New central heating advice full new system

[Lee1981]

Hi all new to this site and just looking for some advice,

i have are just got a new house, and have gutted the hole house, in the next few weeks I will need to start on the heating system, the house is a 4 bedroom with 2 bathrooms, I will be installing 11 rads and 2 towel rads, still need to looking into calculating correct size rads for each room, the boiler I have been looking at is the Worcester greenstar 38cdi Classic, will that combi be ok or is it too big or to small. I was thinking of using 22mm speedfit barrier pipe as flow and return through centre of house then tee off with 15mm to the rads is this the correct way to do this. Also do I still need to install a auto prv under the new boiler or does the 38cdi have one installed in it already, when it comes to fitting the boiler I will be getting an installer out but would like to try and save a bit money and install all pipe work and rads myself.
thanks
lee

 

[ShaunCorbs]

best way is talk to a heating/ gas safe eng and fyi if it was me i would want a unvented cylinder as combis dont really like more than one bathroom

 

[Lee1981]

Thanks for the reply Shaun I am going to be researching and will probably get if few installers in to give me a quote and what there think is the best system for the property.

 

[lame plumber]

if you aim to live in this place for more than 10 years, use copper, you will probably be happier in the knowledge it wont leak any time soon.

 

[Lee1981]

Thanks for the advice lame plumber, but am I right in saying use 22mm flow and return through centre of house the tee off with 15mm to each rad

 

[lame plumber]

all depends on what the heating calcs tell you you need. best to take the advice of the people installing your boiler so the whole system works properly.

 

[Lee1981]

Ok thanks for you advice

 

[lame plumber]

I really like lee1981, takes advice, good luck with your project, join forces with a plumber so you can do the horrid bits and let them do the boiler bits, you'll still save money, but being mentored get it done well.

being as I am in a good mood, let the plumber quote for and supply all the parts, they will make a bit on them, BUT vyou will get the correct bits, not waste time and have a warranty on the parts from the plumber if your lucky. You wont be waitinf for fedex, paying money for the wrong bits that arrive broken and **** your plumber off by wasting their time, the internet is not the cheapest supplier of parts, despite what folks think! look at the big picture

 

[Lee1981]

Thanks I have done a lot a pluming jobs in the past so am happy using copper of plastic pipe, so running the new pipe and fitting the rads is no problem just have no experience in heating system design, so thanks for the advice and I will contact a few installers and see if they can design my system for me, and as you said I just want him to fit and commission boiler and run gas pipe I will do the rest, hopefully start the new house rewire next week then on to heating system. Thanks again for the advice.

 

[lame plumber]

careful if you go to the sparkie forum

 

[Lee1981]

The main reason I posted was because I no I lad who just finished his apprenticeship about a year ago, but just don't feel he he has the experience to design the best energy efficient system for me, he is also gas safe registered, I would of spoke to his boss but he is a total a** hole and we don't get on, also I have a trade account with the plumbcentre as I use them a lot for bathroom gear and pipe & fittings, first I think I will contact a few heating engineers and see if they will design a system for me and I will pay them for that. So thanks again for all your advise and I will see how I get on when I contact a few heating installers

 

[Lee1981]

Don't need to go the sparky forum. my mate is a sparky so I am supplying gear and chasing the walls, then I will help him pull cables and he is fitting the rest for me but thanks.

 

[newcastle phill]

Amazing - you have settled on a boiler and haven't even mentioned you have calculated the heat loss from the building.

Perhaps you want to start again ???

 

[Lee1981]

Hi Phil I haven't decided yet, been looking in to heating systems all night, and you are 100% right there is a lot more than just picking a boiler, so I am going to get a heating engineer out to design my hole system and talk me though all the different central heating option, and then take it from there
Thanks

 

[JCSPLUMBING]

everyones a plumber these days. Why do I bother going to work if everyone can do it

 

[Radioman]

Another one of those "my mates a........., so I don't need Building Controls Part L, P, Benchmark etc etc". So glad I retired last year.

