Hanging a boiler on a thermalite wall

[mrscalex]

We have lightweight thermalite blocks faced with dot and dabbed plasterboard. I have to hang a boiler on there. I'm scared stiff the thing is going to come off the wall as the blocks are so fragile (made like that, they aren't damaged).

What fixings do the pros use? I'm prepared to go to whatever lengths to make it work.

The only type of fixing which has given me any vague sense of confidence so far is epoxyed threaded rods set deep into the block. I would also cut out a section of 2"x2" plasterboard around each mounting rod and fill it with plasterboard adhesive to stabilise the rod from the face of the block to the face of the plasterboard.

The only type of standard plug fixing I've seen which gives me any confidence is the Fischer Twist Lock Anchor GB.

Thanks,

Robert

 

[ChrisR]

I wonder how much grief I'm going to get for telling you that you have to be Corgi registered to do that.

 

[mrscalex]

Do I have to be Corgi registered to locate and fix the hanging bracket! I'm trying to save money by preparing the job for the plumber to do the rest who of course is Corgi registered.

Thanks,

Robert

 

[ChrisR]

According to Corgi, yes. If it's your own gaff you don't have to be Corgi regd butyou DO have to be "competent". Since you ask how to do it,.....

It would be best if you got your corgi wallah on board right now, so you can ask him any queries like that. Your boiler, but his neck if it fell off the wall. Arguably.

 

[mrscalex]

Well, I don't really want to start one of these if you've got to ask on here you're not competent type threads. But neither do I want to walk away and risk the chance the plumber is not 100% in this area - can you honestly tell me every Corgi registered plumber is competent at overcoming this challenge? He wants to use the plugs that come with the boiler which are Fischer S-Plugs, they have 10 on the side so I guess they are S10s.

No one has a chance of being competent at doing anything until it's explained to them. I would have thought the fact I'd taken the trouble to research different wall fixing systems rather than just tried it with a B&Q multi-pack of plastic fixings would have told you that I'm not exactly clueless.

And you've just said yourself that the Corgi regs permit the homeowner to do the work. So I'm not really sure what the issue is with asking!

Anyway, I would have liked your help ChrisR as I know you are a knowledgable guy but I guess I'll just have to hope someone else comes to my rescue or I'll have to take a chance with the supplied plugs.

Robert

 

[Noraslad]

Give some of the fixing manufacturers a call and ask them for there recommendations and guarantee that should ease your mind.

 

[ChrisR]

I was serious about asking your intended corgi - if that IS yor intention. If you want him to say he installed it - which is the only way you'll get a guarantee and the installation correctly recorded with the Building Regs dept.
There are several ways you could go about securing it, including cutting out a rectangle of the plasterboard, replacing with thick ply with 8 fixings, then screwing to that. But you can only do that with some boilers, some need a non flammable layer. I wasn't just being awkward!

 

[oilman]

......... the installation correctly recorded with the Building Regs dept.

Isn't this corgi's scam, not as far as I know a legal requirement, ......yet.

 

[kevplumb]

I wonder how much grief I'm going to get for telling you that you have to be Corgi registered to do that.

check some of your old posts mate

 

[mrscalex]

So can we summarise your advice ChrisR as I'm reading it literally and may be incorrect:

For a homeowner attempting own hanging (boiler, not me, though that may change), it comes down to his competency:

Incompetent - Corgi engineer must adopt the fitting as his own. Consequently Corgi engineer must suggest/underwrite choice of fixing. Asking advice on this forum is therefore irrelevant
Competent - Not a problem. But wouldn't need to be asking advice on this forum.

I think the long and short of it is that ChrisR, you don't think it's correct to give advice in this area. Fair enough. But I do think you're mixing up competent with currently unbriefed. I've successfully built blockwork walls, metal and timber stud-partitioning, dry-lining and jointing, hung doors and done a full re-wire of my kitchen (pre Jan 1 before you ask). I knew nothing about any of these things before attempting them but carried out thorough research first. I've had pros subsequently comment on how well I've done and on more than one occasion that I've done a more thorough job than a pro would. Perhaps that's my trouble...

At the end of the day I'm asking what wall plug to use and potentially if any supplemental support is required. And I'd lay odds that some Corgi engineers don't use the optimum type of fixing when there is a specialist range like Fischer at their disposal.

I also have kitchen cabinets to hang on the same wall. Perhaps you'd like to tell me how to fix those instead

I was serious about asking your intended corgi - if that IS yor intention

If big IF you're suggesting I'm not really going to consult the plumber that's naughty. I already have and I'm going to talk to him again. But he's already missed a problem with the regs concerning the flue being too close to a window. I picked that up myself from the regs. So I wanted to check his advice.

These forums are great but I guess this thread is going nowhere useful. However thanks curlydon as ringing the fixing manufacturers is a good shout.

Robert

 

[kevplumb]

never had any probs with brown plugs and 2"" 10 screws myself

FWIW

 

[doitall]

A 4" nail at a 20% angle will hold most things to thermolite blocks

 

[kevplumb]

exept your wage packet

 

[mrscalex]

All sorted. Just spoke to the plumber again and he laughed off any concerns about fitting it to the material in question, saying he does it all the time. Said to leave it to him if I was worried. In fact he's going to hang the kitchen cabinets for me as well.

Shame I couldn't have saved him a bit of time and me a bit of money though. Thanks for the other replies.

Robert

 

[ChrisR]

I think the long and short of it is that ChrisR, you don't think it's correct to give advice in this area. Fair enough.

How could I not think it's correct? I've given you plenty of advice mate, which it seems you have heeded. My opinion is irrelevant anyway, you need to know the law, which I told you. Fair enough?

But I do think you're mixing up competent with currently unbriefed.

Rubbish. Competence here is a technical, legal consideration to do with responsibility.

Recently I did a consultancy and commission job on a CH system. The guy put the rads in and left pipes by the boiler position. He also put the boiler on the wall. So I took it off again to check I was happy. He'd built most of the house, but that wasn't the point.