Gas bolier in loft

[aporschefan]

Is it ok to have a gas boiler in the loft?

Appreciate it not usual but we have a tiny kitchen and the extra cupboard will make a difference.

The entire house is being reply mend so moving this too isn't a big deal.

There isn't a fixed staircase to the loft. It will be some form of loft ladder. Could this be an issue?

Any feedback will be welcome. Please tell me if this is a good/bad idea and what to be aware of etc. It's my first big project and my first house.

[Blakeatron]

Dont know about the rules, the house i am working in now has it in the loft and only a ladder upto it.

Its will only be a year or 2 old at most

[rustyuk]

No problem unless you live in a terraced house They are quite heavy though and can be a pain to get through the loft hatch.

[Opel-GT]

We had heating fitted and the combi boiler is in the loft. We had to get a froststat fitted to keep it from freezing in the winter. There is only a ladder to the loft.

[aporschefan]

Thanks chaps.

The mega flow is already installed in the loft.

It's a small 3 bed detached.

[Alucidnation]

Yes they are fine, providing there is proper flooring for access and decent lighting for maintaining.

[aporschefan]

Opel-GT said:

We had heating fitted and the combi boiler is in the loft. We had to get a froststat fitted to keep it from freezing in the winter. There is only a ladder to the loft.

Thanks.

The roof is insulated. The loft floor will be insulated too. Do you think I'll need a frost stat too?

[Wombat3]

You just need to look at how the gas main can reach the loft (not always that easy) and make sure that whoever does it uses 22mm pipe to get up there, not 15mm. Trak pipe can be quite useful (though a bit more expensive) stuff. Its flexible.

[anonymous-user]

I had one in the loft a few houses ago. No issue!

[RATATTAK]

aporschefan said:

Thanks.

The roof is insulated. The loft floor will be insulated too. Do you think I'll need a frost stat too?

I would suggest that it's prudent to have a frost stat on all domestic boilers

[Bristol spark]

Some combi models have them built into the actual boiler.

[tr7v8]

Mine is in the loft in a semi, on the gable end. The gas pipe runs up the outside straight from the meter to the boiler. The loft needed proper screwed down boarding, a light & a mains socket.

[Evoquative]

Yes you can have it done and my parents did at the recommendation of their boiler installer. The boiler is fine up there and worked as it should during the cold snap etc. The install was far from smooth but that was because the large national installer based in Leeds was utterly, utterly useless. I would recommend getting access sorted by a carpenter or loft company, not the boiler company who made a lash up of it. among the catalogue of errors my parent's installers made was an improperly installed ladder that nearly decapitated by 70 year old father, loft insulation removed without permission or notification to put down the screwed down boards and leaving the loft hatch open because it wouldn't shut with the loft ladder...

If I get our boiler replaced I will stick it in the roof because it robs us of kitchen wall space and the flue goes through our bedroom in a box section and takes up space too.

[S11Steve]

tr7v8 said:

Mine is in the loft in a semi, on the gable end. The gas pipe runs up the outside straight from the meter to the boiler. The loft needed proper screwed down boarding, a light & a mains socket.

We had ours moved to the loft from the kitchen two years ago, and it's generally not a problem as long as a the requirements above are met, but I also recall something about the ladder having a handrail too.

It makes much more sense to have it out of the way rather than taking up space in the kitchen or downstairs toilet.

[alex_rsa]

We also moved ours from the kitchen to the loft. Only downside is that it takes a long time to get hot water in the kitchen tap as the water has a much longer path...

[Andehh]

We also put our boiler in the loft, from kitchen. Ran gas pipe internal as we were having quite a lot of work done at the time. Had it serviced, no issues at all.

Needs proper boarding, lighting and obviously an electric socket.

[PurpleTurtle]

Just investigated this as our boiler location in kitched is preventing the taking out of an internal wall amd/or a possible extension. My nextdoor neighbour in an indentical house has had it done 2yrs ago too, he speaks highly of it.

You must have a proper loft hatch with ladder, a handrail within the loft to prevent accidental falls, proper screwed down floor boarding (at least to the boiler, we are full boarded already), a light and an electricity point.

Without the loft work (ours is sorted for hatch/rail/floor/light already) we have just been quoted £3k to supply and fit a new boiler to the loft, and re-jig all internal pipework that currently goes via the kitchen.

[bazjude2998]

Another thing to consider,during the installation ask your fitter to install a pressure gauge and filling loop somewhere accessible out of the loft,you can keep an eye on the pressure and fill easier if required

[Andehh]

bazjude2998 said:

Another thing to consider,during the installation ask your fitter to install a pressure gauge and filling loop somewhere accessible out of the loft,you can keep an eye on the pressure and fill easier if required

This is very sensible, and what we should have done (And eventually will).

Adjusting the pressure for mine is a pain as I open the tap in the airing cupboard, wait 10secs, then go up into loft to check pressure, then back down to adjust, and back up ladder etc.

[tr7v8]

Andehh said:

bazjude2998 said:

Another thing to consider,during the installation ask your fitter to install a pressure gauge and filling loop somewhere accessible out of the loft,you can keep an eye on the pressure and fill easier if required

This is very sensible, and what we should have done (And eventually will).

Adjusting the pressure for mine is a pain as I open the tap in the airing cupboard, wait 10secs, then go up into loft to check pressure, then back down to adjust, and back up ladder etc.

My fitter installed the loop & gauge near the hot water tank in the airing cupboard. According to him you don't need to monitor the pressure as the safety release valve will limit it.