Boiler flue runs goes to greater lengths
The capability of a Keston 30 kW system boiler to cope with a 23 m flue run led to it being installed as part of a refurbishment project at Selly Manor Museum, a Grade II* listed Tudor house dating back to the 1300s. Owned by Bourneville Village Trust, it is one of Birmingham’s oldest buildings and *visited by thousands of children and adults each year.
The previous floor-standing boiler was installed in the basement plant room and had been running for over 25 years. Following a period of bad weather, the plant room had been badly flooded, resulting in complete boiler failure.
Because this is a Grade II* listed building, the boiler flue was not allowed to be visible on certain external walls, and any flueing work had to be as discreet as possible so as not to detract from the character of the building.
Ian Shorter, installation and service manager with SHEco, specified the Keston 30 kW twin-flue system boiler. He decided to convert the existing open-vented system into a sealed system by capping of the tank at the top of the building to eradicate the possibility of water leaking out into the loft.
A new, larger gas pipe was installed to meet the requirements of the new system, and the main flow and return pipework was replaced. The boiler was installed directly onto the wall.
The old boiler was connected to an open-flue chimney liner. A long flue run was needed to enable the new flue to reach the chimney, made possible by the 23 m flue run possible with the Keston boiler.
Another problem was needing to track one flue around the circular entry staircase.
The flues are of MuPVC and coloured to blend into the brickwork so they are barely noticeable.
New controls enable the boiler to communicate with a wireless room thermostat at the top of the stairs. It controls the new convector heaters located throughout the building so they come on only when the boiler reaches the required pre-set temperature.
