Boiler location / flue length

[scape279]

Can boilers be located in bathrooms or would this not meet regulations?

What is the average maximum length a flue can extend? I say average maximum, because obviously different boiler/flue set-ups will have different maximum lengths.

The problem is, our boiler is currently located in a back room upstairs off a bedroom. I'd rather it wasn't there for a number of reasons.

Our bathroom is downstairs, adjacent to the kitchen, and since we are intending to upgrade to a combi boiler, it would make sense to have it near the places where hot water is used.

There are no outside walls in our kitchen (mid terrace + conservatory), so the boiler either needs to go in the bathroom or in the kitchen with a really long flue that would run through the bathroom.

Any ideas?

 

[advancemaintenance1]

not a plumber but i think i remember someone saying it can be fit in a bathroom as long as its out of reach of sink and bath, external controls are outside room and its on its own circuit rcbo protected. i may be wrong and look forward to a reply from a gas safe engineer

 

[kirkgas]

the "average" flue length is of no relevance, ie somewhere between 1m and 18m makes the average 9m, you need to measure the distance you have and buy a boiler that is allowed to run that length, remember to allow 0.5m for every 90 degree bend on the run (dont include the turret on top of the boiler)
RS boilers can go in bathrooms, but again check MI's of proposed boiler to confirm minimum clearences

 

[butchzak]

I am an ex corgi reg engineer ( retired) so I may be out of touch. A boiler certainly could be installed in a bathroom providing it had a sealed balanced flue (they all have now). As previous reply, it should be out of reach of sink and bath and all supply switches etc must be outside the room. Boilers vary but flue lengths of between 4 & 6 metres are not unusual however every bend is equivalent to 0.5 metres of length. Hope this helps.

 

[scape279]

Thanks for the answers guys!

So it looks like I might have the choice of either option?
- Get a boiler designed to take a long flue and install in the kitchen
- Get a room sealed boiler with balanced flue to go in the bathroom

I actually prefer the long flue option, as the bathroom is small enough as it is and would probably have to go to the side of the toilet.

The bathroom is 2.3 meters long (as measured on the inside), so adding an extra metre to generously allow for going through 2 walls plus the 'half metre' bend out the top of the boiler and a half meter rise from the boiler to ceiling level brings us to just under 4.5 meters. Does that sound reasonable?

I suppose the bare flue pipe running across the top of the bathroom would heat it a little - I like a warm bathroom!

 

[glasgowgas]

post the make/model of your proposed boiler and we can reply with equivelant flue lengths

 

[butchzak]

Sorry but you wouldn't get any heating from the flue. The inlet and outlet are concentric and the cold inlet is outside!! I think most boilers would be ok with this length.

 

[scape279]

post the make/model of your proposed boiler and we can reply with equivelant flue lengths

Thanks, but I'm only at the thinking-about-it stage, so it will be a while before I have part numbers etc! Besides, I think boiler replacement is better when its not snowing

Sorry but you wouldn't get any heating from the flue. The inlet and outlet are concentric and the cold inlet is outside!!

Ah, oh well. It was a nice thought though!