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what is going on with British Gas and the condeming of boilers

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  • alleycat`
    alleycat` Posts: 1,901 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Honestly couldn't tell you why they can't repair it but i do know that only certain boilers are suitable to be situated in bathrooms.

    There was a concept of zones in bathrooms for electrics as well (not sure if this is still the case - probably isn't) but it might be the electric supply for device is in a "dangerous" place as well.

    With regards to why it didn't come up.
    Did you have a full survey or just the basic mortgage vendor one?
    If you had a full survey it might literally be the rules have changed since you bought the house.
    The basic mortgage one wouldn't even pick up on it i imagine.

    Caveat to all of the above.

    I'm neither a sparkie or a gas fitter/plumber so this is just things i've heard / come across in the past.
  • Cardew
    Cardew Posts: 29,059 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Rampant Recycler
    Certainly regulations have changed a huge amount over the last 10 years.

    My house is hardly old(21 years) and there were no issues for the first decade. Then BG started issuing me with 'advisory notices' that my boilers(I have two) did not comply with the new regulations, however they were not 'show stoppers'.

    A few years ago that changed and the installations were illegal unless modified. Both boilers are in seperate small boiler rooms, one an outside room built on to the garage and the other internal in an annex. Apparently neither had the required ventilation and another grill had to be cut.

    Someone posted on here that his boiler was in a garage and that was also deemed to have insufficient ventilation.

    I suppose you can't blame BG, they don't write the stupid regulations!
  • Erm... Call a local heating engineer for a second opinion. They might be able to fix it, or confirm if BG are correct. Worth a call out charge surely?
  • alleycat` wrote: »
    Honestly couldn't tell you why they can't repair it but i do know that only certain boilers are suitable to be situated in bathrooms.

    There was a concept of zones in bathrooms for electrics as well (not sure if this is still the case - probably isn't) but it might be the electric supply for device is in a "dangerous" place as well.

    Well i've googled & googled & looked around on other forums to see if I can find anything regarding boiler installations not being allowed bathrooms & the most relevant I've come across is:

    "Where a room-sealed appliance is installed in a room containing a bath or shower, any electrical switch or appliance control, utilising mains electricity should be so situated that it cannot be touched by a person using the bath or shower".

    No mentions of wash-basins or anything, just baths & showers and it's not possible in my bathroom to reach the boiler from either of those without falling & cracking your skull open. Maybe that's whey they deemed it worthy of an 'At Risk' assessment!

    So for arguements sake, let's say their 'At Risk' assessment is completely wrong or at least flawed, what do I do now? Is there a record on file? Do I have to contest this through some official channels? I'm looking to sell the house & the last thing I want is for the buyer to be unhappy with the purchase afterwards & claim I didn't inform them of the 'risk'.
  • Cardew
    Cardew Posts: 29,059 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Rampant Recycler
    On a similar tack is it just good practice, or madatory, that light switches etc are operated by a string pull?

    Obviously the principle is that sopping wet human(straight out of shower) in a bathroom dripping with condensation, doesn't touch light switch.

    The same argument would preclude a boiler being fitted anywhere in a bathroom of course - not just too near a sink.
  • I called British gas out as my Halstead combi was cutting. The engineer took a quick look at it and said the fan and other parts needed replacing, and the parts where unavailable.

    He condemed the boiler and placed stickers on it and cut of the gas supply to the boiler.

    They then kept pushing to quote for a new boiler.

    Unhappy I called an indpendent gas safe engineer. He confirmed that this is a typical British Gas approach.

    He called Halstead and run through the fault. They gave clear advice, that is was more than likely the fan venturi needed cleaning.

    It was fairly easy to get to the venturi, and sure enough it had slight scale on it, which must cut the boiler out as a safety precaution.

    Boiler back together and runs perfect. Total cost £45 + vat.

    They really should be investigated.
  • They are notiorious for it round here as well :mad:

    If a boiler is older than about 10 years and it needs parts they say they can't get parts and sticker it. then offer a quote for new for £4,000, leaving the owner in abit of a predicament.

    I have been to about 4 that needed just a fan or air pressure switch or something similar, that was easy to obtain.

    But, if people wont go for a second opinion then British Gas will get away with it :o
  • roddydogs wrote: »
    They will now condem a boiler if its got only a 15m gas connection, as its now got to be 22mm.........totally ludicrous, but thats the rule, by the way Corgi is extinct, its now "GasSafe"

    too right as well...... if a boiler needs a 22mm gas supply to supply the boiler with a certain amount of gas then an undersize gas supply is dangerous as it is getting the wrong gas/air ratio


    please if you are going to slag people off at least know your gas regs
  • there are good and bad everywhere. BG also have good and bad engineers. unless you are issued with an ID notice then your boiler hasnt been condemed. BG also use certain suppliers for parts and this is for a number of reasons inc knowing that the part is sealed, brand new, not refurbished and from a reputable company etc.

    BG also issue advice on efficency/safety and cannot force you to do anything. you dont have to buy a new boiler from them. get a quote, if you're not happy get another quote.

    Please note too........ Gas engineers go a little bit overboard sometimes because WE are the ones that get prosecuted in COURT for MANSLAUGHTER if anything goes wrong. And yes that means something as simple as a faulty seal that was missed on a service that ended up causing a CO incident and someone dying.
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