WORRIED ABOUT BOILER BEING CONDEMNED!

[JoJo1988]

Recently had a new kitchen fitted, our electrician offered to move our combi boiler to our utility room. He has replaced some of the copper pipes with plastic. We're aware that boiler pipes are usually done in plastic now not copper so did not think anything of it at the time. He has left some copper pipes in though, so is now half and half. We get the boiler serviced every year, do yous think this will cause a problem. Will a gas serviceman come along and not want to touch it?! We're worried that it will be 'condemned' and end up costing a fortune to fix!

Thanks Guys!

 

[Plumber90]

I would be more worries about the fact you let an electrician move your boiler. Did he do the gas pipe and flue alterations himself???

 

[JoJo1988]

Thanks for quick response.

Ye, he did it all, he fitted our bathroom too, moved some radiators, plastering, pretty much everything on the renovation of our house so when he said he could move the boiler we thought nothing of it.

Do you think there will be a problem then?

Cheers Jo

 

[OwainDIYer]

If your electrician is not a Gas Safe registered fitter he has broken the law.

If your electrician is willing to break the law why would he comply with any safety standards either in gas or electricity?

Plastic pipe is not suitable for gas supply ... if he's used it for that your installation is HIGHLY DANGEROUS ... and in many cases for all water services the first metre from the boiler must be piped in copper. There are particular requirements for condensate and pressure relief discharge pipes as well.

You need to get your boiler installation checked by a Gas Safe registered fitter IMMEDIATELY.

Your life, or that of your neighbours, may be at risk from Carbon Monoxide poisoning

You can report illegal gas work at
http://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/help/report_an_illegal_gas_worker.aspx

You should also get the electrical work checked as this person sounds like a complete cowboy. Is he registered with one of the self-certification registers like NICEIC, NAPIT, etc? If not then there are restrictions on the type of work he can carry out without notification to local authority Building Control. Do you have any certificates (3-part Design, Installation and Test, or a Minor Works Cert) for the electricial work?

 

[JoJo1988]

Thanks for your response.

All pipes immediately leaving the boiler are in copper, the gas pipe is copper. The water pipes then change to plastic under the floor. There is a condensation overflow to outside and the flue is away from any windows and doors as it was before.

Thanks
Jo

 

[Dan Robinson]

Call Gas Safe immediately.

Unless you are a bigger fool than the electrician.

 

[Grenage]

That said, this guy does sound pretty amazing; electrics, plastering, plumbing, gas work - he might just be the most qualified and skilled fellow in the UK.

As above, get it checked, or risk dying in your sleep.

 

[JoJo1988]

Witty and terrifying. Thanks!

 

[JoJo1988]

Does any of you have a rough idea of how much it'd cost to get rectified then??

 

[Aquilani]

Does any of you have a rough idea of how much it'd cost to get rectified then??

Nobody could tell you that but the advice they have given you is all good, you should follow it before you are possibly putting a price on a life instead.

 

[Jackrae]

A rhetorical question :

If you have been advised that your boiler installation was illegally installed/modified and you chose to do nothing about it, then some time in the future there was a major catastrophe directly attributable to your boiler installation, are you subject to criminal and/or civil proceedings on the basis of prior knowledge.

 

[JoJo1988]

Hence why I am trying to find out how much it will cost to be rectified...

 

[Grenage]

Look at it this way, you'll need to get it done regardless of the cost. I have absolutely no experience in boilers, plumbing, or life in general, but I imagine it could cost anywhere from £200 to £600.

I don't know if a gas safe engineer would have to completely reinstall the unit to be happy with signing it off.

 

[JoJo1988]

Yeah that's what we were wondering. Hopefully it wont take much as the boiler is sound so it may just be the pipes need re doing or whatever. Fingers crossed anyway!

 

[Dan Robinson]

If you have the boiler checked by Gas Safe, and they deem the installation illegal and / or dangerous, then your electrician may well be liable.