Boiler 'capped' due to gap in flue. Repairable?

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ColdWinter9

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Hi,

I recently had a gas engineer inspect the boiler in the flat I've recently purchased. Unfortunately the engineer deemed the boiler "immediately dangerous" due to a gap in the flue. The engineer told me he had to "cap" the boiler so that it wouldn't work (for safety reasons). I've since had someone from the same company come to quote me some remedial work but only offered the option to replace the whole boiler, the flue, lay pipes across my kitchen for a waste pipe etc -- a lot of work. And as it's so close to Christmas, I'm unlikely to get the work done until I'm back from my Christmas break (i.e early next year).

The boiler is old and I've had another plumbing company tell me they couldn't source a replacement flue. It feels like I'm stuck with the only option of replacing the whole unit. This seems mad, since the boiler was in fine working order, except for the flue hole.

I've attached pictures of the flue. The boiler is a Worchester Bosch 240 combi. Could this be safely repaired by a professional for the short-term with a goal to replace the whole thing later? Should I keep trying other plumbing companies to see anyone will pick this work up?

Thanks for reading, I really appreciate the help.
ColdWinter9
 

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Naughty naughty naughty someone has been using Fire cement on that, very dangerous , new boiler time Im afraid
 
To be honest it looks more like improperly fitted or modified than a problem with the flue itself. It should have been cut to length accurately and supported properly when it was left by whoever made a mess of it.
You'd be lucky to get anyone prepared to touch it though, and you might still need some accessory to repair it that not available.
 
It definitely looks as though the exit holes been installed too low, and they've set the flue in place, and then tried to seal the gap with fire cement. The question is, can you you get the flue out undamaged, block the hole up, and then get it recored at the right height to allow the flue to sit in properly. Clean the fire cement off, and then post some new pictures of the outside as well.

Edit: it looks like a Worcester 240 - look for the a replacement flue yourself.
 
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By the time you've got that repaired, you may as well have a new boiler because it's going to be almost the same amount of work. You can't bodge a flue, it needs to be done properly. Worth getting a couple of quotes for the new boiler though
 
Hey folks, thanks so much for the replies.

@ianmcd thanks for id-ing what that is. Will make it easier to figure out how to remove it to get a better look if need be.

@John D v2.0 it does look poorly fitted. I get the feeling plumber #2 deliberately avoided me due to it being a nasty job and an old boiler, same with plumber #3. Trying to judge whether I should keep looking for someone willing to do the "quick and dirty" job so I can take a shower in my own flat again, or whether I should look somewhere for a new boiler.

@muggles / @Doggit with repect the to flue hole, this is a second-floor flat so replacing the whole flue would require scaffolding for a few days. If I think replace the boiler some time next year, I'll also need scaffolding. It might make more sense to get it over with and only rent require scaffolding once...

Thanks for all the replies. I'll get a few more quotes for new boiler installations and see if anyone has time before the Christmas break to fit it.

Cheers!
 
I had one gas engineer work off of a 3 section ladder to cement the flue outside, and then put the collar on, But I can see where you're coming from.

If you can get someone to fit the boiler before Christmas, then they are either going to charge you an arm and a leg to do it, or they'll be a cowboy - or both. If you can get someone to redo the flue before Christmas, then they (and I possibly shouldn't suggest this), but they may not bother finishing off the outside of the flue if the know they will replace the boiler in the new year. This is not a good time to expect a new boiler installation at short notice.
 
ColdWinter9 said:
Hey folks, thanks so much for the replies.

@ianmcd thanks for id-ing what that is. Will make it easier to figure out how to remove it to get a better look if need be.

@John D v2.0 it does look poorly fitted. I get the feeling plumber #2 deliberately avoided me due to it being a nasty job and an old boiler, same with plumber #3. Trying to judge whether I should keep looking for someone willing to do the "quick and dirty" job so I can take a shower in my own flat again, or whether I should look somewhere for a new boiler.

@muggles / @Doggit with repect the to flue hole, this is a second-floor flat so replacing the whole flue would require scaffolding for a few days. If I think replace the boiler some time next year, I'll also need scaffolding. It might make more sense to get it over with and only rent require scaffolding once...

Thanks for all the replies. I'll get a few more quotes for new boiler installations and see if anyone has time before the Christmas break to fit it.

Cheers!
Click to expand...
use a decent installer and they will install a boiler thac will fit to the existing core hole so no need for scaffolding
 
It'll still need sealing and covering afterwards, but it can be done off of a ladder rather than scaffolding. But it could be worthwhile checking if the installer needs scaffolding or not as part of the total quote.
 
Some new boiler flues can be fitted from inside by using a slightly bigger hole. The rubber seal is folded in then expands when it gets outside before pulling it back to the wall. You can then have the inside properly sealed to make it rigid.
 
There’s also extractor fan grilles that do that... a ship in a bottle mechanism. They are truly one of my fav products.
 
Any links please Dilalio, and for the flues please St0rmer. I think I need to look into them further.
 
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