Best HW/CH system for small house?

[Lobster]

Hi all

I'm currently doing up a one-bedroomed, two storey 1900's terraced house, and need to install HW/CH from scratch, and would really appreciate the group's thoughts as to the best way forward.

I don't have gas in the place, but it's in the street so that is an option if need be, but I'd have installation costs to consider. Nor do I have an off-peak elec meter.

Given the size of the place space is obviously at a premium, so I'm almost certainly not going to want an HW cylinder.

The end objective is to sell the place on (or maybe let it), so the solution needs to be cost-effective from that point of view, but also attractive to a buyer (eg personally I doubt I'd want to buy a house with electric storage heating).

I'm guessing a gas combi boiler would be the best bet, notwithstanding the cost of getting gas in, but am I missing anything? Eg, will I recoup the installation costs vs electric-only by making it more saleable? My view is that I don't want any really 'newfangled' systems (cue IMM!) because however much they may be great ideas, I think its important not to use anything out of the ordinary, to ensure the widest possible appeal to a technophobic public...

Many thanks David

[Set Square]

Providing you have an adequate flow of mains cold water (in order to get an adequate flow of hot water when heat is applied in real time) a combi boiler providing instant hot water, and heating a few radiators, sounds like the obvious solution. You are right about the lack of appeal of electric heating in general, and storage heaters in particular. A gas-fired system is far more acceptable - except to my 94-year-old father-in-law who won't have gas at any price - but he's very much the exception!

If the cold flow is *not* adequate, you will have to consider stored hot water - but you should still heat it - and the house - with a gas boiler.

[Owain]

"Lobster" wrote | I'm currently doing up a one-bedroomed, two storey 1900's | terraced house, and need to install HW/CH from scratch, | I don't have gas in the place, but it's in the street so | that is an option if need be, but I'd have installation | costs to consider. Nor do I have an off-peak elec meter. | Given the size of the place space is obviously at a premium, | so I'm almost certainly not going to want an HW cylinder. | The end objective is to sell the place on (or maybe let it), | so the solution needs to be cost-effective from that point of | view, but also attractive to a buyer (eg personally I doubt | I'd want to buy a house with electric storage heating). ... | I'm guessing a gas combi boiler would be the best bet, | notwithstanding the cost of getting gas in, but am I missing | anything? Eg, will I recoup the installation costs vs | electric-only by making it more saleable?

It will certainly be 'more saleabl' but that is not the same as recouping the cost of so doing, but it will cost nothing to get a local estate agent round to value your house and ask 'if I put GCH in what would the impact on value be?'. You can then compare that against the installation costs.

As well as the costs of providing a gas supply, a boiler and rads will probably be more costly to install than electric panel heaters. However, if you aren't going to have a HW cylinder you're limited to instantaneous hot water, and a 10KW electric shower isn't the most exciting experience, and people are getting more accustomed to the fact that combis provide better-than-electric showers.

If you are *letting* then all-electric has the advantage that you don't need a periodic gas inspection, but all-electric heating can have a reputation for being expensive and difficult to control, and that will be reflected in the rent tenants are prepared to pay.

If you are *letting* then you may want to spend a bit more on a Reliable Make of Boiler, if you are doing up for a quick sale then you put in a cheap one and scarper :-)

Finally, cheap Decorative Flame Effect gas fires are much cheaper and look much better than electric ones, creating a nice focal point in the lounge, and many people prefer a gas hob for cooking. Those points may help to justify the cost of getting the gas supply put in - it's not just for the HW/CH system but also benefits the lounge and kitchen.

Owain

[Ed Sirett]

Given these constraints and you are fixing-to-sell the cost of installing the gas and putting in a _basic_ 24kW combi boiler is the way forward. I am not an estate agent but I would reckon that not doing this will reduce the house price by twice its installation cost.

[Toby]

I'd agree. If it can go in the kitchen, then that also gives you the option of a gas hob without too much pipework hassle. A nondescript basic unit will be fine, no-one apart from us sad lot are really interested in what goes on under the cover, or what brand you use. The new clean white box will hit all the right notes. The unit itself could be hidden in a cupboard to help give the impression of 'lots of kitchen storage'.

The agent gets to put 'central heating' in the particulars, IMO electric heating will immediately reduce the pool of willing buyers.

As there is only one bedroom, flow rate won't be an issue. I assume the likely future occupiers will either be first time buyers or tenants, so are unlikely to be too choosy about how the hot water is produced, more interested in jumping into the shower and rushing off to work.

[Christian McArdle]

Absolutely, definitely a combi for this. It will give good showers, which most tenants like. It will massively increase the value of the property when selling. Getting the gas in means gas cooking, which is also very popular. They are also cheap. You don't want to be spending a fortune on a system that the buyer/tenant will not understand or care about.

Everyone hates electric heating, whether storage or direct. Electric heating would also require either a hot water cylinder (size) or a 3 phase supply for instantaneous (expensive). (You can get 24kW electric instant heaters, but they basically need a whole 100A phase to themselves).

Christian.