gas in a small flat?

[ajrobb]

I am undecided between Economy 7 or gas fired central heating for a one-bedroom ground floor flat conversion. Even without heat, the flat doesn't seem cold. It is mid-terrace and there is a basement flat below and a maisonette above, both have GFCH. I doubt I could save energy costs to match the cost of servicing a combination boiler if I install GFCH. The costs for an unvented storage cylinder or combination boiler aren't hugely different.

I was quoted a very reasonable £85 to have a gas meter installed in the shared cellar under the road. I'd have to pay to bring the gas into the flat. I just feel that a vented cylinder with 2 immersions heaters will be more reliable.

 

[Tibbot]

Why bother inviting another blood sucking utility into your home unnecessarily then?

 

[Boilerman2]

Even the smallest gas boiler would be too big (heat wise) for your flat
I would stick with Electrickery!!

 

[PlumbGas]

Why bother inviting another blood sucking utility into your home unnecessarily then?

I'd have to agree, why bother, go unvented it should be cheaper than a combi to install though

 

[Nige F]

Why bother inviting another blood sucking utility into your home unnecessarily then?

get the one that " looks after your world "

 

[bengasman]

What is your main concern, comfort or price? Storage heaters suck, and conventional electric heating is extremely expensive to run.

 

[ajrobb]

As well as overall running costs, I'm a bit worried about counting all the birds in the bush before they're hatched in one basket. With a combi there is no backup - either a boiler problem or a power cut can kill the whole system.

How much would be reasonable for annual servicing and maintenance for a combi?

 

[bengasman]

I'm a bit worried about counting all the birds in the bush before they're hatched in one basket.

I'm not surprised.

With a combi there is no backup - either a boiler problem or a power cut can kill the whole system.

That is correct. With electrical heating, only a powercut can kill the whole system, so twice as reliable.
I must admit that I have not quite figured out how you expect to organise a backup with electrical heating though. Batteries?

 

[hansthebear]

planning for a backup is the wrong way to do it imo, considering the amount of power/water/gas cuts people actually have in a year, the advantages and benifits of a gas fired combi in a small flat far outweigh the risk.

imo of course.

 

[OwainDIYer]

Do you have the space for a cylinder with enough capacity to supply a day's use on stored hot water? Unvented also has safety/maintenance requirements. Storage heaters are also bulkier than ordinary radiators.

So a wall-hung combi boiler can do heating and hot water and take up less space which in a small flat can be quite important. also instant hot water and controllable heating.

Gas CH is generally more popular with buyers. If you can bring gas into your property at reasonable cost it's almost certainly the way to go.

If you could put a cylinder into the cellar to save space in the flat, then a thermal store using off-peak electric might be an option - radiator heating heating and hot water, without the safety/maintenance requirements of an unvented system.

 

[Jake1886]

Went to a job the other month (leaking cold water pipe) and the 1 bed flat had a Heatrae Sadia electric boiler and unvented cylinder. System was pretty good and looked to work nicely. Plus the H.Sadia boiler was tiny, you could fit that and a little unvented cyl in quite a small space.

The bloke said that his leccy bill wasn't massive either and he had compared to friends gas+leccy bills.

Maybe something to look into?

 

[ajrobb]

Thanks again for the input. I'm not sure I am much closer to a decision. I'll have a word with a local estate agent regarding resale values with or without GFCH. I saw the Heatrae Sadia SS unvented cylinders with double immersion heaters. With hot water storage and mains pressure there would almost always be adequate hot water to bathe regardless of short-term power cuts.

I am splitting the long bathroom annexe into two rooms; the far room with bath and toilet and the near 'dressing' room with one or two basins. There will be plenty of space for an airing cupboard as well. Instead of an airing cupboard an alternative is to put a combi boiler in the corner with the possibility of washer beneath. This would leave the cupboard under the stairs for useful storage.

 

[Tibbot]

Gas and oil are dead.