full central heating installation

bshieldsy

Hi all,

I'm a first time home buyer. Viewed a property recently which I really like. Only thing is that it has electric storage heaters.

If I purchase the property, i'd be looking to have gas central heating installed. I'm thinking this means pipes would have to be ran for all radiators and to anywhere hot water is required.

It's a 2 bedroom mid terraced house.

I'm also keen on an app for controlling the heating remotely.

Any advice on boilers/radiators and an idea of cost would be great.

Thanks in advance

matelodave

Firstly is there gas available to the premises or will you have to pay to have the house connected to the gas main?.

bshieldsy

Yeh I saw the gas box at the front door. Also the owner say's the pipe has been ran in.

matelodave

I'd budget for about £4k but a local plumber might be able to do it for a bit less. British gas probably a lot more

Robwiz

The cost depends on the difficulty of the job – where you want the radiators, boiler, etc. It could well be that you'll need to upgrade the gas supply to the boiler to meet current regs. Also, the work involved in concealing the pipes – lifting floorboards is cheaper than digging up concrete screed floors. It could cost anywhere between £3k and £6k.

My recommendation would be to have manifolds and poly pipe runs installed, with all the joints above floor level for peace of mind and ease of maintenance.

You want to be sure that your installer comes well recommended and will fit install everything in the best places to suit your lifestyle.

My advice would be to move in, live with the storage heating over a winter and get a feel for the house so that you can be really clear about where you want the boiler and rads located.

You'd be better off looking at making the house more energy efficient (reducing heat losses through better insulation and air tightness) than installing a new heating system.

bshieldsy

Thanks

Looking at the house I think the current locations of the storage heaters are okay, just from a layout of funiture point of view.

Downstairs has a hatch so I'd imagine any pipes would go beneath the floor. Upstairs would probably involve lifting floor boards. Of course the pipes still have to get up there. I was thinking easiest way would be through the ceiling then boxed with access.

I think I'd prefer having this done before moving in. This means less disruption for me, but also making the job easier for the installer, as there will be no furniture in the way.

captainhindsight_2

Make sure you get ready for the gdhif opening again in February and get the £1500 cash back