Central heating solution needed for small flat...

[weemaz1985]

I am trying to find out the best heating/hot water solution for our small basement flat. The flat is currently undergoing a major face lift (everything is being ripped out and started again) - so damage to plaster / flooring is not an issue - what is, is cost, ease and speed!

The flat is in a victorian conversion - currently it doesn’t have gas however the building does so I think getting a supply wouldn’t be too costly or difficult. What it does have is a cold water tank situated in the communal area above and an electric water heater taking up a lot of room in what will be the living room (the wall the hot water tank is on is coming down and so it will need moving - preferably permanently out of the flat…)

As far as I can see (unless someone tells me otherwise) I have 3 options:
1) Move the electric hot water tank and put it somewhere a little less in the way - electric radiators (Will be using cast iron radiators with an electric heating element x 4 - roughly £550 for the 4 elements)
2) Have gas installed and get a multi-point hot water heater and use electric radiators (as above)
3) Get a combi-boiler and get central heating (4 radiators)

Just wanted to know how easy all the options above will be - a rough guide in terms of cost and time frames for the work - all of which will play a major part in our decision of which option to take.

Thanks in advance

 

[PlumbGas]

If you can get Gas don't fit Multi point and elec rads, fit Combi boiler. Best option i think. check incoming main is sufficient for combi
If you are going to keep your direct cylinder then change to unvented after checking water pressure, Much better result.
As for prices you'll not get advise on here for that i'm afraid as we're not here to stick our fingers in the air and guess as thats what it would be without seeing all the variables

 

[Tipper]

If your water pressure is good then combi boiler will do a great job.

Get a quality boiler with decent burner turndown so it will fire to suit the CH demand. You will also get a terrific shower.

I've got two 2 bed flats running Vaillant 824 combos and they are brilliant!

 

[Agile]

A combi boiler and four rads might cost about £3000 and take about a week to install.

however, getting a gas supply installed can take weeks or more often months.

It would have been usual to decide on the fuel well before any work is started so that the British Gas lead time is not a problem.

Its worth waiting for because a gas system is far cheaper and better to use.

Tony

 

[mickyg]

see if you have space for a tank and the boiler, you can mount the boiler above the tank if need be. That way you can get a boiler with a much lower output, ie 12kw, or something like the smaller atag a series which has a lower end modulation of 4.4kw. The system will be more reliable and last longer than a combi boiler, as well as the majority of repairs being cheaper and quicker to carry out.

 

[dcawkwell]

Combi boiler and electric show.

Or if a slightly bigger flat system boiler with small mains pressure hot water tank. Normal show.