Relocating a tank - are Britsh Gas telling the truth???

[daxearles]

Hi,
Our boiler was recently condemned as 'Immediately dangerous' so we are getting quotes for a replacment. I am considering moving the tank into the garage and having a pressurised heating system (I think this is what he said). Essentially, the tank is by the bathroom and, if we move the tank, we can add a shower to the bathroom where the tank is at the moment.
I asked the British Gas guy if we could move it into the attic but he said that there is not enough vertical height in the attic. What kind of height due you need in an attic to have the tank up there?
Is there a system that would allow me to have a tank in the garage?
Thanks in advance.
Dax

 

[ChrisR]

Lots of options; tank in garage, horizontal unvented tank in loft (Telford Copper Cylinders iirc), thermal store...

 

[micky p]

By the tank do you mean your hot water cylinder. Like the above post there are many shapes and sizes of hot water cylinders.

 

[daxearles]

Hi,
I do mean the hot water cylinder. Essentially, we have to get a new boiler so we might as well get it all done in one go. By moving the hot water cylinder, we will have a lot more space in the bathroom. I thought of the attic but the BG guy said that there was not enough height. I therefore thought of the garage.
We have a four-bedroomed detached house with one ensuite with shower and one bathroom which will have a shower in there too in the future.
Does anyone have some recommendations for putting something in the garage? What are the pros and cons of each option?
Thanks again.

 

[micky p]

Hi,
I do mean the hot water cylinder. Essentially, we have to get a new boiler so we might as well get it all done in one go. By moving the hot water cylinder, we will have a lot more space in the bathroom. I thought of the attic but the BG guy said that there was not enough height. I therefore thought of the garage.
We have a four-bedroomed detached house with one ensuite with shower and one bathroom which will have a shower in there too in the future.
Does anyone have some recommendations for putting something in the garage? What are the pros and cons of each option?
Thanks again.

if i was you i would go for unvented as you have 2 bathrooms and possible 2 showers. Then a system boiler to run your heating and the cyclinder.This way if you boiler breaks down you can have imersion heaters as a back up for hot water.
Cheapest way would be to install a combi but a standard size combi would only really run 1 tap at once so witht here being 2 bathrooms this may not be a good idea.

Another way which would be cheaper than unvented and more space saving would be a storage combi. like the alpha cd50. These are a supurb boiler but don't offer a imersion heater as back up so if it ever breaks down im afraid its a cold wash.

hope this is a help

 

[Agile]

A storage combi is not a good idea for you. When their storage capacity is exceeded they revert to standard combi output. They are only really suitable for a one bathroom property where baths are taken instead of showers.

You can have a combi feeding one bathroom AND heating a gravity fed storage tank for the other and the kitchen. Thats often a cheaper solution but its rarely used because few installers understand combi boilers.

Tony

 

[daxearles]

That is vey helpful. Thank you for that. Excuse the ignorance but what does 'unvented' mean? To what is it an alternative?
All the advice we have been given is that a combi is unsuitable for our house. I am looking for the best solution which would mean we could put it all in the garage. If it costs a little bit extra, I don't mind but I am trying to gain some knowledge so that when the salesmen arrive to give a quote, I can appear to be knowledgeable!
Any further help is most welcome and thank you again.

 

[micky p]

That is vey helpful. Thank you for that. Excuse the ignorance but what does 'unvented' mean? To what is it an alternative?
All the advice we have been given is that a combi is unsuitable for our house. I am looking for the best solution which would mean we could put it all in the garage. If it costs a little bit extra, I don't mind but I am trying to gain some knowledge so that when the salesmen arrive to give a quote, I can appear to be knowledgeable!
Any further help is most welcome and thank you again.

"Unvented" is short term for unvented hot water cyclinder or mains pressure hot water cylinder. Basically the cyclinder does not have a header tank and is filled up via the incoming mains. This would be more suitable for a 2 bathroom or above property. Who ever fits it must be quallified to do so. i did my BPEC unvented quallification last year but i bet there are many installers out there that have not done this quallification that still install them. If you get it installed just make sure they have a BPEC card saying they are quallified to install unvented hot water systems.