Removing complete heating system

[chezza80]

Hi, totally clueless.

We want to remove our back boiler, attached fire and complete piping and radiator system. Esentially so we will not require gas in our house. How do we go about this? If we get a pro to cap the gas off at the inlet pipe can we rip everything else out ourselves? Thanks.

 

[studips]

yup. you can even have your supply disconnected in the street if you want to, that would be the ultimate way to do away with gas on your property.

the only downside of removing the system yourself is it needs care and attention to avoid dirty water on the carpets, but other than that it's easy.

why the big downer on gas anyway?

 

[chezza80]

The only thing in our house on gas is the fire and boiler, it's really old and we really can'tafford to replace it with anything decent. Not to mention how expensive gas is now. We plan on removing the gas system and getting solid fuel fire instead then venting the heat to the upstairs rooms. We are at the 'looking into it' stage at the moment. Also looking at things like paper brickers and things like that to save money.

 

[Boilerman2]

SOLID FUEL??? have you worked out how much that will cost to run!!! Mains gas is still the cheapest form of heat for domestic purposes!!

 

[chezza80]

These are sums we are currently working through, but we don't use our heating that much, even in the winter. Nothing in the house apart from the heating is on gas so we are trying to see which will work our better.

 

[dcawkwell]

May I suggest using a gas fire in the lounge and just heating
the one room if you can't afford gas for the whole house.

This will be the cheapest way to keep warm. If you have a back
boiler you already have a gas fire so just switch the boiler off
make sure you switch the pilot light of the gas boiler off
to stop that wasting gas.

Ripping out the heating system wouldn't be wise should you ever
want to sell the house and move somewhere warmer.

 

[chezza80]

Thanks for all the info guys, plenty of food for thought. Unfortunately the boiler is beyond a g-rating and the fire is broken, unfixable on its own. I'll let you know what we decide, how the sums add up and how it goes!!

 

[ServiceNumpty]

Work out how much your immersion costs to heat your water. The only way you'll save money is if you've got a forest nearby. Just ripped out a solid fuel boiler because of the cost of fuel. Last year replaced an aga with a combi, serviced it last week , their average gas bill £35 per month.

 

[dcawkwell]

Thanks for all the info guys, plenty of food for thought. Unfortunately the boiler is beyond a g-rating and the fire is broken, unfixable on its own. I'll let you know what we decide, how the sums add up and how it goes!!

Just get yourself a nice cheap £100 gas fire from argos.

Unlikely anything but the thermocouple wrong with the gas fire.
Unless it is really old.
What are you doing for hot water????
Forget the coal. Bad idea and very messy.

Easy answer is switch all the radiators off in the rest of the house
and just keep the radiator on in the lounge. Back boiler will keep that warm and still give you hot water.

 

[muggles]

It would generally cost you a lot more to have a solid fuel stove installed than a new condensing gas boiler, and solid fuel is more expensive than gas too

 

[Nige F]

getting solid fuel fire instead then venting the heat to the upstairs rooms. .

How`s that work then - holes in the floor

 

[namsag]

Leave the doors open