Flue Heat Shield

[dougtsc]

Boiler has just had it's annual service and the engineer left a print out as follows:
Flue Satisfactory: No.
Safety Report: No Flue Heat Shield.

My wife says he didn't seem to bothered and mentioned something about a change in regulations since the boiler was installed 3 years ago.
The boiler is a Potterton Suprima 80L, 3 years old, installed in a corner of the garage. The flue leads out through an outside wall. Above the flue is plasterboard and outside the vent is approximately 9 - 12 inches below a roof overhang made of wood.

Is this heat shield something I can fit myself or should I get an expert in. Alternatively should I just do nothing as it was obviously ok when installed 3 years ago ?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[ChrisR]

Only heat sield reg I can remember/think of is if there's a plastic gutter- wrap thin aluminium sheet over its edge and under the eaves. Would need a shield anyway if there's the slightest sign of heat effect.

 

[dougtsc]

Thanks for that. Yes forgot to mention that there is a plastic gutter on the wooden edge above the outside vent. I'll check if it gets warm tomorrow when the boiler is on. Can I buy this aluminium from a plumbers merchants/ builders merchants ?
Ta.

 

[ollski]

Its not to current standards as applies to 75% of boilers, with no safety implications. It is something Bg engineers have to make an issue of in case the job gets an assesor visit afterwards. It is pointed out to give you the option of carrying out remedial work if you feel the need.

 

[ChrisR]

If no signs of... then quite. The AL sheet commonly used is called Closure Plate, designed to go behind gas fires. (Don't get the galv steel sort!) It's very thin and soft, easy to bend a neat edge lip to go over the gutter, and poke fixings through.

 

[dougtsc]

Many thanks for all the advice.

Just discovered this website....wish I'd found it sooner !

 

[namsag]

If you do decice to use heat shield make sure you leave an air gap between it and any plastic cladding or guttering.. Saw a roof go up in flames once when the new plastic sofit boards melted into a balanced flue boiler which had been in about 15 years. But if you have no signs of heat damage don`t worry as your boiler is fanned flued and throws heat away also many fan flue boilers now have plastic flue components.. And a lot of BG guys print safety notices without checking distances in manufacturers instructions which over rule the general standard so if you haveinstallation instructions have a look in there and see what is says

 

[dougtsc]

Thanks for that. I'll hunt around for the user instructions and check it out.

 

[Paul Barker]

Yes I think it's time the BS's were brought up to date. The condensate ploom is much less likely to melt plastic than the old hot flues. Wooden sofits remain at risk from the damp poc's.

 

[Paul Barker]

Dare I say I've missed out a few heatshields where terminal is within 1 meter of plastic guttering in the last year I've fitted steamers. I recon I could win my argument in a court of law as to why I didn't fit according to BS's AND MI's which also haven't been re-thought out properly in keeping with the times.

The name of the game is change bs's to the detriment of installers but don't whatever you do relax anything that is medy evil in rationalle.

 

[Paul Barker]

What the heck, if that's your only ncs it must be a model installation.

I was sat in a friend's flat only yesterday, landlord was there fitting a new electric over (naturally he isn't part p qualified). Anyhow he seemed very competent at what he was doing.

I didn't bore him with all the ncs's on his gas hob, or the horrendous flue position of his recently installed Worcester boiler that he's so prowd of (flue is to side of property encroaching straight away on neighbours driveway).

I was there socially and saw nothing dangerous, just a lot of things egg heads in ivory towers like to make sport of.

ps my friend tells me it was a corgi registered installer who put the worcester in, so landlord in the clear. I wasn't there to worry him, if neighbours don't complain he'll get away with it. (I certainly wouldn't have fitted it like that, single story kitchen would have been easy enough to run a vertical flue)