Unvented System

[Harden Long]

Hello

We have moved into an old house (1920's) with a boiler that has been condemned

Our plumber has recommended installing an UNVENTED system as we are doing new bathrooms and want some decent pressure.

He was recommending a KESTON boiler but after discussions and my reticence about how well they can be serviced has decided on an IDEAL MEXICO

My question relates primarily to the unvented system.
Can someone steer me toward getting more info on this or can anyone provide some do and don'ts that I need to discuss with my plumber.
For example-do I need to get council/local authority approval?

Thanks a million

 

[corgiman]

Hello

We have moved into an old house (1920's) with a boiler that has been condemned

Our plumber has recommended installing an UNVENTED system as we are doing new bathrooms and want some decent pressure.

He was recommending a KESTON boiler but after discussions and my reticence about how well they can be serviced has decided on an IDEAL MEXICO

My question relates primarily to the unvented system.
Can someone steer me toward getting more info on this or can anyone provide some do and don'ts that I need to discuss with my plumber.
For example-do I need to get council/local authority approval?

Thanks a million

you dont need their permission but you do need to notify them, this can be done if the installer belongs to a competant person scheme under Part G of the new building regs

or if not as long as he holds the G3 registration for the installation of unvented hot water storage systems that hold more than 12 litres.

I personally much prefer the keston to the ideal but that is purely a personal view.

As for the dos and donts. there are a few of both but if your plumber can prove competancy you dont really have to worry

if you still want to discuss these to the finest detail there are many training providers that for about 250 plus vat and a day of your time will train you up to be G3 registered

what I am saying is that you do have to have some trust in your installer to do the job correctly and if you dont, get another installer

 

[Harden Long]

Thanks corgiman

I think you hit the nail on the head-for guys like me with no expertise in these matters (other than what I glean of the 'net ) it does come down to trust.
My plumber has impressed me so far......so we shall have to see !

 

[corgiman]

Thanks corgiman

I think you hit the nail on the head-for guys like me with no expertise in these matters (other than what I glean of the 'net ) it does come down to trust.
My plumber has impressed me so far......so we shall have to see !

has he got any old clients that you could talk to about him? have his been recommended to you?

Sometimes the net can be conta productive and makes people feel less secure because they get an idea how little they know about a subject. they then research it (a bit) and end up with alot of questions that are irrelevent. heard of the saying "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing"?

If he s trustworthy and qualified I think you are best leaving the real technical stuff to him, after all if you knew all of that why would you be paying someone to do it for you?? If I knew anything about mechanics I would service me own van

 

[Harden Long]

I'm totally with you corgiman-I'm a doc and you have NO idea how tricky it is when someone wanders into the consultation with 500 sheets of paper they have printed off from the "albanian journal of obscure medicine" website and say to me "do you think I could have this doc?"

 

[corgiman]

I'm totally with you corgiman-I'm a doc and you have NO idea how tricky it is when someone wanders into the consultation with 500 sheets of paper they have printed off from the "albanian journal of obscure medicine" website and say to me "do you think I could have this doc?"

here while we are on the subject, I have this bad back

you must have heard that at parties as many times as I have heard "oh your a plumber, we have this boiler etc etc"

 

[ChrisR]

"A little knowledge" can be very useful though. Education is never bad!
If you're considering Unvented, there are issues to be aware of.

What's your mains supply like, in terms of pressure and flow?
You'd need minima of say 2 bar and 25 litres/minute.

How many showers/baths to service? That gives capacity - see the Megaflo website.

Remember it needs a safety discharge pipe (like an overflow with attitude). They can be hard to site.

 

[gas4you]

"A little knowledge" can be very useful though. Education is never bad!
If you're considering Unvented, there are issues to be aware of.

What's your mains supply like, in terms of pressure and flow?
You'd need minima of say 2 bar and 25 litres/minute.

How many showers/baths to service? That gives capacity - see the Megaflo website.

Remember it needs a safety discharge pipe (like an overflow with attitude). They can be hard to site.

Agree Chris, but I would want to see at least 3 bar to let the pbv do its job when other balanced taps are turned on. Don't forget a 22mm cold supply to it.

 

[Harden Long]

Many thanks-I appreciate you all taking the time to give me your advice

What is a pbv?

 

[gas4you]

Pressure balancing valve, usually preset at 3 or 3.5bar. It reduces your incoming cold mains pressure to the set pressure so when a tap is run and another is turned on it automatically lets more water through to maintain the balanced outlet pressure. Hence why I like to see at least 3 Bar otherwise you will not get the full advantage of the system.

 

[Balenza]

pbv ???

Ive always known PRV,s as Pressure Reducing Valves.
Thats what Reliance call them anyway though the Reliance model has an extra take off on the valve body for the cold so I suspect thats why they get the name pbv.

 

[Rob]

pbv ???

Ive always known as PRV,s

Yes because there's nothing this could be confused with ...

 

[Balenza]

prv-pressure reducing valve
prv-pressure regulating valve
prv -pressure release valve
prv-pressure relief valve

I see your point.

 

[easydes]

Agree Chris, but I would want to see at least 3 bar to let the pbv do its job when other balanced taps are turned on. Don't forget a 22mm cold supply to it.

you'd be hard pushed to find an old dwelling that has that sort of pressure!! i'd say if you've got 2bar then go for it! easy way to tell is the size of your incominh main, if its 15mm then forget it! if its bigger then maybe!
i fit megaflow's all day long! (new build site work) great systems and they look great too! we work with about 5bar and the pressure reducing valve brings it down to 3 bar. it gives a very powerfull shower!