Regulations on installing central heating

Hi,

We're thinking of buying a house and it currently has gas heating...but those individual room heaters. The estate agent says that we'd need to install complete new central heating...maybe at a cost of 25k euros.

I'm wondering if the install of the central heating is regulated in Germany? I ask because my father (UK Corgi engineer) could install most of it for us cheaply. We live in France (strasbourg at the moment) so we're not up to date on german regs.

If we did install the heating and pipes I guess it might require a german guy to inspect and test the heating? I know the german's love their certificates.

It is a fair old job that demands to be done well either way. However any help would be appreciated!!!

We're thinking of a combi boiler arrangement.

Cheers

Richard

Your local Schornsteinfeger has to (regularly) inspect your boiler and the chimney. If your heating doesn't meet the laws (emission, fire prevention and several other laws) he will shut it down. That's actually the case for every heating, but better talk to him first about your plans, I'm sure you can get some better advice there.

€25k to fit central heating

€5k at the very most with a top of the range combi.

Actually we are going through the same, and for us the cost will be about 25k, but that includes getting gas put into the house (3.5k!), solar, underfloor heating in the two bathrooms, boiler etrc, and installing radiators pipes etc through the whole house (currently it has electric storage heaters).

And we are getting a good discount on the equipment because the fathr-in-law friend works for a company that makes the equipment.

You're having substantially more than the thread author. What's the cost of the solar panels?

Hi guys

Many many thanks for the quick response.

Well its around 200m2 in the house on 3 floors above the cellar. There would need to be pipes installed (channelled into the walls and under the floors). There are 8/9 rooms to heat. We could put the combi in the cellar.

We don't intend to put solar.

I also took the 25k with a pinch of salt.

Regards

Richard

Schornsteinfegers! A law - and breed - unto themselves.. Brace yourself.

That's a big house, probably a little bit more than €5k then.

I can't see why you can't do the water side, however Germany is somewhat anal with it's rules and regs, so don't quote me there.

With regards to the gas side, I very much doubt that someone CORGI registered could do a job in Germany. You will be talking about different regs associated to installations amongst many things, then there's the likes of indemnity cover. I could safely say to forget about that side of it.

Don't know how big your house is, but EUR25,000 seems a bit much. We got ours (in Glasgow) totally changed in 2006 and it cost £2,500 for all the work, all new pipes, combi boiler, 7 radiators and uplift of the old stuff.

Is there no 'Expats in France' site where people can help you with the regulations there.

But I would assume that if your father does the bulk of the work, the local 'official' person can do the final bits and testing and authorising.

This is Germany we are taking about, you have to have the right qualification to do a paper round, if you can understand what I'm getting at.

And protected by the establishment who are blind to their folly...

Similar size to ours. We also had to install heating from scratch- Boiler, oil tanks, pipes from top to bottom, radiators (14 I think).
It cost us 27k last October. Based on our experience, there are always unforeseen things which add to the bill so I'd hold back some of your salt, 'cos you'll need it!
Also, there's a load of additional things you're supposed to do, like special electrics in the boiler room, fireproof doors, etc, which probably won't be included in your price. Most people seem to put them off till later, while hoping they don't have to claim on the house insurance!