Gas installation Not to Current Standards

andrew-b · 15 October 2007 at 5:36PM

Hi,

We just had our boiler and gas fire serviced. The boiler and fire were all fine but the service engineer issued me a "Warning/Advice note" to say that the installation didnt meet upto current standards because "gas meter has two flex pipes, fixed to wall". The first flex pipe is between the valve and meter. There is then a pipe coming from the meter which connects to the 2nd flex pipe (the one which is the issue here) that connect upto a pipe going off to boiler, gas fire, gas hob. The engineer, who i have no reason to doubt, said there was no need for me to do anything as because the meter is fixed to the wall it's safe which makes me wonder why i need to be warned in the first place! Is this bureaucracy gone mad?

I've tried to find online some info on this and the closest i'm getting is it's related to British Standard BS6400 Part 2 which came into force in November 2006.

Now the thing is in January, Transco replaced our meter. No mention was made of the 2nd flex pipe being a problem. And then a few months later Transco returned to replace all the gas pipes in the road - again no mention of 2nd flex pipe being a problem.

So is this warning something i should act on? Do i ignore it? Or if i don't ignore it who is responsible for bringing the installation in line with standards? Surely if the 2nd flex pipe truly is a problem then Transco should have bought thing upto standard on one of their visits?

Andy

cattie · 15 October 2007 at 6:08PM

It is very common to have a warning/advice note issued for a boiler. Regulations & standards change rapidly & what is fine with installation & stuff now, may well be different just a few months down the line.

If the boiler doesn't meet current regulations on a safety issue then the engineer will advise you to get it sorted asap.

My 4yr old boiler had a warning put on it last year as the regulations regarding having a boiler built into a cabinet have now changed from when mine was done. I don't have to do anything to remedy this as there is no problem with it at all. The engineer was just obliged to notify me that there had been a change in the regulations since his previous visit.

Poppy9 · 15 October 2007 at 6:14PM

I've been having warning notices from them for 12 years for my 20+ year old back boiler. Only 1 year I didn't get a warning. Originally because there was no vent in the room where the boiler was located. BG agreed there was no where to put a vent as the only outside wall was full width patio doors. We eventually replaced these windows with french doors and so had some wall to put in a vent. BG man there at the time and the builder asked him how big he wanted the vent and then put it in. So no notice that year. Following year the regs had changed and the vent was too small so we've had a notice ever since. BG did offer to do the work for us for £200 which we declined!!!

Rikki · 15 October 2007 at 6:17PM

My outside gas vent gets a warning every year now from the gas board at service time.

15 years ago its position was fine, but as the regulations change it is now too close to a corner wall or something. They just advise me each time they visit. They have been for the last 6 years but it never moved it was always there.

jblack_2 · 15 October 2007 at 6:31PM

The rules and regulations are updated so often that it's no suprise to be issued with a notice.

"Not to current standards" is an advise. Basically, it wouldn't be allowed if installed today.

As long as you don't get an "Immediately Dangerous" and condemned you'll be fine.

J

Canucklehead · 15 October 2007 at 6:35PM

Al_Mac wrote: »

Had a warning every year, like Poppy9, this year they said it would have to be fixed, else they wouldn't service us anymore. Well that save £12+ a month.

Yes the regs do change regularly, but I reckon BG use it as an excuse to try a fleece people. I bet they do as well.

And what about the high percentage who don't even have a service?

They keep asking us to come back

Good evening: Not always the case that BG or others are trying to pull a fast one...
http://www.trustcorgi.com/news/corgi/furtherinformationregardingventilationforopen-fluedandfluelessgasappliances.htmx

See also link in article to 'unsafe situations' procedure. Andy...I'm surprised that the crew who fitted your boiler didn't pick up on it either!

HTH

Canucklehead

andrew-b · 15 October 2007 at 6:59PM

Thanks for all the replies. Sounds like i can happily ignore my warning then and look forward to receiving similar warnings on a yearly basis!

Canucklehead wrote: »

Andy...I'm surprised that the crew who fitted your boiler didn't pick up on it either!

I mentioned that to the service engineer at the time as the same company installed it but he said the new changes were only recent. The new boiler was commissioned at the end of september 2006 - which is before BS6400 part2 was revised (assuming thats the relevant new legislation).

Andy

Gas installation Not to Current Standards

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