Am I mad to change my floorplan like this?

[Adsibob]

This is the floorplan of my intended loft conversion, as currently designed. Not converted yet so still time to reconfigure the layout.

There is no scale shown, but to give you an idea of dimensions, that bathtub is 1700 by 750 and the water cylinder shown in the eaves storage to the right of the bathroom is 1590 by 710 (it's a horizontal 400l Telford Tempest unvented cylinder). And ignore the UFH zones, as we might do without these.

 

I had intended to use the eaves storage to house not just the water cylinder but also the MVHR unit and, if there is space possibly also the boiler, but it's not absolutely necessary to house the boiler there.

 

The reason for this post is that looking over my plans for the umpteenth time, I realised that the access door to the eaves storage off the stairwell is pretty inaccessible. In case it is not clear from the diagram, the eaves storage is on the same floor as the bathroom and the rest of the floor, and so the only way to access it would be by placing a ladder on the stairs - it would have to be a fairly tall ladder because the height from the second step to the floor of the eaves storage is equal to 13 steps which comes to just over 2.7m. I've never had an MVHR system before, but I'm guessing one needs to pay it a visit every so often. I've also never had an unvented water cylinder before, but presumably that also needs some company every so often. Whilst we will control the gas boiler remotely, that would need an annual service and I'm sure after the warranty period it might need the occasional repair as well, so all in all the idea of balancing a 12 foot ladder on that step every time I need access to that space and then crawling through a small hatch just doesn't really appeal.

 

I am therefore thinking of losing the bath tub (we don't really need a bath tub there) and replacing it with a shower, either a walk in shower and making it into a wet room, or just a shower cubicle. But I would prefer a wet room. This would then allow for a narrow, but full-height doorway to get into the eaves storage from the bathroom. But because its under the eaves and the roof slope is 45 degrees, the ceiling height falls very quickly. I think the ceiling height is about 2750 at the boundary of the room and then will fall by 100mm every 100mm one travels from that wall, so by the time one clears the 710 diameter of the cylinder, the height is about 2000 and by the time one reaches the opposite wall 2400 from the bathroom wall, there is only 350 head height there. This is all assuming that eaves storage will be insulated in the same way as the rest of the loft. I would then have the cylinder vertical instead of horizontal, so that there is space to walk past it as one enters from the bathroom.

 

The reason for citing the water cylinder and the MVHR in this corner of the house is that:

• all three bathrooms are on this side of the house (the other two are directly underneath the eaves storage and the bathroom shown on this plan) as is the utility room and the kitchen. So would keep the runs to the water outlets as short as possible;
• this also represents a relatively good position for MVHR (assuming there is room to fit it) in terms of ducting runs and being in the loft.

 

I could use the eaves storage on the other side of the floor, but this is much further away from all the hot water outlets and slightly further away from most MVHR vents.

 

The MVHR unit I'm currently considering is Brink Flair 300 which is 650 high x750 wide x560 deep

 

My questions:

 

1. In general, is my idea of making this eaves storage area the room for the MVHR and water cylinder a good idea?
2. Assuming there is room for my boiler (a Veissman Vitodens 200 which is 700 high x 450 x 360) what are the pros and cons of having the boiler there vs: (A) on the ground floor in a utility room; or (B) in the other eaves storage area shown in this floor plan (ie top right hand corner)?
3. Is it madness for the access door that links the bathroom to the eaves storage to come from the shower area? i.e. I was thinking in replacing the whole area that is currently occupied by the bathtub with a large wet room walk in shower area, with a 900mm shower screen leaving 800 to walk into the shower or to carry on into the eaves storage area. I would probably end up waterproofing part of the eaves storage area as well in case the cylinder ever leaks and have to think of a way to conceal the access door behind tiles that clad the showering area. 
4. If the MVHR and the boiler were both cited in this room, would there be enough distance between the MVHR intake and the boiler exhaust?

 

Any views positive or negative gratefully received.

Edited February 27, 2021 by Adsibob

[ProDave]

Reverse the stairs so the access to the eaves space is at the top of the stairs?

 

 

[Adsibob]

1 hour ago, ProDave said:

Reverse the stairs so the access to the eaves space is at the top of the stairs?

 

 

Not sure that’s an option, for other reasons. It’s a conversion not a new build so we are limited by certain factors and also are really happy with every other aspect of the layout.