Gas fire flue failing smoke test

[riffraff]

We have a 4 year old house with a gas fire in our front room.
We have never used it, in fact we only ever saw it lit when we were looking at the property before buying.
Recently we decided to use it so because it had been so long we got a gas man round to check it all out.
Small external pipe needed replaced but when he did the smoke test it failed.
So he told us to get the flue sweeped and call him back.
We then got a sweep out but he couldn't the brush all the way up.
When he went into the loft he mentioned that normally where there is a junction box there should also be some kind of access point to allow him to sweep the rest of the flue.
He mentioned that he had never seen our particular setup before and recommended we got in touch with the builder.
Unfortunately the builder has since gone bust so i got in touch with the NHBC as we are still covered with them.
They however have told me that they can do nothing and cant confirm if they will cover the problem until a certified gas man can tell them what exactly is the issue i.e. exactly why the smoke test is failing.
But we are going round in circles as he can't tell us for sure.
Can anyone give me any advice as to what we should do, do we need to get a builder out to confirm what the problem is or is there a different kind of tradesman that can do this?
And how would it work, e.g. would a builder come out, find the problem and then tell the gasman who then tells NHBC?
I just want to get the thing fixed (and paid for if we are entitled to it).

Thanks!

 

[martin33100]

Hi, do you know what kind of flue system you have?.
If its only suitable for a gas fire ie not an open fire you may have flue blocks in the wall connecting to a flue in the loft. Do you know if your flue has a ridge vent?

 

[dann09]

riffraff,
Perhaps you should ask the mods to move your post to the plumbing forum?

If you are the first occupiers of the house, and you have only seen an unused, gas appliance in the "fireplace", then it seems a little odd to have the services of a sweep.

There are too many variables to give suggestions without further details.

If you can, post make and model of the gas appliance and maybe some pics of the app. and the flue arrangements including a pic of the flue terminal.

What external pipe was replaced - where was it positioned, and do you know any more about why it was replaced? What, or where in the system, failed the smoke test?

Do you have the gas man's certificate? Does it mention the abbreviations: AR, ID, or NCS?

 

[dann09]

AAMOI: stay with a registered gas man, in fact, at some stage you might require the service of a Registered Installer who undertakes the Expert Witness role.

 

[dann09]

Riffraff, you posted ref this appliance in plumbing and heating forum nov 02, 2010.

You were given gas registered advice ref your dangerous lack of knowledge - which is obvious from the pics -but, 2 yrs later, you still persist in posting here on monday.

martin and myself tried to help - with only half the story available.

I do hope that you get professional gas registered help, but thats your business.
My business is to stay away from a foolish situation.

 

[riffraff]

Guys,

I don't get why i am being made out to be foolish or incompetent here.
Yes i posted a while back in the plumbing forum about the same fire but as i said then, we had never used it since moving in.
We only ever saw it lit when viewing the house, wherein the estate agent showed us how to start and stop it.
They also said they would normally disconnect the bottle and all i would have to do is reconnect it before starting it again.

I never installed it and never touched it until a while after moving in when we decided one day to try it a few winters ago.
It didn't work and so being a reasonably careful chap i thought probably best to disconnect the bottle right away and seek advice. So this is what i did by posting all that time back in the forum. For the benefit of any experts who may have read the post I removed the coals before taking some photos (again with the bottle disconnected) so the images might reveal something more for anyone reading the post. Surely you'd agree that was sensible so far???
So after some replies there was good advice to get a gas man round, but also some uncalled for smart remarks as if i had done something stupid at the time...once again i did nothing only what any normal person would do...i.e. try to start the fire as directed (normal), and then disconnect the bottle when there was an obvious issue (sensible), then seek advice (sensible).

So, in the end we decided to get someone in but ending up putting it off for ages as we don't need the fire and as the gas bottles are not connected then what's the rush OR danger here???

Anyway, this winter we finally decided to get it checked out...as advised by a registered gas man...
He comes out and fixes a few things.
But then tries a smoke test, it fails and HE asked us to get a sweep which we did etc etc.

So as its a flue issue i decide to post a further question in what i thought was the most appropriate forum..i.e. this one.

What exactly am i being stupid or foolish about?
What normal person wouldn't have tried the fire given that it was working before?
What's foolish about operating the fire as I was shown?
And how is this the same post as the one i put in the plumbing/central heating forum all that time ago? Its completely different. and is in fact a result of eventually getting round to getting in a gas man as advised wherein now a different issue has arisen?

I really appreciate all feedback but i dont get why i am considered foolish?