Annual gas safety check -failure

[Emmastevens]

Hello everyone, I was sign posted to this site by users in moneysavingexpert.com

Long story, I'm a long term council tenant who complies with the yearly gas safety checks. So this morning the gas safety engineer comes, tinkers away in the kitchen, then calls me over to say that he is unable to complete the safety check as he believes the flue from the boiler, which is wrapped in duct tape is unsafe & dangerous. That he will have to switch of the gas. My reply was, it's been like this since it was repaired in November 2012, and how come it was not picked up by the other safety engineers over the last 3/4 years. He said he didn't know, and can only answer for himself.
What I want to know is, how safe or unsafe is it, bearing in mind I have been living like this since November 2012, then with a 6 month old baby, plus 2 other children.

I will be calling the council on Monday, but I don't want them to be saying it's nothing. If it is seriously dangerous, then surely someone needs to pay the consequences.

 

[PullerGas]

Hello everyone, I was sign posted to this site by users in moneysavingexpert.com

Long story, I'm a long term council tenant who complies with the yearly gas safety checks. So this morning the gas safety engineer comes, tinkers away in the kitchen, then calls me over to say that he is unable to complete the safety check as he believes the flue from the boiler, which is wrapped in duct tape is unsafe & dangerous. That he will have to switch of the gas. My reply was, it's been like this since it was repaired in November 2012, and how come it was not picked up by the other safety engineers over the last 3/4 years. He said he didn't know, and can only answer for himself.
What I want to know is, how safe or unsafe is it, bearing in mind I have been living like this since November 2012, then with a 6 month old baby, plus 2 other children.

I will be calling the council on Monday, but I don't want them to be saying it's nothing. If it is seriously dangerous, then surely someone needs to pay the consequences.

Are you paying for the Gas Safety Check?? If not, its nothing to do with you, it's the council's problem.
Regardless of who, why or when, the repair is a botch & the boiler flue should be replaced & the boiler fully checked.

You with no heating or hot water is a problem, you with a faulty boiler flue is fatal. Why would you not let the guy cap a dangerious appliance off???!!

 

[Emmastevens]

I did, I not an idiot. So as a tenant, who's been living with this danger, especially as I'm on the ground floor of a five story building.
I wanted help from you guys to accertain the severity of this problem. I haven't been paying rent to the council for them to have left me & my family & others in danger. They will have to answer. Especially if I'm reading correctly what the above notice says.

 

[hertsboilers]

Bit harsh but it is At Risk in my opinion, if FGA is okay.

 

[Dan Robinson]

We do not have enough information to judge really. Can you post a picture of the paperwork left and some better quality pictures of the installation?

 

[Emmastevens]

 

[Agile]

It is still difficult for me to come to any conclusion from that picture.

However even if it is not correct, then the leakage would be likely to be of room air into the boiler! Not dangerous products of combustion into the room.

It sounds to me as if you think that it is an opportunity to ask for compensation money.

Tony

 

[ianmcd]

That looks live an old weather sealing collar or old flue that the current flue has been inserted through and used as a sleeve possibly because it looks as if the flue is fitted through an air vent, cant see any danger there but I am only going by a photo possibly the attending engineer spotted something else

 

[Agile]

I also expect that will be the case Ian.

But if I had been there I would have removed the tape to see what was underneath.

But many contractors to social housing are paid very little and will only do the absolute minimum.

Tony

 

[denso13]

But if I had been there I would have removed the tape to see what was underneath.

How do you know what he actually did?

But many contractors to social housing are paid very little and will only do the absolute minimum.

And many make a decent living and do their job properly.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Would need to remove the flue and inspect, really.


Tony, ffs man.

 

[Agile]

If the tape was removed it is quite likely to show that the flue outer is intact and there is no joint.

So quite safe.

That's why I would have removed it to see exactly what the problem was.

But then I would be charging the independent's rate. If a contract rate of about £15 then I might be inclined not to bother.

But its quicker to remove tape to check safety than to write out all the warning forms. So not obvious why he did not want to check it properly.

 

[denso13]

So not obvious why he did not want to check it properly.

How do you know what was done?

 

[Agile]

To properly check it will need to remove the duct tape.

As it is still there he obviously did not remove it!

 

[denso13]

As it is still there he obviously did not remove it!

Course he did, and then put it back the way he found it.