 

[Lee1981]

Why would I get a a heating engineer to install my full system and charge me thousands, when I can install all pipe work and rads, and prob just as good if not better then most heating engineers as I take pride in my work, and with it being my house it will be done right, the hole system will be done to comply with building regs, I have spoke to a heating engineer this morning and he is coming out next week to design my new system, I will be fitting all pipe work and rads, will also be leaving all boards up so he can check all my work, then he will be fitting boiler and gas lines then commissioning the hole system, and as for another one of those "my mates a........., just cos people have friend they can get things done cheaper, all will comply to building regs so what's the problem, the reason I do 99% of my own work is because I do things to a higher standard than most tradesmen, as they just want it done as fast as possible, there are the odd few who take pride in there work but are hard to find, Lame plumber give me some good advice so I have taken onboard what he has said and am going from there.

 

[newcastle phill]

It begs the question

If you can install it as good as - or better than a time served engineer then what you asking all the questions for ?

To be frank - your first paragraph told me your clueless.

And why would you want to ask questions from heating engineers on here when you think your better than them ???

Youll probably get inferior answers to your superior knowledge.

Good luck with the speedfit

 

[Lee1981]

Hi phil I get what you are saying, I have worked with a lot of copper in my time and that's what I was talking about, don't have no experience on the heating side that's why I was after advice which a got at the start, I have seen a lot of heating engineer who leave messy work not even using pipe clips or anything, don't get me wrong tho I have see a lot of excellent heating engineers how do excellent work using lagging and all sorts, and in my case I just want it done right as this is my dream home, I probe come across as a d**k but it advice I got of lame plumber was excellent, that's all I wanted but you always get cocky comments of other people,
I now have contacted a heating engineer and discussed what I want to do he is coming out next week and is designing system for me and will take me thought it, he will be supply boiler and installing and I will be installing pipes and rads,

 

[Lee1981]

Would just like to say thanks to lame plumber for the advice, installer is out next week To calculate heat lose like Phil said and design my new system, I have also asked him to buy and install the boiler + commission, he is happy to do that as he is to busy to install the system for me, he said he will show me how he wants all the pipe work layed and positions of all the rads once worked out, which will all comply with building regs, system will be run in copper that was the sort of advise I was after, as I told you I have no experience in heating systems, I have plenty experience working with copper as I lived in America as a teen till I was 25 before coming back to the uk, from being 13 I work will my dads brother making copper stills for Brewers I done this for 12 year then came back to uk, once back in the uk I worked as a plumbers mate for 3 year but main job was bathrooms never touched heating systems my boss and his son did that, now I am a offshore crane op but when I am home I still fit bathrooms for friends and family, so I think I have enough experience to fit some copper pipe as long as I get someone to design my system and show me the pipe layout, so if I didn't get the cocky comments and just advise like I got off lame plumber thing would be fine, I don't see the problem me installing pipes and rads if I get a bit of mentoring from a heating engineer as then I can save one the labor cost as you's all no it is not cheap to install a full new heating system.
Thanks anyway

 

[PlumbBobBob]

if you had given your background at the start there wouldn't have been so many cocky comments if at all

 

[Lee1981]

Thanks Steve prob should have but still got some great advise, there was a lot of things I did not think about so have it sorted now, I don't think a heating engineer is a easy job I find working with copper or pipe work is easy as have had a lot of experience with it, but have no experience with heating systems so got great advise off lame plumber and have got a heating engineer coming, he can do all calculation and give me the advise on current building regs and the install and commission my boiler.

 

[SimonG]

I bet the design is expensive

 

[Lee1981]

Haven't had a price yet he said he will come next week and have a look then will work out the price to design and install + commission the system, also think I will get a price if he did all the work but he has already told me he does not have the time over the next month and really need to be starting in about 2 or 3 weeks.

 

[SimonG]

Get two or three prices.