Warm Front & Building Regulations

[cylinder150]

We have been told we can have a Warm Front grant to replace an old boiler.

Presently the central heating is heated by a Myson floor standing boiler (great machine, but uses a lot of gas!) with an open vented water tank in the loft. The boiler is for the radiators only.

We considered replacing the boiler with a combi, but having read several posts on the subject was somewhat put off. Also, there was the possibility of leaks appearing in the system with the higher pressure. So we are going for a simple boiler (Baxi Solo?) which is a reasonably straight replacement (ie keeping the loft tank, etc)

However, the installer tells me that the Building Regulations require a controlling room thermostat over the nearest radiator (with a new lockshield) to the front door - he says?. At the moment we have thermostatic radiator valves on all radiators except the bathroom / toilet.

The manufacturers of boilers (of this type: eg Baxi Solo) say that with TRVs, a room thermostat is not required under the Building Regulations.

The installer says he has no choice as it is Warm Front who stipulate this. They say it is a Regulation, although won't say who's!

I am not happy, because basically after many years, our system is perfectly balanced and anyway we don't want a room thermostat in the hall.

Anyone have any thoughts?

 

[Agile]

Certain boilers have an acceptable interlock that obliviates the need for a room stat.

However I doubt you have the required ability to successfully argue against them.

Why not have it fitted and then just turn it up to maximum and have a TRV fitted to the hall rad after they have left?

You have to accept that if you receive grant funding you have to accept THEIR way of doing it!

If you dont like it you dont have to have it ! But then you will have to pay for it yourself!!!

Tony

 

[DP]

While TRVs do remove the radiator from heat source (boiler), boiler does not 'know' the house is up to temperature. This job is done by roomstat.

TRVs shut down readiators that are subjected to external forms of heat (sunlight etc) and roomstat (if fitted in the colder north facing room) shuts down the boiler (effectively saving fuel) to restart the boiler when the room temperature dips a degree or so.

It is a rare household that uses TRVs to control the temperature. Most are set to max. Then again, maybe the radiators are undersized or people in these houses are cold blooded.

 

[namsag]

Baxi solo has a built in flow switch which is perfectly acceptable under part L regs providing boiler is wired up correctly , if all trvs shut off it senses no flow and shuts boiler off instantly
Must be first time warmfront want to spend money when there is no need, they normally don`t even fit trvs which they are meant to.

 

[D_Hailsham]

We have been told we can have a Warm Front grant to replace an old boiler.

Was the old boiler broken and not economical to repair?

My son applied for a Warm Front grant, hoping they would replace his old Bermuda back boiler, but all they would do was to cavity insulate the walls and put insulation in the loft.

 

[namsag]

Neighbour got them out for cavity and loft insulation they suggest new boiler to replace mk1 solo pf . They said when they come out to survey boiler it must not be working .
So day before they are due i disconnect certain wires , come out don`t even look at it and survey job , 4 months later they come out to install it this is rush job for a pensioner who has just had 5 heart attacks and needs triple bypass if boiler had been bol#oxed i dont think she would have been here for the new one.
Then another one 25 year old 551 on its last legs through it with fine tooth comb and only upgrade to fully pumped replacing cylinder and leaving old boiler, this scheme definetley needs someone looking into it especially as eaga made approx 30 million profit last year mostly from government grants

 

[cylinder150]

namsag, I agree - some things do seem a bit dubious. I suppose that money is money, which is why the scheme keeps going...

Our boiler has had an intermittent thermostatic control fault, which is why we have been told a replacement is possible. The old unit is built like a tank but the problem is really in the gas usage. The assessor told us that the boiler was too old to repair.

Regarding the TRVs, they work really well - they are individually set to keep each room at the correct temperature. I was under the impression that our existing boiler, via it's temperature control knob, used the returning water temperature as a method of central control (ie switching flame off when radiators return unused hot water and vice versa)

Thanks for all the comments - much appreciated.

 

[billy bob]

However, the installer tells me that the Building Regulations require a controlling room thermostat over the nearest radiator (with a new lockshield) to the front door - he says?. At the moment we have thermostatic radiator valves on all radiators except the bathroom / toilet.

The room stat would not be placed over the radiator, it should not be in the direct line of any heat source.

 

[cylinder150]

That's what I thought billy bob - one of the reasons I was concerned about everything!