Idiot guide to back boilers needed pls!

[eva247]

Hi,

I have just moved into a property which has a Glowworm 45 back boiler flued via the chimney and as I have never ever had one myself, just need some advice and reassurance as to how safe they are as I am always weiry re carbon monoxide etc.

The boiler has been regularly serviced (as this is a council property) and I had a service engineer from AFR come to do a moving in safety inspection last week. As the gas fire itself is so unsightly, I asked if it was possible to take this off and cap it so I could put a radiator type cover or something a bit more appealing to the eye but he advised me that I couldnt as the back boiler was directly connected to the gas fire and if I took this off, the fumes would go into the room? (right, I'm a 30 year old female and I haven't got a clue about these boilers).

I would really prefer to be able to 'hide' the gas fire (apart from the obvious ugly feature it is), I have a 10 month old baby who happens to be very attracted to sticking his fingers in the gas fire and playing with the knobs underneath.

Can anyone give me any advice or information?

I'd rather the engineer had condemned it for me but he didn't even have the courtesy to show me how it works!

Also - there is not much power to the shower, in fact, when you lift the shower head up it just dribbles, any advice? the bathroom is downstairs and shower is via mixer taps.

Thanks! Eva

 

[namsag]

Clean the shower head in white vinegar it may just be scaled up. He is right you cannot have one without the other and they cannot be covered up to hide them as this would affect combustion air and basically could kill you

 

[eva247]

Thanks for the reply. Bit confused now as he said i couldnt take the gas fire off and cap it so I asked him what if I built a wooden cover to put round the gas fire (like a radiator cover as I dont plan to ever actually use the gas fire itself) and fix it by screws to the wall, he told me that was fine and to allow myself access to it in case gas ever goes out for any reason and I need to re-ignite.

 

[namsag]

He was pacifying you . Dont do this either, as it will seriously restrict airflow to back boiler

 

[sassie]

eva please do not do this, unless your referring to something like a radiator cover (with holes in and a wedge cut out at the bottom of the panel) you have to have a certain amount of air circulating

 

[eva247]

bloody hell, thanks for letting me know, how safe are these then in terms of carbon monoxide leakage? and any advice on how I can safely make it babyproof?

 

[eva247]

eva please do not do this, unless your referring to something like a radiator cover (with holes in and a wedge cut out at the bottom of the panel) you have to have a certain amount of air circulating

well this is what i was hoping if i could find one with a big enough depth

 

[namsag]

This is what i did when i got fed up with my 2 going up to fire and constantly taking them away at crawling stage.
I let it get warm but not hot that it would burn them let them get up to it they touched it and got a fright or whatever they never got burnt or hurt but they never went near it again.
May sound bad but properly done it works with no harm done

 

[sassie]

b****y hell, thanks for letting me know, how safe are these then in terms of carbon monoxide leakage? and any advice on how I can safely make it babyproof?

i have had one for 15 years and never had a prob with monoxide, although the massive airvent in the room needed for it was a pain, (do not block this up eaither) i also brought a carbon monxide detector from BG for i think £22 and they should last for 5 years with normal use. I never had a fireguard with either of my kids although the fire par has never been used, it is cheaper to use the central heating than the fire to just heat one room, but if yu feel its a problem then a fireguard

 

[nickso]

seen plenty of bbu's with a cage round them, not pretty but it stops the nippers getting about it.

 

[namsag]

Eva just to let you know i am a qualified gas engineer who knows what he is talking about Sassie basically doesnt have a clue a bit like yourself and only wanted something that looked nice without understanding that it can KILL , so up to you who you take advice from

 

[WDIK]

seen plenty of bbu's with a cage round them, not pretty but it stops the nippers getting about it.

wasnt that in that distant universe called (when common sense ruled) far far away,
known as a fire guard?

 

[eva247]

sorry to ask, but i just want to make sure i get this right, regardless of whether I use the actual gas fire (which i dont plan to) there is still the issue with ventilation? I can cover the fire so to speak but only with something designed to allow good airflow like a radiator cover or perhaps a mesh fronted cover, etc..?

namsag, i dont think anything hot would deter him, in my last place he used to grab the rads and the rad pipes even when they were boiling to the touch and just look at me and smile.... I should have called him damien..

 

[eva247]

Eva just to let you know i am a qualified gas engineer who knows what he is talking about Sassie basically doesnt have a clue a bit like yourself and only wanted something that looked nice without understanding that it can KILL , so up to you who you take advice from

ah, such conflicting advice but if you put it like that, I won't cover it! I didnt realise that even if you dont use the gas fire you need to be aware of allowing adequate ventilation, i just assumed that the flue up the chimney was sufficient but hey, thats why I'm here asking first!

And someone else made a good point, I will be off to some far away galaxy to buy a fireguard to keep my critters paws out....

 

[namsag]

Sassie where was i rude . You dont have a clue, nothing rude in that. But if i needed to be rude to stop you putting someones life at risk i would . simple.

I will put it basic a back boiler can go from being perfectly ok and giving no fumes out into room to being a killer in less than a couple of hours