external boilers

[timegoesby]

I know there are oil boilers that can be fitted outside. I have fitted an external Rinnai multi-point water heater to great success. What I want to know is if any externally fitted gas boilers exist. I have done some superficial research and found nothing. Does anyone know of such a beast? One of these would make matters so much more easier.

TIA

[John Rumm]

Do you mean external as in "in a outside boiler house", or external as in "completely unprotected all on its ownsome"?

[Doctor Drivel]

Rinnai have "unprotected" appliances (the case protects them), the flue exhaust is just a slit at the top of the front of the casing. Some oil boilers, also do not require a boiler house and all the appliance case is open to the elements having insulated panels.

Some Continental boiler makers used to have special order bolt to the wall cabinets for certain boilers, complete with knock outs for pipes, flues and insulation.

Eldon

do external electrical cabinets which can easily take a boiler. They are not insulated AFAIK, but worth asking them. The holes will have to be cut out by the installer. I recall one fitted, but foam insulation was cut and fitted inside the cabinet and its doors by the fitter; a simple job. If I recall correctly one of these cabinets will be around £300. Best to check with Eldon. This will add £300 and about 1.5 hours work to fit inc insulation. £300 may be cheap if the space is really needed, installation is difficult or if a kitchen or parts of the house has to be ripped apart to fit a boiler. If you need to make a cylinder cupboard bigger for a body jet or power shower and have a new larger cylinder, a high flowrate Rinnai on the outside wall may work out by far the better option in cost and hassle. Few know about them.

Most boilers do have integral frost protection, but check. Most don't need ventilation so no air vents needed. Make sure the flue is fitted correctly and not too close to the wall. Most makers will allow a horizontal exit flue to be 25 -100mm from a wall, but check with makers. This means that the flue will come out of the side of the cabinet. The best position to prevent water ingress.

I don't know why makers don't have external insulated boiler models, or additional bolt-on insulated cabinets. It is much safer to have the boiler out there too, and must save a lot of hassle in many cases.

[John Stumbles]

And if you put it near the meter it makes it easier to run that 'standard' separate gas supply pipe from the meter :-)

BTW DrD, if the regulators Transco fit are so crappy then running more than one appliance off a single regulator+metermeter+regulator is going to be a no-no, isnt it? Do the job properly and get a dedicated supply put in with its own regulator+meter off the main supply.

[Doctor Drivel]

That's right. Somthing "plumbers" don't know that much about as they don't kn ow much about gas. They look at a chart and put tees in one pipe feeding the appliances, that snakes around the house. Premix burners are more sensitive and boioers with these should have their own dedicated gas supply back to the meter with a good quality meter regulator (Transco fit cheap and nasty Spanish regulators).

If problems buy a decent regulator from BES and fit it yourself. Far less hassle than dealing with the private money grabbing cowboys who deny everything. It will cost you more money in constant callbacks. While you are at it, Fit a 1" x 28mm adaptor on the meter and do away with their 3/4" flex having 28mm part of the way. If you can work on live mains (always a two man job), replace the maintap with a 1" BSP x 1" maintap (this is illegal but they will never know), and fit a 1" x 1" flex from maintap to the regulator. So 1" all the way from the mains pipe to the supply pipe at the meter outlet.

Are you saying have two meters? Only in exceptional circumstances do they fit these side by side. Best just buy a decent quality regulator and fit it yourself. Don't tell the customer or Transco though. ;-)

You could go the next meter size up, which uses superior regulators. Just say you have appliance that just surpass the 6 cubic meter/hr, this will mean a new U16 meter but the 1" mains pipe may be suitable. If you say you will be using 15 cubic metres of gas/hr they will dig the road insert a larger bore pipe and charge you. You have an extra rental charge usually for the U16 meter. You can ask for an estimate of the cost.

[timegoesby]

thanks to all on this thread.