Building Advice: How do I go about relocating my home's boiler when converting my garage? 

Converting your garage to a home office and extending your kitchen to create a more open, usable space is smart, both for day-to-day living and for property value. Picture: Getty Images

Hi Brigid, I am planning to convert my garage and extend my kitchen to a size that exempts me from having to apply for planning permission. The garage would be moved back to join with the back wall of the kitchen, which would then be extended sideways. The garage would be converted to a home office. One problem is that the boiler house is in a small concrete shed just behind the garage. It will have to be accommodated within the extension. It will need to be replaced, probably with another oil boiler as I can’t afford an air-to-water heat pump. Can you advise me? 

Cormac.

Dear Cormac,
Repurposing rarely used floor space is the most worthwhile thing to do to increase area within your house. Our climate is temperate, so cars can be left outside. Converting your garage to a home office and extending your kitchen to create a more open, usable space is smart, both for day-to-day living and for property value. Staying within the size limits that avoid planning permission saves time.

Nevertheless, look at the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 — Schedule 2, Part 1; Exempt Development; General — to ensure the work is compliant. The planning section of your local authority’s website or its planning department should be able to help you. You can submit a Section 5 to see if what you wish to do is exempt and you will get a response. If you or your family wish to sell in the future, you will have this resolved.

You’re right to flag the issue of the boiler. Heating systems are often overlooked in home renovation plans and this can lead to design headaches or unexpected costs. Old boilers are bulky, noisy, and require specific clearances. They are also greasy and ugly. But placing them externally and under a proprietary cover means they can simply sit on your footpath. External placement means they don’t take up any floor space. One solution is to construct a new garage or a boiler house. There are also garage exemptions, but cross check these with planning conditions, because adding a detached shed or garage may not be exempt.

If a heat pump isn’t within the budget, oil is still a valid option, especially where you have no access to natural gas. I would suggest you replace the boiler with a condensing oil boiler. This must have an efficiency of 90%+. They tend to be quieter, more compact, and lessen heat losses when piping from the external.

If you wish to have the boiler indoors, then you have to consider your utility space. With the extension, you may be able to carve out a utility room where a new boiler could be housed. This requires proper flue management and ventilation, but makes maintenance easier. But be sure your builder and heating installer work together to comply with part J of the building regulations, which govern heating appliances and fuel storage.

Depending on your extension and your site, your oil tank may have to be repositioned to ensure compliance, while maintaining the flow of your new garden or extension layout. If you must relocate the oil tank, it must be sited safely away from doors, windows, and heat sources. It should be located on a non-combustible, level base. Your builder may need to install a fire barrier if the tank is near the house. You also need to make sure it remains accessible for deliveries.

Even if a heat pump isn’t feasible now, think about future-proofing your build to save thousands if you switch later. Run ducting or pipe chases to potential outdoor unit locations during the build. Leave space in your hot press for a hot water cylinder with a heat-pump coil. Make sure any new radiators or underfloor heating circuits are low-temperature compatible, to suit oil-condensing boilers and future heat pumps. This flexibility leaves the door open for SEAI-supported upgrades, reducing heating bills and your carbon footprint.

If you’re open to something in between oil and heat pumps, consider LPG boilers. These are cleaner than oil and have similar costs and footprint. They do require a bulk gas tank, which is subject to spacing rules, but is often easier to integrate.

Electric boilers are compact and have zero flue requirements. They are best suited for small, well-insulated homes or for back-up heating. They can be expensive to run, unless paired with solar PV and day/night electricity tariffs.

Also, you could combine an oil boiler with a small heat pump. The heat pump handles base heating needs, and the boiler kicks in during high demand. Talk to a registered SEAI contractor or a local BER assessor. They’ll be able to advise you on the sustainable options. But get independent guidance, like a chartered building surveyor, to assess your building’s needs and compliance issues.

Brigid Browne is a chartered building surveyor and owner/ managing director of Cashel-based Fortress Planning, which offers a range of services including assigned certifier, design certifier, building surveyor, and conservation consultancy to clients all over the country.

• Brigid Browne is a chartered building surveyor and chair of the Southern Region of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland. She is the owner/ managing director of Cashel-based Fortress Planning, which offers a range of services including assigned certifier, design certifier, building surveyor, and conservation consultancy to clients all over the country — www.fortressplanning.ie
• If you have a property related query or issue you would like to raise with Brigid, please email [e-mail]