Reinstatement of old oil boiler permitted?

[diytrev]

Hi, this is supplementary to my first post about choice of new oil boiler. I've created a separate topic because it's a completely separate question - hope that the right netiquette.

We've had an underground oil leak in pipe between tank and boiler; been moved out by insurers for 6 months while they remove contamination inside and outside and replace damaged underground brickwork.

The existing boiler is a (very?) old Trianco conventional-flue boiler with inbuilt timer and controls and separate hot water and central heating feeds/returns directly from boiler. (Age not know -we've been here 6 years; I think the boiler has been there substantially longer and was second-hand when installed.)

Boiler has been situated in a former larder in the kitchen. Kitchen and larder-come-boiler room are now wholly internal with no external walls. (Dining room extension built behind; and there is now a fully enclosed semi-internal area alongside the kitchen and larder-come-boiler room between house and adjoining barn.) Boiler has a conventional chimney-type flue going straight up though ceiling of boiler room, edge of loft (building is a now chalet bungalow, formerly standard bungalow), and through roof. There is no provision for air venting into boiler room apart from small grill in door and gaps around door, flue and pipes. Boiler was standing on a metal tray on a suspended wooden floor.

Boiler (and rest of kitchen) has been taken out (as agreed by insurers) in order that the kitchen floor could be lifted. Now comes the crunch!

Insurers are saying that, as the boiler was not damaged and is still functional (which is not disputed), they will not pay for a replacement boiler, but they will pay to put the old boiler back in the same place to current standards and requirements, i.e. including building a concrete base (or whatever is required) for it to stand on and putting in any necessary additional venting to the boiler room to comply with modern standards.

My basic question is: once the old boiler has been taken out, is it even possible and legal to put the old non-condensing boiler back in the old location, even if it were possible (which I believe to be doubtful) to achieve the necessary ventilation? Also, what are the rules on how much ventilation is required?

I have had two oil boiler specialists look at it. One said "No, not allowed". One said "Certainly not sensible, advisable, or best practice, but a grey area as to whether it would be legal." So I would be interested in the views of those who know the building regs, OFTEC guidance, etc..

In fact I intend getting a new boiler (even if I have to pay for it), putting it in a new location, and knocking down the former larder-come-boiler room to enlarge the kitchen. But the question for me is how much I can get the insurers to pay for? If their proposal to re-instate the old boiler is not even legal, then I hope to try to get them to pay for more.

Your thoughts would be appreciated. I hope I've given enough info, but please let me know if you need more.

Thanks

 

[AlanE]

Hard to give definitive answers to some of your questions such as amount of ventillation required as this would depend upon capacity of boiler.

Can it be refitted probably no problem there but whether it would be adviseable is another question particually if it has been standing empty, of water, for six months.

Best people to ask about the legalities would be your local Building Control since type of boiler needed as a replacement is dictated Building Regulations which are administered by them. I personally don't see an issue with removing a boiler for work to be carried out and then reinstalling it.

It might be worth asking the insurers how much they were willing to pay for its reinstallation and see if you can come to an agreement.

It might be worth saying to them that you could be happy with the old boilers reinstallation on the condition they give assurance that is the old boiler failed in a way that could be attributed to either the original insured problem or that it had failed as a result of standing idle that they will meet the costs of replacement.

Reinstallation of old boiler or fitting of replacement should be carried out by an OFTEC registered company/person.

Out of interest are you saying root cause of being moved out was an oil leak??

 

[diytrev]

Alan,

Thanks for your comments.

I know it's not advisable to reinstate it, and I don't intend to. Which is why it's not really appropriate to discuss with insurers the consequences of failure after reinstatement. I have already negotiated with them to pay the equivalent of the full cost of reinstatement of the old one even if installation of a new one costs less. But I have been hoping that I might get them to contribute more to the cost of a new one if reinstatement would not be permitted.

Had thought of consulting BCO, thanks.
Yes, I have already ensured I'm using an OFTEC registered person. Already had to do that for installation of new oil tank and feed pipes.

Yes, root cause of all the problems was apparently a pin-hole oil leak in old 10mm copper pipe buried under concrete floor in barn (long before we lived there). Loss of only a few mm per day, and could have been happening unnoticed for months or years, until it showed up in a stream next door. We've been moved out both because the level of vapours in the house exceed H&S recommendations (even tho' we had become immune to the smell and did not notice it) and because they've had to rip up the kitchen, dining room and utility room floors to dig down to foundations both inside and outside the house for investigation purposes. So far, they've removed at least 4 skip-fulls of contaminated soil, etc. - and still more to go; plus they have to remove 4 courses of contamined bricks from one side of house, and also parts of the inner skin of the cavity, and 4 courses from under one wall of the adjoining barn. Recon that total cost will exceed £100K - glad we had insurance!!!