Hi guys,

We're looking to get central heating installed in our new place. A friend is a heating engineer and hasnt worked on private heating systems for a year or 2. He's mentioned about new building regs and zoning the installs of the system. Can anyone elaborate on this for me so I have a clear picture of what we need to do. He wont be commisioning the boiler obviously we'll be getting a certified engineer for that.

Thanks

There is supposed to be separate time and temperature control to the sleeping areas, so you can independently control them from the living areas. In reality I think very few people actually bother to do this, and instead stick to the old rules of one room thermostat controlling the entire house, and TRVs on every radiator.

If your heating engineer friend isn't certified to commission the boiler he's not certified to install/connect it either, it's the same ticket

Thanks for that, I didnt mean he was going to install/connect it. Just help me with the pipe on the radiators up to the feed and return pipes - by this I mean the 22mm pipes.

As I say then we would get the rest of it sorted by someone who is certified. The friend doing it was up until last year registered but now does commercial installs/repairs which as I understand is different again.

So with regards to zoning are you saying its not compulsary?

Technically it is compulsory, but it can add extra expense depending on your house (you haven't said...) and I doubt many installers actually bother to do it.

Sorry, its a bungalow but (and Im reading up on regs as we speak) it says that if the floor space of the lounge is greater than 70% of the overall dwelling then its not required, our lounge isnt this I would say its more like 50% ish.

So how does this work if it is compulsary yet people/engineers dont conform to whats required? We will be putting TRVs on every radiator except the towel rail.

If you are installign from scratch it is very simple to do and will only add a small overall cost.

You would be silly not to it.

wouldn't worry about zoning it.
Nobody else seems to.

There are lots of rules and regulations.
Most ignored.

Zoneing is effective. Fuel is not going to get cheaper with time. Zoneing will reduce fuel expenditure as only 'used' areas will need to be active

Makes me laugh about these replies... If building regs are the law yet people choose if they want to conform to them or not - doesnt that make the whole thing pointless?

Finally someone who is starting to actually make sense... Your quite right, people don't know whats right and whats wrong and what they can and cant do - its stupid.

If you have central heating in your house and you want to blast the whole place with heat - that's up to you. At the end of the day its you paying for it and when the bill starts coming in at £300 a month Im sure that will make you think twice and turn the rads down etc. Not some stupid zoning rule. As you say - common sense.

Zoning is compulsory for domestic properties bigger than 150 square metres. You will save more by having the boiler equipped with weather compensation. Have thermostatic radiator valves on all but one of the radiators, and you will have the best control you can get.

The regs are there for a reason ... best practise and energy conservation
The same reason why beams have to be a certain size etc etc etc
Ignore at your peril as some boiler manu are using this as a get out of jail card on warranty issues

The regulations are made so that heating is the most efficient.

That includes zoning on properties over 150 sq m.

And ALL radiators should have TRVs now!

And an auto bypass valve is also required.

But these are all for the benefit of the house owner! If he will not pay for them then he will not make the fuel savings.

And you can have weather compensation as well as all the above!

Tony