2 questions.

[thanks in advance]

hi all,just after some advice from you experts.
1.just had a new condensing boiler fitted by british gas [their local contractor]works well but neighbour is very unhappy as condense plume during certain wind conditions condenses on his kitchen window,causeing it to go foggy.distance from my flue terminal to his window is 2 meters.
it was bg.s descision to install boiler there as not original position.
contacted bg,they sent contractor back and he said nothing can be done,i phoned bg saying i am not happy,they said the boiler is installed correctly.
please what can i do.
2.when boiler was installed the installer did a safety check or a re commision check and decided to condem my 18 year old cooker.and has labelled it at risk and confirmed this on his paperwork.
its a carron cordon bleu,large cooker.for not having a stability device.
i have carron makers instruction and no mention of a stability device is mentioned.
is the installer correct. thanks in advance.

 

[kier]

if brit gas has said your boiler is installed correctly and will not listen to you to you the only way forward is to take them to the small claims court,quoteing bad workmanship.
sounds like the flue needs to be moved, adapted or even boiler relocated,so not to cause annoyance to your neighbour.
get a quote from brit gas to carry out this work,get a quote from neighbour if any damage has been done to his window/property,probaly none but worth asking them.
add on your time etc,inconveince etc,dont go mad.
when you have quotes send them to brit gas,if they refuse,then take them to the small claims court.its very easy.
the way your boiler and cooker has been dealt with seems to me that the installer is useing incorrect refference material resulting in bad workmanship.
you will win.

 

[GasAid]

The cooker missing a stability bracket is "not to current standard" unless there are signs of it being unstable... If that is the only reason he/she has given you; then you'll probably find it just need stabilizing and chaining.


As for the boiler... We're going to be seeing a lot of this over the next few years; as far as the boiler is concerned; it's probably legal; you can have CORGI come down and check; or contact your local buildings control officer and they will deem whether or not the flue should be moved; if it's within the law, you'll be wasting small claims court time and money - However; if it can be deemed a nuisance (And not just a neighbor complaining for smoke) then you can get it moved... But get it checked.

 

[Agile]

The boiler may well have been correctly installed but it has been fitted in an unsuitable location!

The Building Regulations advisory documents says that a flue should discharge over 2.5m of land IN YOUR OWNERSHIP !

Furthermore, regardless, it should discharge so that it does not cause any discomfort or inconvenience to anyone ( Gas Regulations ).

Call your Environmental Health Officer and ask for his view in writing and then pass that on to BG ( not their contractor ).

Because BG is a large company they will have to reposition it at their cost so you will be OK in the end but you have have a bit of a hassle to get through first.

Let us know how you get on!

Tony

 

[nickso]

ther is no point in dealing with the contractor as he wont be getting paid for return visits and so will do as little as possible.

you must phone BG and get them to send out one of their engs. he probably wont be happy because it will be a waste of his time, he should however be making his technical manager aware of the situation. if he doesnt, ask for it. the tech manager is the only one who can do anything about it.

you can query the cooker at the same time.

 

[thanks in advance]

thanks.gasaid.agile and nickso.
bg would only send the original contractor back as its a new install.
corgi is not interested as no safety issue involved.
i am going to get a gas consultants report,yes more money to pay out but necessary to confirm or dismiss if i have a case.
as i am going to sell this property soon its becoming a big problem as i am dispute with my neighbour,although he can see my side of the problem he wants action,i dont blame him.
ps,the cooker,if the installation instructions does not state a chain/bracket is req,does the installer the right to dismiss the makers instructions for their own instructions.i have the original cooker installation instructions.
the case continues....

 

[GasAid]

With the cooker:

The manufacturer's instructions override pretty much everything; but unless the makers instructions specifically state "No stability device is required" then the competent person must deem such an item to legal guidelines and that of best-practice.

Let me re-iterate; is the cooker likely to fall over; or is it unstable in anyway? If yes... Then no matter what the makers say; it will be "at risk"... If it is like a rock; then "not to standard" is the only way forward depending whether or not there are other defects as well.

 

[arfurrrr]

suggestion ,

re submit this tread under a different title .

PROBLEM WITH BRITISH GAS INSTALL .


bet you 50 quid its sorted then .

 

[Agile]

The cooker is neither here nor there. You could fit a £1.20 chain yourself in 15 minutes. Or you can ignore their warning notice. It did not need to be turned off unless it was unstable.

The flue does sound like a gas safety issue to me. If condensation is reaching the window then the products of combustion ( POC ) are reaching it. If its an opening window the POC could enter which is dangerous!

Furthermore the installation should have been notified to CORGI as being safe and complying with regulations.

You seem to have missed the point. Discharging less than 2.5 m from your boundary means that it does not comply with the Building Regulation guidelines which will become Statute in due course. That point alone will give you a problem when you sell.

Its quite correct for BG to send their contractor first. Since he did not resolve the problem you now have to contact BG but I suggest you get a written assessment first from your local EHO to present to them. You could in theory also contact Building Control but they are usually very reluctant to put anything in writing.

Tony

 

[thanks in advance]

thanks agile.i am going to get a gas consultant on my side.
then i will present his report to bg.
off to the pub now lots of consultants there.plumbing,electric,gas,cars,computers,paint,wood,ladies,sport and beer.

 

[GasAid]

Just a thought here... Some appliances have "flue deflector kits" available which allow the reduction of boundary lines and of course deflection of the condense plume and POCs.... What boiler has BG supplied you; that may be a faster option.

 

[Agile]

I dont recommend that!

EHO or BCO is free and has statutory powers!

BG will take more notice of Building Control Officers or EHOs as they have statutory powers to close down your boiler installation. A heating consultant is often thought of as a "retired plumber".

Tony

 

[Nige F]

Yipee, I`m a Heating Consultant

 

[Biggles..]

I very recently had deaings with a boiler and the 2.5metre rule.

Quoted for a job, customer wanted the boiler on a boundary wall(pathway in between neighbours boundary)had the 600mm from a surface oposite the flue but the 2.5metres was no way near.So advised that to avoid pluming affecting neighbours that the boiler could only be sited there with a vertical flue kit(no plume diverter avaliable) or consider another location.

I never heard anything, no worries. Recently working near that estimate and what a surprise theres a boiler and horizontal flue right where i'd advised it shouldn't be to meet the 2.5metres.

So being a little miffed that you spend all this money and try and play by the rules i rang CORGI.

The boiler had been fitted by an RGI and was registered.They were not interested as the flue was greater than 600mm away from any surface and the 2.5 metres is only a recommendation and as yet is not a legal requiremnet in the builing regs.

BCO arent interested cos as far as they are concerned its fitted by a RGI who registers that it meets the building regs and the 2.5 metres is not statute.you can see where this circle goes!

The only way that boiler can be deemed as being incorreclty sited even though the plume is belting the wall of the neighbour is if the MI specifically state that there must be a distance of 2.5metres between flue and boundary and not just RECOMMEND it.

 

[thanks in advance]

gas consultant,calling on wednesday.
thanks for all replies.