General questions, first time install, Combi...

[k13wjd]

Hi guys - looking for a few bits of info - i'll breifly explain

I'll be installing my own system shortly - obviously with a corgi/gassafe checkover+gas hook up......Mainly because the quotes i've had are stupid, owing to owning a cast concrete house, but not wanting any pipes showing. I know where the pipes need to go, but every guy thats been out to look at it has said " I'd just run the pipe along the skirting. Thats the easy option - But it uses nearly double the pipe, looks CRAP, and means running tracks into a concrete floor.....I'd make a better job of it myself, as i can take my time, and run the pipes where i want them.....I

Radiators - Works out most of the rooms need anywhere between 2700btu, and 3300 btu...For that reason, i'll be using 600x600 K2 radiators throughout - with the exeption of the living room ( dang mrs wants a fancy vertical rad ) TRV's all round

Boiler - it'll be upstairs, in a bathroom cupboard - Mounted directly to a concrete wall, horiz. flue. Good location for pipework in my house, its where the mains cold water appears, and where all the junctions are made for hot and cold water for all locations ( sensible place for a boiler IMO) I'll be fitting a magnaclean too.

Pipework - 1m copper from boiler - 22mm to 15mm barrier for hot water, T'd ( one to downstairs, one to upstairs) again, 22mm to 15mm barrier for heating, t'd downstairs and upstairs..

So, my questions........

What boilers are the pro's fitting at the moment - i'll be looking somewhere around the 30kw mark...i Im not OVERLEY concerned about it being A rated, as there is only 2 of us, and i'd have to weigh up the extra energy used in a b rated boiler against the extra cost of a A rated boiler.

i've seen some boilers that fit the bill at £400...But REALLY - seems a tad cheap to be decent quality !

Where is a good place to buy cheap rads/TRV/Locksheilds.......looks like 5 radiators ATM. Prefer online - HEATING PACK ???

Also, which is the prefered make of plastic pipe - and fittings. "speedfit" seems to me like the most availible to me locally.


Lastly, i'll take any advice that you guys might have !

 

[heatserve]

Lastly, i'll take any advice that you guys might have !

Get someone else to fit the boiler after you've installed the rads and pipework.

 

[electronicsuk]

Obviously there will be ten people along in a few moments to tell you that it's a bad idea to fit your own boiler, this part will need to be done by an RGI. That aside, I'm just wondering how you plan to hide the pipework? Unless you plan on boxing it in or studding out your walls, I don't see how you could manage it. Assuming the walls are cast concrete and structural, you may well be unable to channel out deep enough for pipework and sleeving without affecting the alls structural integrity. That's before we even get started on how hard the walls will be to chisel!

 

[heatserve]

Obviously there will be ten people along in a few moments to tell you that it's a bad idea to fit your own boiler, this part will need to be done by an RGI.

Yep, and I was the first

 

[transam]

Fit a Wolf boiler made in Germany , fitted in the Kremlin good enough for Putin than should be good enough for you (maybe ???) , failing that how about a Lamborgini 7 year warranty , comes in 4 different colours , the very name instills excitement , passion , flair, from the same country that gave us such styling icons as Ferrari, maserati , Alpha Romeo , Bugatti , MV Augusta ect ect , could be a future collectors piece ??? yep this boiler could have the same effect as Viagra ???

 

[5TIMES]

Ideal logic are very good.

 

[gasbanni]

Once and only once I had to hang some rads in a cast concrete house
Drilling the holes was unbelievable the sds drill just shot off all over the place ! I'm assuming it was when it met a pebble.

All the houses were cast using one mould!

 

[k13wjd]

I knew that there would be a number of people who would recommend NOT fitting my own boiler.

i don't see any reason why not - I'm "technically" minded, and rarely call people in to do things. i've plumbed the rest of the house myself, some copper, some plastic, from the stopcock onwards...And never had a leak !

but obviously fitting my own gas supply might breach a few rules !!!! I'll have the same guy that fits the gas test/commission the system.

i have the help of my father too, who is just a good a plumber as anyone i've seen

its going in a big cupboard - the outside wall( mounting+flue wall) is solid concrete, I'll likely panel the concrete with 2x2, and plasterboard it - Hence i'll be hiding the pipes in the cavity.



anyhow, i wasnt after the " let the pro fit the boiler " rant, as i'm doing this on a budget, and we went last winter with NO heating to get the money together.

why do people suggest its a BAD idea to fit my own boiler...Lets face it, its not rocket science is it !

