Conservatory Building regs

[Tim Streater]

"any fixed heating installed should be separate/independent to that in the main dwelling".

or similar. Anyone know where I can find the *detail* of what this means in terms of requirements?

[Tim Watts]

It means "on it's own timer/thermostat" - ie a separate zone.

In practise this could be achieved with an extra zone valve, or if the conservatory will be heated at a subset of times of the rest of the house, one of those funky radio controlled "TRV" style radiator valve heads plus a matching timer/stat - see Conrad, they have lots of that stuff. Or a 2-port valve "hanging off" the existing system rather than formally integrated.

The latter is probably the easiest way to hack it onto a current system.

What they don't want to see is the place being heated unnecessarily.

[John Rumm]

It simply means that it must not be heated as a part of the rest of the house, but must be a separate heating zone.

So either an independent heating system (e.g. heat pump aircon), or a separately zoned circuit on the main heating its own stat / timer etc.

This will probably give the answers:

Section 4.12

[ARW]

What about a timer TRV?

eg

[Tim Streater]

Thanks. Will have to see how that can be argued out.

[Tim Streater]

As we're in an AONB we'll need planning so we'll let the architect argue that one out with BC. We'd prolly be happy for it to be a subset, as the boiler's downstairs and the zone valve is upstairs - and the bathroom it's in has just had all new floor with underfloor heating and self-levelling and all that, so not about to rip that up to add more pipework.

The flow/return for the downstairs rads pass across the threshold leading to where this conservatory will be. Easiest then will be to tap off those for rads in the conservatory. In which case a radio-controlled TRV may well be the way to go.

[JimK]

'>

Neither do we :-)'

So why are you bothering?

Jim K

[Tim Streater]

What, to heat it, you mean?

[Hugo Nebula]

For a conservatory to be exempt (amongst other requirements) the heating system of the dwelling should not be extended into the conservatory (Regulation 9 via Regulation 21(1)). In other words, it should either have no heating, or a separate heater.

If you do extend the heating system into the conservatory, it is no longer exempt from the Building Regulations. You can still have a de-facto glazed conservatory provided that the heating system has independant temperature and on/off controls (i.e., a separate thermostat, TRV, etc.).

If it has an independant heating system (e.g., an electric heater), then it also has to meet the guidance in the Domestic Building Services Compliance Guide, i.e., efficiency, controls, etc.

BTW, don't bother looking up Regulation 21; it's the most badly written convoluted piece of prose you'll ever have the misfortune to read. It's a reverse Turing Test; if you can understand it you ain't human.

[Hugo Nebula]

Planning & Building Control are separate things. Don't assume that they even talk to each other.

[Tim Streater]

Yeah, that would be my preference.

[JimK]

Yup....

Jim K

[Tim Watts]

I haven't seen those before - interesting.

[Tim Watts]

As it's a conservatory, why is the BCO involved? Or have you got some other notifiable works going on?

[Tim Watts]

My BCO said (basically) "Pah - conservatory - don't care, nothing to do with me" (I was asking if he wished to inspect the method used to build over a run of 110mm foul drain, which I'd made sure was being done by the regs).

[Tim Watts]

And if you do the "right thing" and stick an external Part L compliant door between the house and the conservatory, really no one cares what you do after that.

I've seen enough conservatories with no doors - which goes to show how little anyone actually worries :)

[John Rumm]

This will probably give the answers:

Section 4.12

[Tim Streater]

No, but if we extend the house central heating in, then AIUI, it ceases to be exempt for BC purposes, but will be OK as long as we have the magic TRV etc.

[Tim Watts]

The reason for the questions: Who's going to care?

But for your own sanity, bills wise, Adam's programmable TRV would probably be the simplest solution and give you the change to keep your bills down :)

[meow2222]

I can see it being useful indoors, but for a conservatory its not a suitabl e control system. 21C heating day after day in a conservatory is a crazy wa ste, and the timing periods of 1 or 2 times at 21C are simply not suitable to what is a relatively little used space.

NT