they make houses so small that there is no wall space anywhere that isn't taken up by windows doors or wall units.

Old outside toilet is viable.

Cupboard under the stairs can work, depends on size of it, hight being main problem and what other services are in there.

When going for under stairs or cupboard in bathroom check manufacturers instructions about compartment ventilation. As you say no air from room is required for combustion, but historically compartment ventilation was a requirement for cooling of appliance, not normally now required but it is required if manufacturers instructions don't say otherwise.

 

[bennettp23]

Paul,

Are you sure you need to have filling loop and pressure gauge outside the loft?

Cheers

 

[ChrisR]

Going back tothe beginning here, with a terraced house lie yours it's quite likely that you could be exempt from the requirement for the boiler to be condensing. There's a chart to fill in, to see if you get enough points to qualify. If this makes life a lot easier then OK, but I would take the condensing option if that were OK.

 

[Paul Barker]

You don't have to have filling loop and pressure guage outside loft, but yes you do need to.

 

[amason79]

I was thinking of buying the Keston C36, it seems really good. It flues through 50mm PVC pipe upto 20 metres.

Does anyone have any experience of fitting it?

In a loft installation, does anyone know if after the initial upward bend out of the boiler, if subsequent bends can be in a downward direction, thus bringing the flue out of the soffit?

I think this model can go under the stairs no problem, the 50mm pipes are a lot easier to put bends in and hide than a 100 mm standard flue!

Thanks

Andy

 

[chrishutt]

does anyone know if after the initial upward bend out of the boiler, if subsequent bends can be in a downward direction, thus bringing the flue out of the soffit?

On a condensing boiler, water will condense in the flue pipe and must be able to drain back into the boiler, so no downward sloping flue pipe. The air inlet duct is a different matter of course.

The Keston C36 is quite new and not really field tested. Its non-combination sister, the C25, has been around a while but still has some drawbacks, like the awkward casing. A search for Kestons might reveal more info.

If you install any boiler in loft, remember that you must provide good access (steps, flooring) and lighting to allow for servicing and regular checks on status, pressure, etc.