 

[k13wjd]

Once and only once I had to hang some rads in a cast concrete house
Drilling the holes was unbelievable the sds drill just shot off all over the place ! I'm assuming it was when it met a pebble.

All the houses were cast using one mould!

yeah, Thankfully only 3 rads are going on cast walls - I'll be drilling the holes with the help of a friend....who happens to have a rather powerfull sds drill...and a petrol powered drill for cutting the flue hole.....It'll have to go through 8 inches of cast concrete, and 2 sets of Rebar.......Same guy that drilled the holes when i re-wired for ceiling lighting !

 

[Servotech]

Baxi Platinum are about the best at the moment, it will cost you more than £400 though.
Quite a nice easy boiler to fit and shouldn't cause a competent DIYer any bother.
Yeah, I'd go with that one defo!
A lot of us professionals these days fit the radiators a little higher and clip the pipes to the wall just above the skirting board, once painted you won't notice them and they will provide extra heat.
If you're thinking of burying the pipes in the concrete floor --- DON'T DO IT!

 

[k13wjd]

Baxi Platinum are about the best at the moment, it will cost you more than £400 though.
Quite a nice easy boiler to fit and shouldn't cause a competent DIYer any bother.
Yeah, I'd go with that one defo!
A lot of us professionals these days fit the radiators a little higher and clip the pipes to the wall just above the skirting board, once painted you won't notice them and they will provide extra heat.
If you're thinking of burying the pipes in the concrete floor --- DON'T DO IT!

its very hard for me to explain how i'm going to run the pipes, but there will be no pipes on show. downstairs rads are on ajoining walls, which happen to be on the wall behind the kitchen cabinets, so thats sorted.
Upstairs the boiler is in the bathroom, the upstairs rads are all in easy distance through walls.
It was the last 3 guys who quoted me who suggested copper pipes run in a channel cut in concrete...Which is why i asked them to leave - its just a messy option, and rather in-efficent in terms of heat loss.

Someone else suggested the baxi - i found a half decent deal on the web, including the rads i need ( or bigger ones if needed)

Baxi 105 HE Combi Heating Pack

Pack comprises of:

• 1 x Combi Boiler
• 1 x Standard Flue Kit
• 7 x Stelrad Compact Radiators (up to 35,000 btu's)
• 6 x Bulldog TRV Pack
• 1 x Bulldog Manual Valve Pack
£1250

 

[Servotech]

Someone else suggested the baxi - i found a half decent deal on the web, including the rads i need ( or bigger ones if needed)

Baxi 105 HE Combi Heating Pack

Pack comprises of:

• 1 x Combi Boiler
• 1 x Standard Flue Kit
• 7 x Stelrad Compact Radiators (up to 35,000 btu's)
• 6 x Bulldog TRV Pack
• 1 x Bulldog Manual Valve Pack
£1250[/quote]


It looks like the firm that occasionally advertise in the national press and they are very cheap. I know of a couple of people who have bought from them and they were very satisfied with the deal.

 

[k13wjd]

Yeah, i've been looking all over : the pack i quoted about was from http://www.discountedheating.co.uk



some good deals on discountedheating.com( same company?? one is .co.uk the other .com?)
...but i've heard bad things about the boilers they include in their packs.

Vekora pro-combi 100HE, inc flue = £475 delivered..and they'll do that boiler, with 6 600x600 K2 rads, TRV's, Locksheilds, A magnaclean.....£993 delivered.....2 year warranty on the boiler.

baxi Platinum 28HE, £885, no flue.


what make of barrier pipe should i be looking to buy, or is there no difference ??? obviously i'll be buying a set of copper pipes, both 22+15mm, and relelvent fittings in copper.

 

[Red_Man]

The Gas side of it isn't the only bit you legally need an RGI for, flue too.

Other than that, feel free to do the rest of it yourself, no reason why not if you have the confidence. It might take you 3 times longer than any of us but you'll save the cash, which seems to be your sole aim.

Where is your gas meter in relation to where you plan to instal the boiler? You should also be thinking of the route for that, not just the wet pipes.

 

[holty]

Someone else suggested the baxi - i found a half decent deal on the web, including the rads i need ( or bigger ones if needed)

Baxi 105 HE Combi Heating Pack

have to say for budget i do like the 105he.not exactly rocket science to work on, loads of parts available due to the 105e and models etc..