Boiler

[SparklyWasp]

Hi I have been quoted to have a new Ideal Logic 24kw Combi Boiler from a regular boiler. Instead he said to put in exisiting airing cuboard which in a cupboard in my bedroom. Has anyone had any issues with a boiler in their bedroom. I am not overly keen.

The noise may be similar to having a fridge in the bedroom.

I would have thought it would also be dangerous in a bedroom?

Why in your cupboard? Is it where the hot water tank is at the moment?

It will be noisy Its a very odd suggestion!

Yes hot water tank is in there. He wants to change it to a combi boiler and take the tank out. Thanks I'll tell him.

Why would it be dangerous thoufh?

Where is your current boiler? Surely it would be better to swap that out for the combi and remove the water tank

Are there other people using the hot water while you're trying to sleep?
Will the central heating come on while you're trying to or are sleeping?

That'll be when there's noise - the burners kicking in to heat water.

There's likely an advantage to fitting in place of the hot water tank which is hot water is delivered quicker to the further hot taps, which might be your kitchen tap. If the combi is fitted in place of the boiler downstairs the hot water might go up stairs first ( to where the tank was ) then back down. That's what happened to us.

Pros and cons.

At our last house, the combi boiler was in our bedroom, and not enclosed in a cupboard. There's no issue with safety if installed by a certified gas fitter (but we did keep a carbon monoxide alarm by it, just in case, and always had annual service). The only issue would be the noise of it firing up which may or not be an issue for you, depending on your usage. It was never a problem to us as the heating went off when we went to bed and on again a few minutes before we got up. For us, it wasn't worth the cost of moving the boiler and during the 23 years we lived there, we weren't even bothered enough to put a cupboard round it.

Our combi is in sons bedroom, no problems at all

Our current combi is very quiet, its a Worcester bosch. I think I'd cope with it in my bedroom cupboard. But the previous one was LOUD, clanking, growling, rushing water noises. That would have been intolerable. Can you research what decibels your quoted boiler reaches?

We have a storage combi boiler which was quiet for a few years and since then sounds like it has rocks in it when it fires up! Serviced regularly, investigated but apparently some boilers can do this..... Wouldn't want it in my bedroom!

We wouldn't have a combi at all ever again! We've had one in a 2 bed bungalow!
Unable to have a bath as the water didn't run fast enough. Could only have a shower when the boiler was on! No airing cupboard, so cold towels and underwear in winter. It certainly wasn't any cheaper.

NDN had their conventional boiler taken out and now regret having a combi for similar reasons, including running costs! We are in a house with a conventional boiler: lovely hot water all the time, even though water is only heated once a day for one hour. We have already had a quote for when our boiler gives up (28 years old).

The kw rating for combis is for their ability to heat hot water. Perhaps your one was under spec’d?

I wouldn't, my boiler doesn't make much noise when it's running but there is a definite "whump" when the gas ignites. Does the airing cupboard have access to an outside wall for the flue and what does he propose to do with the condensate drain.

I think the main noise my boiler makes is the extraction fan.

Combis might fire up differently. For example some have a water reserve like a mini tank to make delivery of hot water more immediate. These ones might fire up on a more regular basis overnight to reheat the hot water store.

Flue needing an outside wall and condensate drain are good points. Also good is the point that as things get older, they tend to rattle more and make more hums and whines.

The advantages of a combi from what I have seen are that you can set the hot water and radiator temps separate, which is more difficult on
the usual system boiler installation. Plus you remove the cylinder so there is space there. And no cyclinder/pipework/valves to go wrong

The disadvantages are as you lose the cylinder you lose the backup immersion heater, so if the boiler goes down you are screwed for hot water. The valves on the hot water line also tend to switch more, and its moving parts that break. Plus finally they aren't so great at supplying high water demand, so you can get it so if you turn the sink hot water on the shower will suddenly start running cold.

We’ve had boilers in bedrooms. It’s the noise that’s the issue - they’re no more dangerous there than anywhere else in your home. Obviously you should always make sure you have a carbon monoxide alarm and suitable ventilation etc. If it’s faulty and catches fire or explodes it won’t matter much where it is!

Not at all dangerous if fitted by a gas-safe engineer

You’re going to tell a gas engineer what some random person on Mumsnet told you???

I've had combi boilers in bungalows and houses before, and never really had any problems with them not providing enough hot water, although on reflection in one house where the boiler was downstairs, sometimes you had to run the upstairs bath tap quite slowly to get it to run hot. My ILs always had their boiler in a bedroom airing cupboard, and over decades of overnight stays, the noise was never an issue, even in quite a small room.

No it wasn't it was well over capacity for the size of the property and number of rooms, including outside walls!

By hot water I mean to provide hot water from a tap. Providing central heating isn’t a particular strain on a modern combi boiler.

The reality is a 28 year old balanced flue boiler will never be as efficient as a modern condensing combi and why do you want a massive tank of hot water sat cooling down all day, only heat the water you need. It is true that a thermostatic mixer tap can fill the bath slower than individual hot and cold taps, but it is considerably safer, especially if you have children. You need to choose a combi to provide the desired hot water flow rate, which will mean that it is higher rated than an old boiler, but at the end of the day it won't be running as long pumping heat into the great outdoors. Believe me I know, I had (in a previous house) a gas back boiler, burning £10 notes would have been more efficient and that was long before current prices.

No children here. Our bills for energy much lower than our friends and heating on as we want! NDN had a new combi and have had to have the gas pipe running around outside their home as it needs more gas pressure! Our pipes are internal.

Ours is in the bedroom, on an outside wall with the condensate into the guttering. There is also a pressurised tank (similar to a megaflo). It's in a large cupboard and you can't really hear it unless you really listen - certainly not for the heating coming on, maybe for a tap running initially but not after the first whoof