Baxi Boiler - Room Ventilation??

[eoconnell]

I have just moved into a 1930's terraced house with a baxi boiler in the chimney breast of the main room with a gas fired front unit. My aim is to insulate the house as far as possible (loft, under ground floor, external walls) to help reduce energy bills. My understanding of the baxi boiler system is you are required to provide a 100cm2 ventilation grill within the room to ventilate the space. Now i am not questioning the need to ventilate a gas fired boiler etc, what i am interested in is is there anyway of ventilating this space without cold air pouring into the room from outside. The existing vent causes cold draughts to flow into the room (and heat to escape conversly) and was just wondering if anyone was aware of a more suitable ventialtion method (heat recovery/ducting maybe?).

Brilliant forum, been reading it for months and this is my first post!

 

[45yearsagasman]

The air is require to be direct to outside air. If you have a Bermuda fire and boiler then the vent is calculated on the maximum heat input of the combined appliance. More details are required of your boiler and fire and I would think it would need less than 100cm2. Get those details and a more accurate vent size can be suggested.

 

[eoconnell]

Thanks Pete, will post details of the two units tonight.

 

[Agile]

I expect its needing a vent about that size.

Cold draughts are a feature of those old boilers needing external ventilation.

It is possible with suspended floors to have floor vents close to the boiler which reduce draughts across the occupied parts of the room but they need to be speced and checked by an RGI.

Those boilers are potentially quite dangerous and should be properly serviced every year. That means removing the fire front and cleaning the inside and particularly the air inlet filter! Then checking the flue performance. That is not a DIY job!

Tony

 

[eoconnell]

Thanks, I was not planning on doing anything DIY in terms of this, i just wanted to be sure before British Gas come round to quote for a new boiler on the 28th. Relatively speaking, does the associated central heating and hot water pipework system lend itself to a simple conversion to a combi or would i be looking at a lot of replumbing?

Basically i am left with deciding if i should fit a replacement baxi boiler or opt for a new heating system. I hope British Gas have a january sale on!

 

[FiremanT]

Basically i am left with deciding if i should fit a replacement baxi boiler or opt for a new heating system. I hope British Gas have a january sale on!

[/quote]

Are you definitely having a new boiler of some sort? If you are, you will not need the vent, regardless of your boiler choice. If you choose a wall mounted boiler and seperate fire avoid a fire that requires a vent.

If you decide to keep the existing boiler, then you may wish to look at this. I haven't used one yet, so cannot validate, but I will next time I need to supply one

http://www.vents.co.uk/Advertising/advert.pdf


Also, don't worry about whether BG have a "sale". A cheaper option will be a local reputable independant installer. Where are you? Someone on this site may provide a quote. If they mess up, you can always come back and slate them

 

[Agile]

It will be far cheaper to have an independent.

There can be quite a lot of work in fitting a boiler somewhere else in the house. Often a lot of pipework changes under upstairs floors!

In many cases I recommend fitting a heat only boiler and to retain the hot water cylinder as for most families that gives better convenience. A combi only serves one outlet properly.

Tony

 

[eoconnell]

Thanks ever so much for your help.......so my best bet would be to replace the baxi boiler with a new boiler only unit and remove the gas fire entirely. This will allow me to remove the vent in the wall subject to the vent requirements of the new boiler?? For information, i am in hornchurch in London if any independents want to quote for this work?

This would be a happier scenario all round as we did not envisage using the gas fire with a 1 year old who has just started walking!

 

[Agile]

You cannot normally continue to use the boiler's gas fire. Not required anyway with central heating although some people like them. Baxi have added an electric fire to their currrent replacement for a back boiler.

The best choice of combi or heat only will depend on number of people, lifestyles, bathrooms, preferences and mains water dynamic flow rate.

Tony

 

[petit_pablo]

You cannot normally continue to use the boiler's gas fire.
Tony

Why not?

If the boiler is properly decommssioned then there is no problem keeping it in situ and leaving the fire working if thats whats required.

 

[eoconnell]

Just to clear up any confusion, i am now aiming to replace the baxi boiler with the latest version without a gas fire front....this could mean either a false front on the fireplace or an electric fire front as mentioned above. The gas fire would be decommissioned to allow the removal of the vent in the front room.

 

[petit_pablo]

Just to clear up any confusion, i am now aiming to replace the baxi boiler with the latest version without a gas fire front....

Really

They are shoite and the cost of the flue and fitting means it wont b any cheaper than moving the boiler elsewhere.
Plus the lovely condensate pipe snaking round the skirting board.

 

[FiremanT]

Just to clear up any confusion, i am now aiming to replace the baxi boiler with the latest version without a gas fire front....this could mean either a false front on the fireplace or an electric fire front as mentioned above. The gas fire would be decommissioned to allow the removal of the vent in the front room.

The electric fire in front of the back boiler is not optional, it is a requirement, although you can choose from a range.

Petit Pablo may be talking from experience with his critique - I have only seen one on a course. With regard to the condensate pipe, I would have thought that it would normally rise to the first floor, and drop somewhere. Most skirting routes would be interrupted by a doorway.(??) Another major negative is the requirement for a new fireplace, to the correct dimensions, although, again, Baxi have a dedicated range.

All told, it normally does make sense to have a wall mounted blr, if you (or the rep) can find a location. As Tony says, don't be railroaded into a combi, a new boiler hooked to your existing system is often preferable - BUT it may well be a gravity systen at the moment, and to convert to a modern type would be more expensive than a combi(?)

 

[liddsville]

People seem obsessed with making their homes draught proof,double glazing,cavity wall insulation etc. Many houses I go to put washing on radiators or cook, without opening windows and then seem surprised that there is mould on their walls!!
Oh and get a quote from B.G then get it for around 1/2 to 2/3 using a reputable independent and have a holiday with the rest of the money.

 

[eoconnell]

Thanks for all your responses. I have had the work carried out now. Had the old baxi boiler and hot water tanker ripped out and installed a combi in the loft space. As advised i got British Gas in who wanted to do the job for £4200. I ended up using a plumber off ratedpeople who turned out to brilliant £2600 fpr the whole job. Even gave him some extra jobs like installing TRV's etc. Hoping to make a fortune on the scrap metal i have left over!

I know we shouldnt judge people on appearances but after going through the process of getting quotes off many plumbers. I couldnt help but do that. The British Gas guy turned up in a car worth slightly less then my house! Imagine the comission he must be on before they even stepped inside my house