Fitting cowl on conventional flue oil boiler

[Kes]

Hi,

We have a conventional flue oil boiler with the usual 5" (I think) s/s liner inside a brick chimney. There was an aluminium cowl, a fairly simple coolie-hat style, on top, Some years ago this blew off and now the liner can be seen sticking out of the chimney stack. Of course the flue is open to rain. We have asked, and begged, several people come and fit a new cowl, but those few that do turn up to look never quote. Perhaps it's the height and access, which is over a single-storey extension to the main roof. Desperation has lead me to inquiring about hiring a cherry-picker. Height and reach are within the c/p's limits, according to my research. Whether I am brave enough to get into the thing is another matter.

So, is fitting a cowl permitted by DIYers? If so, will this affect the draught through the liner and require the boiler to be tested/adjusted? Can suitable cowls be purchased off the shelf? Is there anything bad in refitting the old cowl, which is in undamaged and quite good condition, even if old? I don't want advanced aerodynamics, just to keep the rain out.

Rgds.

 

[wilhelm]

just pop rivet the old one back on.

i did one the other day...

you should have seen the car port.............

 

[oilman]

You will be ok in a cherry picker, though your bank balance may suffer. Unless you are able to hire one as a user (and that means a business, as I doubt private hire is available), you will get an operator too, so there's someone to drive it, and they'll be up there with you.

Use stainless pop rivets, or screws, and take up a drill with the right size bits, though if you frget something, a CP is a quock way to get up and down.

As for DIY, no probs really (blimey, I do it, so does wilhelm, and what do we know?). Use the old one unless you have £40 to spare and nothing to spend it on but then why not send it to me?