Boiler relocation to loft?

[twixx]

4 bed detached, 130m2. Currently in the process of buying.

At present it has a 20 year old system boiler, header tank and store (airing cupboard).

It has a Salamander pump for water pressure which grinds my gonads.

In anticipation of moving in, I’m rethinking my options. My idea is;

OpenTherm system boiler relocated from kitchen to loft, and adding a megaflow/UC, for pressure.

I’m assuming a Megaflow/UC, would negate the storage tank in the airing cupboard and also the Salamander and as such, remove the noise of said pump?

In and ideal world ALL of this kit would live in the loft. Are there any issues in doing this??

Talking through with friends, a few have expressed concerns about the loft location. Mainly due to the ‘pump’ in the boiler not having enough oooomph to heat Radiators downstairs. Apparently the boiler pumps aren’t really design to pump downwards?

Valid theory?

Any other caveats to consider? Other than freezing condenser pipe worries...???

 

[ServiceNumpty]

Nothing wrong with locating it all upstairs in the loft, as long as there is plenty of support for the cylinder. I've got all mine in the loft with the cylinder placed between some load bearing walls. Ensure plenty of maintenance space, well boarded and well lit. And strong loft stairs not the flimsy metal ones. I installed a proper spring loaded loft hatch with wooden loft ladders. Also you might need to look at the slimline range of UC incase you need to replace in the future.

 

[Mottie]

I have my boiler in loft and when I had the system converted to sealed with an unvented cylinder I was going to have the hot water cylinder relocated to the loft but I changed my mind at the last minute because (a) it would have taken a long time for the hot water to reach the downstairs taps and (b) the wife didn’t want a big tank of hot water above our heads! I have a heat only boiler and expansion vessel in the loft and my controller, zone valves, unvented h/w cylinder, expansion vessel and pump are downstairs in the airing cupboard. Some people have said on here that it’s better to have all parts separate from boiler if possible as it’s easier and cheaper when repairs are needed.

 

[bernardgreen]

Some people have said on here that it’s better to have all parts separate from boiler if possible as it’s easier and cheaper when repairs are needed.

And those people are correct.

 

[dilalio]

4 bed detached, 130m2. Currently in the process of buying.

At present it has a 20 year old system boiler, header tank and store (airing cupboard).

It has a Salamander pump for water pressure which grinds my gonads.

In anticipation of moving in, I’m rethinking my options. My idea is;

OpenTherm system boiler relocated from kitchen to loft, and adding a megaflow/UC, for pressure.

I’m assuming a Megaflow/UC, would negate the storage tank in the airing cupboard and also the Salamander and as such, remove the noise of said pump?

In and ideal world ALL of this kit would live in the loft. Are there any issues in doing this??

Talking through with friends, a few have expressed concerns about the loft location. Mainly due to the ‘pump’ in the boiler not having enough oooomph to heat Radiators downstairs. Apparently the boiler pumps aren’t really design to pump downwards?

Valid theory?

Any other caveats to consider? Other than freezing condenser pipe worries...???

Incoming mains pressure and flow rate taking into account it will be slightly less up in the loft;
Space/height/support/accessibility;
Flue positioning/termination;
Gas pipe sizing;
Cold Main sizing all way to UV;
Discharge route and termination;
Condense route;
Frost protection;
Controls wiring.

Sort the above and it’s fine to put it all in the loft. Might be worth keeping the boiler down below due to gas rating and ease of access.

 

[vulcancontinental]

Not a great fan of cylinders in the loft but no real problems. The OpenTherm boiler and control though could be chosen to give you remote control of the boiler with system pressure, alarm codes and boiler reset available on the room thermostat and app so you can monitor things without having to climb into the loft so often.

 

[FiremanT]

Comments from your friend about the pump are nonsense.

Before committing, ensure cold mains presssure and flow are adequate. Your surveying installer should check

 

[algas]

only problem is if you have a leak

 

[twixx]

Thanks all, I hadn't considered the UC in the loft until she mentioned it. I was all for sticking it in the existing airing cupboard.

Then I saw this, which I thought looks neat.



I'm a fan of putting things out of the way, but equally, the loft is usually my server room with a fair bit of electrical goodness. So maybe a full UV being up there is not wise.

Good news about the boiler & pump.

One other option I suppose could be boiler & UC in the utility room downstairs, house in some kind of tall kitchen unit...

As always, thanks for your comments. Food for thought!

 

[dilalio]

Then I saw this, which I thought looks neat.

Apart from the poc boiler

 

[Hot&Cold]

Then I saw this, which I thought looks neat.

As an illustration it looks neat,consider that space could be habitable as an extra bedroom,etc.

The idea of putting a boiler/cylinder in a utility room with other utility machines (and add a wc) really appeals to house buyers. Create a small extension and keep the loft bare.

anyone wanting to convert a loft space which already a has boiler/cylinder has an added expense,yep w do the wet work for London loft converters and existing goods end up in the skip or gumtree

 

[dilalio]

yep w do the wet work for London loft converters

So you kill ppl for Builders who haven’t been paid then?

 

[fixitflav]

And those people are correct.

I agree, and in addition, why go for an expansion vessel instead of an F/E tank? A friend of mine had his boiler replaced about 10 years ago, got rid of the F/E tank. He has to climb into the loft regularly to top the pressure up, he's not getting any younger and his legs aren't too good! Even if it hasn't lost pressure of course he can't check it without getting in the loft. None of that with an F/E tank.

 

[twixx]

I agree, and in addition, why go for an expansion vessel instead of an F/E tank? A friend of mine had his boiler replaced about 10 years ago, got rid of the F/E tank. He has to climb into the loft regularly to top the pressure up, he's not getting any younger and his legs aren't too good! Even if it hasn't lost pressure of course he can't check it without getting in the loft. None of that with an F/E tank.

Unless I’m mistaken, by going with a UC, I can remove the header tank, and utilise that room gained in the loft for my servers. The header tank already sits on a nice podium which would be ideal for my gadgets. The main reason for considering UC however, was the promise of constant pressure without the need for a stupid pump!



I do quite like the idea of boxing it in, in the utility room, and it does avoid a lot of the ‘possible issues’ of putting it all in the loft.

Including the weight of an UC, which I hadnt even considered!

Though I guess a UC could happily live in the airing cupboard in place of the existing tank.

 

[Mottie]

why go for an expansion vessel instead of an F/E tank? A friend of mine had his boiler replaced about 10 years ago, got rid of the F/E tank. He has to climb into the loft regularly to top the pressure up

If he's regularly topping it up, he has a leak and should get that looked at. Apart from the fact that you can’t have a F/E tank with a sealed system, my expansion vessel is in the loft next to the boiler but my pressure gauge and filling loop are downstairs in the airing cupboard. Perhaps your friend could have his filling loop and gauge relocated to a more sensible position?