Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Flip

Original poster

Boiler in loft, enough to put you off house?

21 replies

Easilyflattered · 11/02/2018 12:26

Are boilers in lofts a really bad idea? Would it put you off offering on house?

OP posts:

iggleypiggly · 11/02/2018 12:28

Why would it? Good for saving space!

Nowthereistwo · 11/02/2018 12:28

Our plumber friend who installed ours recommended putting it in the loft to free up space downstairs and said the only person who really needed to access it was him. It's worked great for 7yrs (touch wood)

Original poster

Easilyflattered · 11/02/2018 12:39

But is there a problem with pipes freezing or it overheating in summer?

OP posts:

wonkylegs · 11/02/2018 13:03

For me it would depend on a few things - how good / easy is the access to the loft.
Does the condensate pipe have a defrost wire thing (I'm sure it has a proper name but can't think what it is) - this is a problem with loft boilers as if they don't have one and it freezes in winter you can't reach the pipe so have to wait for it to thaw for your boiler to start working again.

yomellamoHelly · 11/02/2018 13:05

Ours has been fine for the last 8 years. But the loft is boarded, has decent access and a light.

antimatter · 11/02/2018 13:09

No, it wouldn't. I would have certified engineer inspecting it before putting offer.

Lilmisskittykat · 11/02/2018 19:27

My mum has the boiler in the loft in her house (loft room is bedroom so cannot comment on freezing etc) the only thing I notice is that it takes a long time to run the water through in kitchen before it gets warm enough to use. Might matter if you were on a water meter.

Mine was by my sink so near instant hot water so that's why I notice the difference.

Could see access being a problem if you wanted to advance the heating.

PickAChew · 11/02/2018 20:21

You don't need to go anywhere near a boiler to boost the heating. Even our 10 year old one has a remote thermostat timer.

flirtygirl · 12/02/2018 12:15

It would put me off. Having sensor and remote thermostats just means more parts to go wrong. I like to go for simplicity as less to go wrong and pay for in the long term. Frozen pipes and lack of access would put me off and i always try to make a loft room if possible so this would create an extra expense there also.

InfiniteSheldon · 12/02/2018 12:22

I've paid to have the boiler moved into the loft last two houses i've done up it's a plus imo.

Lilmisskittykat · 12/02/2018 14:22

Well that's defiantly something to check out then that it has remote

I'd be put off if the access was a pain as I agree with flirtygirl even if is a remote there's more to go wrong so I'd want access anyway

whiskyowl · 12/02/2018 14:40

Having a boiler that isn't in a kitchen or utility where the space could be better used for something else is a plus in my book!

FluffyWuffy100 · 12/02/2018 14:45

It isn't my first choice of boiler location, but it is better than a bedroom (why WHY do people put them in bedrooms?!?!?!) and wouldn't put me off the house if the house was the best in other ways.

SuperLoudPoppingAction · 12/02/2018 14:49

For me it would partly depend on insulation.
Is the insulation under the pipes? The soft kind? If so, pipes could burst.
If it's the solid kingspan kind under the eaves then fine.

Is it a boiler and hot water tank? When my tank burst it was pissing water out although mostly safely.

Is it an old boiler? The valves don't last forever and then they leak.

Are you the kind of person to get the system checked out and serviced annually?

Original poster

Easilyflattered · 12/02/2018 14:50

Thank you all, you've raised some points I hadn't thought of, and given me some questions to ask the vendors! It's a nice house but I did wonder if the boiler in the loft was a bit odd, it's obviously more common than I realised.

OP posts:

Mitzimaybe · 12/02/2018 14:57

It's slightly inconvenient having to go up in the loft to check whether the pressure has dropped / system needs topping up etc. but that's not a frequent thing and it certainly didn't put us off buying the house.

AngelsWithSilverWings · 12/02/2018 15:25

I suppose it depends on the boiler. My cranky and unreliable 15 year old one has needed a lot of re setting and re pressuring other the 10 years we've lived in our house. This is not stuff we have needed an engineer for as we do it ourselves where possible/safe to do so.
It would have been a massive pain if it was in the loft ( especially as I have a phobia about even looking up the hatch let alone climbing up there! )

trixymalixy · 12/02/2018 17:28

I'd love to be able to put our boiler in the loft, but there isn't room for it there apparently.

chocolateorangeowls · 12/02/2018 21:48

Ours was in the loft in last house, had no issues at all and we lived there 5 years.

Thirtyrock39 · 25/02/2018 20:49

Ours is in the loft and is a total pita- our plumber said it's dodgy having a boiler in the loft unless really accessible loft (ours has pull down ladder etc) saying that our boiler is old and frequently needs tampering with
I'm going to pay for the new one to be moved downstairs

Wollstonecraft1 · 25/02/2018 22:12

Watching with interest

Flip