Boiler Access Advice

househero

Hi, I need to build a boiler house for a Grant Vortex 90 -120 oil burner (boilerhouse model with the EZ 200 Low Level Balance Flue Kit 90-240)

How small can I make it while still giving decent access for a plumber if it goes wrong?

Im building a little housing for it to stop thieves (the reason why I have to buy a new boiler) and in a vein attempt to reduce residual heat loss. The boiler house will have a U value of around 2. Not great. But better than free moving air.

I was hoping on only giving good access to one side of the boiler, is this possible?

The admittedly naive plan is to build a Height 1m x Deep 1m x Wide 4m 'boilerhouse' and combined coal/hardwood storage bunker. I was going to put in a removable metal plate so if access is required, I can remove the wood/coal and give the plumber good access to the top & 1 side of the boiler from a 2m x 1m area. The roof will be hinged.

Is this practical, or would a plumber need good access to all 4 sides?

DGOBS

Would not be wise to store your combustible fuels with your oil boiler.

Why not buy the cabin pac version (in it's own galvanised box) and lock it?

househero

DGOBS wrote: »

Would not be wise to store your combustible fuels with your oil boiler.

Why not buy the cabin pac version (in it's own galvanised box) and lock it?

Thats what they stole last time. Whole lot, gone. Looked ugly anyway. I am planning on setting a lock in a concrete base concrete and bolting it to it with bolts that can not be removed without an angle grinder. Kept my bicycle safe. Plus the added security of a locked block built 'boilerhouse' for it. Should look pretty and stop thieves when im away.

Haha I do see what you mean, im piling wood and coal next to a oil burning boiler. But Im not too worried about a boiler being next to coal, will have a fire retardant insulation separating them with a decent 0.7m gap. The wood will be on the other side, should see some curing benefit from the residual heat.

To me, it seems more cautious than an indoor boiler, that is more often than not, under a flammable kitchen counter, surrounded by wooden cupboards and located under a childs bedroom above.

Are there any minimum distances I should keep for access to the boiler?

scudo2

Have fun when you need to press reset button on a cold wet winters night.
It's only a two second job, normally !!!

Have "easy" axcess to burner, front of boiler, pump and condensation trap & drain, air vent & safety valve on top of boiler, + fire valve + electrics.

+ comfortable, safe room for service engineer + their tools and equipment.

I charge more if I'm peed off !!

househero

scudo2 wrote: »

Have fun when you need to press reset button on a cold wet winters night.
It's only a two second job, normally !!!

Have "easy" axcess to burner, front of boiler, pump and condensation trap & drain, air vent & safety valve on top of boiler, + fire valve + electrics.

+ comfortable, safe room for service engineer + their tools and equipment.

I charge more if I'm peed off !!

Are they all accessible from the front or top? (burner, pump, condensation trap, fire valve and electrics) Sorry I dont know how a Vortex is set out internally.

Not bothered about some rain. The roof of the boilerhouse will be hinged and locked. And good access will be available to the front of the boiler.

The back & sides will only have around 30cm of a gap between the wall and the boiler. So not much room. It can be made bigger if needs be.

If the plumber wants comfortable access, ill put a pink pillow down for him, hahahaha. Only kidding, im asking here 'coz I want it to be ok for him to get to if he needs to. So do you think having a 1m cubed space for the boiler, plus an extra 1m wide by 2m long space for the engineer (with no roof) would be ok if he had to get in there? Or should I be looking for a jocky sized plumber with bendy wrists now?

Dardania

Why not fit the undercounter one in your kitchen for example? Great use of residual heat...

househero

Dardania wrote: »

Why not fit the undercounter one in your kitchen for example? Great use of residual heat...

I wanted one for that very reason, I like the smell and the noise. I have the room in the utility and i could remove 2 rads in there.

But plumbers hate them for some reason.

And its 300 euro more. Would take 5 years to pay back the fuel/installation cost benefit.

scudo2

Welcome to my world !!

I'm full time servicing oil boilers, espicaly when the go wrong.

Soot or and oil leaks = unhappy customers and equaly unhappy service man !!!!!!!!!
Get the picture ?



Grant vortex are front service. + room to twirl the cat.

househero

scudo2 wrote: »

Welcome to my world !!

I'm full time servicing oil boilers, espicaly when the go wrong.

Soot or and oil leaks = unhappy customers and equaly unhappy service man !!!!!!!!!
Get the picture ?



Grant vortex are front service. + room to twirl the cat.

Thank you scudo. It sounds like your on the thick end of it all. I will give as much room as I can spare and hope I wont need to use it too often. And put my mind at ease of another theft by making it double secure.

Dardania

househero wrote: »

I wanted one for that very reason, I like the smell and the noise. I have the room in the utility and i could remove 2 rads in there.

But plumbers hate them for some reason.

And its 300 euro more. Would take 5 years to pay back the fuel/installation cost benefit.

You're the customer - good to think of service accessibility but ultimately you have to live with it.

Also, what would the saving be on boiler house construction? Cost difference mightn't be the worst, and get one of those plastic bike storage lockups?

jimf

scudo2 wrote: »

Welcome to my world !!

I'm full time servicing oil boilers, espicaly when the go wrong.

Soot or and oil leaks = unhappy customers and equaly unhappy service man !!!!!!!!!
Get the picture ?



Grant vortex are front service. + room to twirl the cat.

so that's where ye cork boys hide the cats the 4 legged variety

scudo2

jimf wrote: »

so that's where ye cork boys hide the cats the 4 legged variety

"ye Cork boys"

What a slanderous remark !

jimf

apologies scudo I forgot your only a blow in

DGOBS

should have been 'ye langers boy!'

scudo2

DGOBS wrote: »

should have been 'ye langers boy!'

More inappropate slander.

jimf

watch the paper scudo v the slanderous baskards on boards

househero

Dardania wrote: »

You're the customer - good to think of service accessibility but ultimately you have to live with it.

Also, what would the saving be on boiler house construction? Cost difference mightn't be the worst, and get one of those plastic bike storage lockups?

160 quid to build a small boiler house, wood storage and coal bunker with my own fair hands.

I need to build a coal bunker and wood storage anyway, but I would prob locate them away from the house if I didnt need to build a boilerhouse.

DGOBS

You maybe the customer, but to end up with an unserviceable appliance, you not only have to live with it, you may end up paying for it also!

Just segregate the fuels though, coal dust is very, very flammable, and really you shouldn't store combustible materials in the same location.
The coal dust may also end up affecting your burner, as it gets into everything.

Also remember the following: (based on a Firebird Enviromax)