Where to put the boiler?, pipe runs and cost...

[Cambridge Mum]

It looks as though I'm either having a conventional boiler (Ideal) fitted by the front door or a Vaillant combi in the attic. This is to replace the old back boiler.
I haven't had the quote yet, but although I'd prefer the boiler to be in the loft, I expect it will cost an awful lot more (£2K?) than the conventional by the front door.
In either event, the pipes will join up to most of the existing pipework rather than a new route be laid.
This means the hot water run will be very long: if the boiler is in the attic, the pipe will run from one side of the loft to the other (the installer doesn't want to put the boiler on the chimney side of the house for some reason)and then down into the airing cupboard. The hot water will then run under the first floor floorboards back to the other side of the house (under the boiler!) to the bathroom and then down into the kitchen.
If the boiler is by the front door I'm not quite sure what the route will be, but the hot water will have to cross the house somehow, whether on the ground or first floor, and I'm not sure how the boiler will connect to the ch system, since at the moment all the pipes run up the wall next to the back boiler chimney. The installer wants to run at least one pipe up from the boiler by the front door into the bedroom above, which is all of 7 foot square and pipework could, of course make it difficult to make the bed in there, there's so little room.
I feel very confused. Please what should I consider and what questions do I need to ask? (I've had a good search on these forums already, by the way.)
Thanks! :

 

[kev_1911]

just put mine in the airing cupboard (glow-worm cx30) all the pipework is in there ready to connect onto, flued straight up into the loft and out of the roof,existing plastic overflow to pick up the condensate and blow-off.the only major pipework in this case would be getting the gas to it.

 

[Cambridge Mum]

Thanks, Kev for the reply. The airing cupboard is very shallow and in a bedroom, and contains a torpedo hot water tank, so there isn't much room.
The fitter insists on the erection of scaffolding to the roof if a flue is to go out through the slates and also insists the boiler can't be mounted on the chimney breast nor on the wall near the chimney - says regulations prohibit this. He also says the condensate can't run down into the gutter (cast iron) but must go down the house outside into the drain which is on the opposite side of the house to the chimney.
If it is to go in the airing cupboard (conventional boiler), it might as well go into the roof space (combi)- but this is right by the chimney.
Does it matter if there is a 15 to 30 foot hot water run (across the house and back) rather than putting the boiler and the pipework in the most efficient place ie as near the kitchen and bathroom as possible? I assume this is pretty inefficient.
Another complication is the existing Trevi Therm shower with a Stuart Turner pump - could keep these unaltered with a conventional boiler (and they are very reliable!), but would have to replumb pipework and remove the pump for a combi. I don't think he'll size the combi generously.

Mmm..
perhaps I need a couple of additional quotes for the work.

 

[gas4you]

Forget the idiot you have had round so far. He's talking a load of tosh.

 

[kev_1911]

midly put Dave,hehe,yes cambs mum,get more quotes mi dear,try and get sombody by recamendation ie ask friends and family if they've had any work done recently,then again dave cant be a million miles away?????
mi thinks the geezer you had round is after fleecing you.good luck.

 

[Cambridge Mum]

Thank you; I shall get some quotes. My previous experience 20 years ago when I was putting in central heating for the first time was that some of the firms I asked to quote refused or said it would be impossible to put a back boiler in the chimney, even though when I phoned to make the appointment I had said I wanted a back boiler. Eventually I realised these firms were probably saying this because they didn't like fitting back boilers. In the end I got British Gas to do the job and they did it well with no problems, so I am assuming the current chap has a restricted way in which he likes to work and is telling me this is the only way possible - so other views from different installers are really needed. May I ask one more question, please: is the Vaillant ecoTEC plus open vented boiler range good? (I may decide to keep the tanks etc and just have a new conventional boiler), and is it true that Ideal conventional (not combi) boilers are reliable, please? I am going off the idea of a combi in the loft now, as the modification to the loft hatch and the cross-battening and boarding would be a real pain (and the installer said I'd have to get someone else to do it), as well as the expense of scaffolding and the risk of damage to my (redone) slate roof when the flue is fitted.

 

[gas4you]

Don't entertain any Ideal boiler, however cheap the quote may be.

As a Vaillant approved installer I have to admit that the 400 series open vent, although ok, is the worst in their range. They are the only ones that seem to give me call backs.

You are better off in the long run to go for a sealed system, such as the 600 series or even a 800 series if you want a combi, but don't bother with the 824.

No I'm not a million miles away and can often be seen around Cambridge when I visit my daughter at uni