Non British Gas advice please re Boiler Pressure Relief Pipe

[l0nelyh0usewife]

Hi,

My firends told me about this site and how it has helped her over the years so I thought I'd try and get some non British Gas advice.

I am a Landlady and have had a Combi Vaillant boiler in for some years at one of my houses (was in when I purchased the house) and recentley British Gas turned up to do the Service.

However, they will not sign it off and placed a warning notice on my boiler

What they have said to me is that my Pressure Relief Pipe is not acceptable as the regulations changed last month and that the pipe must be replaced all in Copper

Here are the pics of the pipework, it's never been an issue over all the years since I purchased the property.

I hope that I have given you enough info to be able to help me out

Thank you

 

[gas112]

Regs didn`t change last month been in for years .It should all be in copper or a suitable heat resistant plastic.
It is not an actual reg to turn off appliance this is just BG policy so can be ignored.
Get someone else out

 

[l0nelyh0usewife]

Thanks.

Just a few more questions if you wouldn't mind. They haven't turned the appliance off, just put a yellow warning triangle thing on it.

So it never should have been installed this way when it was put in

Why have they serviced it over all these years without an issue

 

[cantaloup63]

You should be aware that many BG engineers will often try to nudge your mind in the direction of buying a new boiler. Straightforward marketing techniques, which they know will worry customers especially when they start getting their stickers out!

 

[Nige F]

Are you really a Lonely housewife with a portfolio of properties

 

[cantaloup63]

Are you really a Lonely housewife with a portfolio of properties

And are you desperate?

 

[gas_man_gaz]

You should be aware that many BG engineers will often try to nudge your mind in the direction of buying a new boiler. Straightforward marketing techniques, which they know will worry customers especially when they start getting their stickers out!

how is telling the customer the prv has been run in a inappropriate material nudging them to a new boiler?

 

[cantaloup63]

It's the yellow sticker. A message that the "old" boiler isn't quite as it's meant to be.

Next thing will be that the op might call BG and get a quote for the repair, toe is in the door and away we go....

 

[l0nelyh0usewife]

So if I were to call another company or Gas Safe Engineer would they have let this go on a Service/Landlord Certificate

British Gas have been servicing this boiler for years

I don't like to cut corners with regards to anyones safety so is it better that I have this pipe replaced with copper

I don't think it will be an easy job as it runs behind the bath and toilet that have all been built-in so all of this will have to come out but if it's a must then I will have to have it done.

Thanks.

 

[simond]

I'm sure the warning notice was issued with good intentions.

This type of defect is not usually of any great consequence, and if it were in my house I would probably get round to looking at it in the next 48 months or so.

But in rental, you have responsibilities. The latest BG technician is quite observant to see this, and for that he should be commended. Too many gas safe techs dont look very hard.on a landlord inspection.

I'm not surprised it hasnt been spotted before. But you have suffered no loss as a result. Any gripes should be directed at the original installer, rather than your maintainer.

 

[gas_man_gaz]

so you are saying its ok to run in plastic? where did the bg lad mention old??
the op might phone in and ask for a quote,
the op might also suddenly feel suicidal about the whole situation but its much more likely they will get a local rgi to sort it

 

[cantaloup63]

so you are saying its ok to run in plastic? where did the bg lad mention old??
the op might phone in and ask for a quote, the op might also suddenly feel suicidal about the whole situation but its much more likely they will get a local rgi to sort it

I'm not saying that it is OK to run in plastic. As gas112 has said, the regs have been in place for years and it is somewhat peculiar that until this current visit they were happy to sign it off.

The op may well get a local RGI in to complete the work and pay for the Landlords certificate. If she has a contract with BG that includes the annual service as well as the certificate (as indeed I do as a landlord), it's not beyond the realms of imagination that she will ask BG to sort it out since they are the ones who will sign it off for her. All I was stating was the well documented fact that BG engineers are duty bound to try to edge towards an additional sale whenever possible, which is fair enough as they are trying to make a profit and pay their workforce. To be honest, I'm surprised they didn't try to sell the op a magnaclean for a couple of hundred or so.

Maybe they are being suddenly diligent (or maybe the claim of it being a recent change in the regs was to cover for the his colleagues previous omissions, which would make sense). I genuinely hope so. But I also wouldn't be surprised if this turned out to be the thin end of the wedge.

 

[Jordon]

It isn't a safty issue though, on cp12s (landlord inspections) it isn't covered you can note as advice but that's it! If the boiler had been shut off you can legally sue the company. It is not gas related so no sticker should be attached end of! Yes its rough but that's it, is it dangerous? Well maybe if it pours out boiling water? Is it pouring out water? No. Does if effect the safe opperation of the unit? No. If its been serviced the air space in the expansion should be tested every year anyway so should never let by. Tenant left the loop open, well that shouldn't be connected, boiler pump failed, two second spurt not gunna melt the plastic. Job worth in my eyes, and the ticket has to be issued with a pass even with the prv connected in plastic. Call gas safe and complain don't call bg they will bambozel you with tech terms that mean nout!

 

[Biggles..]

Could one of you lot please point out the regulation that states a prv can't be run in plastic and that would include all plastic ie speedfit.

Please don't quote buildin regs part G3 as that doesn't relate to a prv,it relates to a TPRV where if discharged there is a chance that the water could be above 90-95deg C.

 

[DeltaT2]

I think it'll say copper tube in most appliance MIs & the appliance must be installed according to the manufacturers MIs to comply with the regs.