Consveratory & Heating for Building regs

dominoman

Hopefully you have exchanged by now!

RLH33

harrys_dad wrote: »

This sounds a warning bell with me. I am just looking into having a conservatory and have been told that if the heating is connected to the central heating of the rest of the house then it is considered a "habitable room", and may not be "permitted development" but need planning permission. How has the entry to the conservatory from the main house been made? Was it an existing door or did they "knock through"? If knocked through that surely would have required building control. You may need to consider asking vendor to pay for an indemnity policy.

Not true, building regs and planning are completely separate. A conservatory may need planning permission (or be permitted development) based on its size and position on the house - absolutely nothing to do with it being a habitable room or having heating.

To the op - when was the conservator built - if it was a while ago I really wouldn't worry about it to be honest.

phill99

Guys, you are all reading it incorrectly.

What the link says is that the conservatory doesn't need building regs if it has its own independent heat source. This could be a freestanding electric radiator, electric underfloor heating etc.

If the conservatory uses the same heat source as the rest if the house eg a radiator linked to the boiler, then building regs will be required.

You're all barking up the wrong tree.

Wolfsbane2k

phill99 wrote: »

Guys, you are all reading it incorrectly.

What the link says is that the conservatory doesn't need building regs if it has its own independent heat source. This could be a freestanding electric radiator, electric underfloor heating etc.

If the conservatory uses the same heat source as the rest if the house eg a radiator linked to the boiler, then building regs will be required.

You're all barking up the wrong tree.

This is exactly how I see it. Its 2 years old, replacing one that was there for circa ten years before but we don't know if that was heated.

It passes all the other building reg statements and planning permission statements, but has, from memory, central heating driven radiators that are shared with the rest of the house, therefore likely to need building reg approvals which have been provided.

So I'm trying to work out how I can remove the central heating Radiator, and then heat the room, and what the cost of doing so will be ( or if building regs are likely to be given for the conservatory , but given the lack of fensa cert this is unlikely)

Basically, how much indemnity insurance I need, since it won't be for the full price of the property.

Wolfsbane2k

MallyGirl wrote: »

So they didn't go through Building control when they added the conservatory? Does it comply with all the other requirements for exemption - if not then you don't need to query this one which is more complicated to answer.

No, as they were told it wasn't needed from the installers.
All other requirements are met, just this one possibly being broken:mad:

Wolfsbane2k

MallyGirl wrote: »

we have full planning and building reg signoff on a conservatory where the underfloor heating is run off the same boiler as the rest of the house. I think it only needs to be a separate heating system if you want to be exempt from building regs.

Thanks. We don't have any building signoff, so therefore should of had a separate heating system, which we don't have.

Wolfsbane2k

dominoman wrote: »

Hopefully you have exchanged by now!

Aiming for first thing in the morning, need to have paperwork checked first.

silvercar

Wolfsbane2k wrote: »

No, as they were told it wasn't needed from the installers.
All other requirements are met, just this one possibly being broken:mad:

On a practical level:

1. disconnect this radiator from the main central heating system.
2. Buy an electric heater from Argos
3. Call building regs inspector in and get sign off
4, Return unopened electric heater to Argos for full refund
5. Reconnect the radiator to main central heating system.

Wolfsbane2k

silvercar wrote: »

On a practical level:

1. disconnect this radiator from the main central heating system.
2. Buy an electric heater from Argos
3. Call building regs inspector in and get sign off
4, Return unopened electric heater to Argos for full refund
5. Reconnect the radiator to main central heating system.

Why do I need to call in building regs if it has no central heating installed? Then its not needed.


Equally, this would put me in the same questions/statements when we sell, and I want to get building regs in for a loft conversion, and if they see the radiator installed, I want coverage for replacing it with something as efficient and effective, such as providing a separate pump and thermostatic switch or a standalone boiler for underfloor heating, therefore keeping the value it adds to the property as well.

I would have thought twice about the house and conservatory if it didn't have fitted heating.

silvercar

Why do I need to call in building regs if it has no central heating installed? Then its not needed.

Because you want the building regs certificate. Which would then cover you when you sell.

and I want to get building regs in for a loft conversion,

Not a problem. The inspector won't look at other areas.

I want coverage for replacing it with something as efficient and effective, such as providing a separate pump and thermostatic switch or a standalone boiler for underfloor heating, therefore keeping the value it adds to the property as well.

No insurance will pay out for you to put a new heating system in. A stand alone boiler just for a conservatory is over kill.