Is my builder being honest with me

[MEPEK]

I am getting a number of things done in my house and I am worried that the builder/plumber is not conforming to the current Scottish building regulations even when telling me he is.

He is installing a central heating system using a Ferroli combi F30 boiler. To be polite lets say he was mistaken when he told me the SEDBUK rating and efficiency. I checked on the web and it has a SEDBUK rating of D and is 78% efficient. Is this acceptable?

He is also using Hep20 pipe not microbore/copper which surprised me. He says he never uses microbore as it is used by cowboys. He also says condensing boilers go wrong too often and therefore he does't use them either. Any comments anyone?

Also am I obliged to have a room thermostat fitted as well as thermostatic valves on all but one of the radiators?

 

[gasgeezer]

building regs require a room stat fitted unless enough points acrued a condenser must be fitted he sounds like a cowboy tell him to do one and get , ooops just read your in sweaty land dont think the regs apply to you yet hope you support england in the world cup if not you can do one to.

 

[Gasguru]

Don't touch Hep2O - I see more problems with this than any other pusfit system. Hepworth have admitted to me some of the manufacturing faults they've had. Pipe snapping, grab rings disintegrating - often several months/years down the line.

Use copper - he's only using pushfit to cut corners.

If you must insist on pushfit I would recomend Yorkshire tectite (original type fittings) and Qualpex tubing - hav'nt seen any floods with there system.

Stick to 15mm minimum sized pipework, however microbore sized correctly on a properly installed (ie cleaned/inhibited and no leaks etc) system is fine.

 

[ChrisRoberts]

building regs require a room stat fitted .

Ah but aren't the regs different in jocksville??

Also of course they are not being honest with U. That'd get us all a bad reputation.

 

[doitall]

You know it makes sense to install a condensing boiler.

It would also make sense to get rid of your plumber before he starts, have it out with the builder Now, you want what you will be happy with not a load off 4stars.

 

[fitz1]

scots havnt moved forward yet , so standard efficiency is o.k

 

[Agile]

"""scots havnt moved forward yet , so standard efficiency is o.k"""

Its not mandatory to use a condensing boiler in Scotland yet! That does not mean that a non condensing boiler is OK as an alternative.

Surely OK means the best type of boiler for the job and a condensing model with a saving of 15% in fuel costs must be "more OK" than a standard efficiency!

 

[fitz1]

standard efficiency is o.k with the scottish regs. efficiecy wise , buy a heat pump and draw ur heat source from the ground approx 50 m down and use solar panels for hot water.

 

[DP]

I am in Glasgow. It is very rare for me to fit a boiler (only repair them).

I would NOT fit plastic (have seen many systems give trouble years later due to plastic/ system water reaction.

I would go for a better boiler (Ferroli is at the bottom of the heap- do repair them but they are an economy boiler). Personally I would not touch a Worcester Bosch. Give me a WB for repair but would not specify one.

I would specify a Vaillant basic (condensing) boiler and a Megaflow. But then your installer will need to be registered for installation of UV cylinders and will need to submit to BC before he starts fitting the cylinder.

I as the end user, would expect the Benchmark logbook to be completed, set of stamped plans from BC for the cylinder (and Benchmark here completed as well), system chemically flushed using comissioning chemicals and then inhibited. Also, a programmable roomstat installed

As an additional cost saving, I would have three (electrical) zones- HW, living rooms zone and bedrooms zone all independently controlled.

With a spec like this, do not expect the install to be £500 for a full heating system

I am in Bearsden.

 

[fitz1]

wouldnt u need 2 r/stats

 

[ChrisRoberts]

standard efficiency is o.k with the scottish regs. efficiecy wise , buy a heat pump and draw ur heat source from the ground approx 50 m down and use solar panels for hot water.

Solar panels in scotland. Are U mad. Lol.
My solar was working fine today. But I'm not in the country of the clouds.

 

[MEPEK]

Thanks for all the advice on this. I'm glad I will be better informed when confronting the builder.

 

[Paul Barker]

I have it on good authority that solar is not going to be the big push by the present government, they will be pushing nuclear plants, probably one per estate, trials are about to begin in Scotland some time next year.

 

[Nigelo]

Solar panels in scotland. Are U mad. Lol.
My solar was working fine today. But I'm not in the country of the clouds.

Chris,

out of interest why should Scotland be a problem? Surely you would just need to increase the collector area the further north you are. Also, wouldn't evac tubes compensate for less sun in jockland or is that just slick advertising?

 

[ollski]

I was told the other day that worcester bosch are developing lots of new solar technology at the moment.