System boiler upgrade for a Victorian terrace in Bath
Victorian terraces in Oldfield Park, Widcombe and Larkhall usually run on tired open-vent systems with a tank in the loft and a hot-water cylinder that's ten years past its best. A system boiler with an unvented cylinder gets rid of both loft tanks and doubles hot-water performance.
Microbore pipework — the elephant in the terrace
A lot of Bath terraces were re-piped in 8mm or 10mm microbore in the 70s. It clogs and it strangles flow to first-floor radiators. On a system upgrade we run pressure and flow diagnostics before committing to keep the pipework — sometimes a partial re-run is the honest answer.
Everything the upgrade covers
- System boiler sized to the house's real heat loss
- Unvented cylinder to replace loft tank and old cylinder
- Loft tank and pipework decommissioned and removed
- Full flush, magnetic filter and inhibitor
- Building Notice, Gas Safe cert, G3 cert bundled and emailed to you
Flue routes in a conservation area
Front elevations and shared party walls limit flueing options. We usually run to a rear or side elevation and, where necessary, use a plume-management kit to keep neighbours happy — B&NES have refused installs that ignore this.
Frequently asked
- Do I need planning permission?
- For a like-for-like flue, no. If the boiler moves elevation or the property is listed, we check with B&NES conservation before quoting.
- Is it worth keeping the old cylinder?
- Usually not. A modern stainless unvented is more efficient, higher pressure, and doesn't need the loft tank — the whole system gets simpler.
- How long is the install?
- 2–3 days on-site for a full upgrade. The loft tank strip-out is what pushes it past a straight boiler swap.
Book a survey
We'll test your mains flow, check your loft, look at your gas run and quote a proper system upgrade with real numbers — not a hopeful 'from £' figure.
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