Moving boiler to the loft

[OneCyanHiker]

We’re thinking of moving the boiler from the kitchen to the loft to free up a cupboard and for aesthetics

has anyone done this? How much was it? How difficult was it? Any pros/cons to consider?
our loft isn’t currently boarded, can you just board a bit of the loft to reach the boiler? We’d also have to install pull down steps for access

TIA

Don’t do it. We did and it’s a total pain, if it ever needs resetting and I’m home alone with two young kids who need a bath but there’s no hot water, I have to climb the loft ladder and fiddle with it surrounded by dust and spiders, hoping I don’t fall off ladder and die. A bit dramatic but honestly move it to broom cupboard or something instead.

Thanks. TBH I’d probably also worry about going up the loft ladder and think I might die. We don’t really fiddle with the boiler much now. Unless DH is doing it and not telling me lol so was hoping we’d throw it up there and just look at it once a year when the gas check happens

We don’t have a broom cupboard. We could move it to the pantry corner but it would take up so much space we’d probably lose more space than we gain.

We have ours in our loft. All in with new boiler and moving location was around £5,000. We we've had to go to loft when there is an issue but I'm fine with that.

Just make sure it's a good quality boiler and the capacity is big enough for your home. I think id Worry about how long it might take for the kitchen tap to run warm if the boiler was soo far away.

Strong 'don't do it' message from someone I know. I'm a bit unclear on how this happened but it sprang a leak in midwinter and the extent of the flooding rendered the house uninhabitable for over a year.

I moved mine to the loft. No regrets so far.. Got a brand new Worcester boiler. It cost £4,500 approx including boarding part of the loft. I installed a drop-down ladder for about £300. It's freed up a whole cupboard of space. Really pleased.

I did it in my last house. A long time ago so I can't remember how much it cost, but it wasn't a bother.

We were going to do this when we had our house remodelled but for complicated reasons I can't remember the builders and plumber says it wasn't possible when they went to do it and unfortunately we ended up with it in the corner of a living room because we had nowhere else to put it.

We are having ours put in the loft as part of a renovation. It was supposed to be going in a cupboard in the bathroom, based on our architect’s plans, but the gas engineer explained that would require a complex and expensive flue system that would almost certainly cause problems down the line and said the loft was the only other suitable place.

We’re having a new boiler and apparently they will install switches for topping it up downstairs, in the bathroom iirc, so we won’t need to go up to the loft if the pressure drops in winter.

To be honest, dh and I were very against it at first. I can almost guarantee the first time it develops a fault dh will be working away and I will have to brave the spiders to deal with it but, with our house’s new layout, nowhere else seemed to work and the gas engineer insists it will be fine.

Not sure on cost, as it’s part of a wider renovation. I do know it needed half the loft boarding, a larger hatch, pull-down ladder and loft lighting in order to meet regulations though.

Great until it leaks. Then water will cascade down and wreck both the upstairs and downstairs ceilings if you don't catch it in time.

Also maybe if it catches fire you will not catch it as quickly.

I have been in my loft many times and have not died yet.

Bad idea.

My boiler is in the kitchen. It had a cracked sump (where the condensation collects, in a condensing boiler) so was slowly dripping. This was easily spotted (small puddle of water on the worktop) - if it had been in the loft I might not have noticed until the ceiling fell down.

If you put it in the loft, at least make it accessible enough (loft ladder, boarding, lighting) that you will be happy to go up there and inspect it a couple of times a month to make sure there are no danger signs.

Personally I'd only consider doing this if the boiler was somewhere really unsuitable, like a bedroom cupboard, and there was nowhere else to move it to (quite common in small terraced houses).

We did this. Firstly I'd advise getting confident with going up in the loft now, because for me it always felt another layer of fear when had to go up to add water to system. And be aware it is colder up there which meant crucial pipe into mine froze in -8 nights 2 years ago. Have now put extra layers of insulation over the crucial pipe, but I'd get the plumber to do it when installed.

Our plumber told us he refuses to service any boilers in lofts for insurance/health and safety reasons as he said he's not risking going up a ladder and into a loft he knows nothing about. I don't know if it's a building regs thing but he said it needed to be boarded out and have a handrail alongside the boarding to be suitable so it was a bit more expense and complicated with head height as well. So just be aware that may restrict you as only certain gas engineers may be willing to move it and service it.

I wouldn't recommend it. Ours sprung a tiny leak while we were on holiday. Caused untold damage through the whole house.

Thanks everyone.

I’ve actually never been in the loft because it was really grim before we got the new roof. Probably a better idea to keep the boiler where it is and rejig the storage.