DIY central heating boiler change?

[DickyDoDah]

I'm in the process of helping my son to reovate his 3 bed house after his partner left him. He now has a rather large mortgage and no savings so I'm doing all the decorating. He really needs a new boiler as his existing one is very old and inefficient. When I was younger I fitted a few full systems but now that the regulations have changed/been tightened up it's not so simple. I'm a retired electro/mechanical engineer so the wet side of the install is not an issue for me and I will be reusing a lot of the existing rads and pipework.
My general question is; how far can I go before I need a GasSafe engineer and do I need to apply for building regs as I intend to install the new (to me) boiler in the garage as the old one is in a single bedroom. I know I'm not allowed to touch the gas supply but can I physically hang the boiler on the wall and core drill the wall to put the flue in? Can I actually install the flue? Can I connect the wet pipes to the boiler?

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

Why not do the lot then get a gas man in to make the final gas connection and commission the boiler. That's what I did last one I installed.

 

[DickyDoDah]

That's what I was hoping to do but Google Fu tells me a whole load of contradictory waffles. I believe you need a building control certificate or something or you can't sell the house.

 

[mart]

Don't put it in the garage unless you want to waste a lot of gas.
When the frost stat fires up at 5 degrees in winter at 3am you will regret it.

 

[DickyDoDah]

Unfortunately there's not much in the way of options other than the bedroom. I was going to put an insulated cupboard around the boiler to help with the issue

 

[mart]

Unfortunately there's not much in the way of options other than the bedroom. I was going to put an insulated cupboard around the boiler to help with the issue

I have boxed my boiler in, and insulated with the material used for loft insulation but the boiler still fires up when it gets cold.The boiler runs for about 10 minutes on/off to protect the heat exchanger from cracking. Anywhere than an out building. Think this through very carefully.

 

[DickyDoDah]

I will explore the options but they are limited

 

[Seadog]

Don't forget that even inside you can have a problem.
The flue is open to the atmosphere, or damn well should be

 

[northwest]

I'm in the process of helping my son to reovate his 3 bed house after his partner left him. He now has a rather large mortgage and no savings so I'm doing all the decorating.

Tell him to thank his lucky stars. Everything happens for a reason and it will all work out in the end.

 

[RWD3M]

Don't put it in the garage unless you want to waste a lot of gas.
When the frost stat fires up at 5 degrees in winter at 3am you will regret it.

I have mine in the attached garage and it does indeed fire up occasionally, for about 20 seconds every couple of hours or so. Certainly nothing to cause me any concern. Is it possible you have something else going on there that's causing a problem

 

[bricol]

Find whoever you want to do the gas connection and ask them - you might find it makes more sense for them to do the hanging and connecting for the few quid it might save - plus then the boiler install is all on them if anything goes wrong.

Nothing in the regulations to stop you doing the whole thing as long as you are "competent" - and paying to be on the Gas Safe register doesn't prove you are competent - there is no actual, test, exam etc. You can even do it for other people, ie your son, if you don't get paid for doing it. As long as you are "competent". It's all there, in black and white, in the regs, regardless of what anyone tries to tell you. The problem will be proving you are competent if they find the roof three streets away after a big bang. For peace of mind, and the bit of paper from the installer, who hopefully hasn't had many roofs take off, it does make sense to use one.

 

[DickyDoDah]

I thought they had changed the regs and a competent person was no longer enough as that's what I worked as When doing installs years ago. I found the bit about not being paid being the crux of the matter legally. I will of course be asking a GasSafe engineer for advice and a certificate as it just makes it easier when selling.

 

[sg66]

Your also going to find it difficult to have any warranty when you get to the bit of filling in the benchmark and try registering it to get the building control certificate.

I'm sure telling them your competent but have no proof will be fine.

 

[DickyDoDah]

The building control certificate is the new(ish) bit I was concerned about. Is that down to the GasSafe certificate or do I have to go to the Council?

 

[sg66]

Tbh find a local gas safe registered business, explain the situation and plead hard up, see what they are happy to let you do, but if it were me that would probably extend to very little, how on earth are you supposed to know what some one else has done without undoing it and putting it back together, the problem with other folk doing stuff is your then having to put your name to it, the regs state if you didn't fit the flue you have to ensure it's all been done correctly, the only way to do that is to remove it, check everything and put it back together, it's just wasting someone's time.

 

[DickyDoDah]

I reckon that the answer is to fit it all, test it and then remove the gas and flue. Then ask the GasSafe guy to come finish it Of course I will ask what they want left undone before I even start.

 

[Morrisman]

Don't put it in the garage unless you want to waste a lot of gas.
When the frost stat fires up at 5 degrees in winter at 3am you will regret it.

Yes, my combi boiler is in my garage and is a right pain in the arris. It would come on several times during the night, during winter, and clinking sounds from the pipework were well annoying.

Eventually I boxed it in, put a strand board cupboard around it. After that it might come on once, around 6am, if it was really, really cold out. I didn’t mind that, as it meant the house was getting mighty cold too.

Plus, the boiler is physically as far as physically possible from the kitchen sink, wasting a load of water waiting for the tap to run hot. I just use cold for everything nowadays.

If I had to fit a new boiler I’d get it out in the kitchen.

 

[RWD3M]

Plus, the boiler is physically as far as physically possible from the kitchen sink, wasting a load of water waiting for the tap to run hot. I just use cold for everything nowadays....

Not to mention gas!

Conversely, I deliberately positioned mine in the garage about 18 months ago as it's now right next to the kitchen and downstairs bathroom, and directly below the main bathroom and en suite (replacing a back boiler that was at the other side of the house).

 

[Morrisman]

Not to mention gas!

Conversely, I deliberately positioned mine in the garage about 18 months ago as it's now right next to the kitchen and downstairs bathroom, and directly below the main bathroom and en suite (replacing a back boiler that was at the other side of the house).

My garage is attached, flat roof, minimal insulation, draughty around the main door etc, so gets as cold as the garden.

 

[Pete.]

Why not do the lot then get a gas man in to make the final gas connection and commission the boiler. That's what I did last one I installed.

Same thing I did in 2001. I couldn't find a plumber/gas fitter to do an install so I fitted the whole boiler myself (Vaillant for Vaillant so the pipes did line up pretty much spot on) except for the gas, and found a local gas fitter to connect and comission it for £100.