Locating a combination boiler

[peter]

Sooner or later I am going to have to get our aging gas backboiler replaced. I live in a chalet bungalow (we had a loft conversion put in some 25 years ago) with a full length carport down the side of this semi detached property. Convenient outside wall options for hanging a combination boiler are not good. My favorite option would be to locate the boiler in our present downstairs located airing cupboard. The airing cupboard does not have an outside wall but backs directly onto the chimney. This would imply removing the present storage tank and using a chimney flue liner kit (after knocking a hole through the back of the airing cupboard into the chimney flue) . We have just had a new kitchen fitted which I do not wish to mess up by installation of a boiler and we are about to upgrade the bathroom (possibly the only other feasible location for a boiler other than the airing cupboard). Obviously it would be helpful to ensure that a boiler can be placed in the airing cupboard before closing down other options. Is a chimney flued combination boiler likely to be viable or not? I would not be unduly worried about blocking off the fireplace flue in the adjacent sitting room as we rarely use the gas fire in front of the backboiler and would happily substitute an electric powered equivalent.

[Doctor Drivel]

There is nothing wrong with using an existing chimney. Boilers these days have highly flexible flue systems that can have plastic pipe run up the chimney.

[Christian McArdle]

No problem whatsoever. Choose a model that has the option of using 2 standard 50mm mPVC drainpipes as flues. These are relatively easy to stick up a chimney, provided there are no bends and much cheaper than proprietary flue extension kits for concentric flue systems. Keston specialise in this field, but there are also other manufacturers with optional such flue systems.

Check that you have suitable drainage for the condensate. If not, look at the new Sanicondens, which is a pump specially designed to pump away the small amounts of acidic concentrate when there is no viable gravity flowed method.

Christian.

[Andy Hall]

You do know who the manufacturer is, don't you, Christian....? ;-)

[Christian McArdle]

Yes, although they didn't make my new toilet pump, despite the name, a Sanisplit. This has the really quite nice feature of coming in two parts. One attaches to the plumbing and toilet, the other simply slides out and contains the motor and masher. You can then hose it out in the garden, or they offer an exchange service (free for several years) if you don't like getting dirty.

Christian.

[Matt]

Lets hope they found it easier to pump a dilute acid uphill than liquidised sh*t.

[Andy Hall]

Hmm.. I wonder if Peter Parry knows about this.....

[peter]

Thanks for the comments everyone. As I said I don't plan to replace the boiler just yet - at least while it continues to work AOK. It is nice knowing that when the time comes I will not have to mess up the kitchen or bathroom and thereby earn the displeasure of she who must be obeyed.