Ceiling fan with gas fire/back boiler?

Tigsteroonie

Hi there, hope someone can help.

We live in rented accommodation (private landlord), there is a Baxi Bermuda gas fire & back boiler system in the living room that is today being included in the annual gas safety check.

We installed a recirculatory ceiling fan with lights in the middle of the room during the summer last year.

Today the gas engineer has just advised me that it's "illegal" to have a ceiling fan in a room with a gas fire, and that the fan part will have to be disconnected.

I've done a brief google-hunt and can't immediately find this fact. Can anybody advise me, and provide me with appropriate links to information?

Thanks!

roger196

The flue flow test with a smoke bomb does not require the fan to be operated. Here one is checking that the flue is intact and the smoke goes out of the correct terminal. It is different with the spillage test. Here a smoke match is applied at the edge of the fire to check that products of combustion are carried up the flue. The spillage test should be repeated at each fan speed and with the fan in reverse. If the appliance spills, you have the choice of removing the fan or condemning the boiler/fire as immediately dangerous.
This is taken from Corgi's Essential Gas Safety book published 2001 at page 235. The legal /recommended position may have changed since that date. One of the other posters will advise if that has happened.

Tigsteroonie

The ceiling fan was not operated by the engineer at any point during his tests on the fire & boiler. He merely glanced up at the fan, asked "Does that work?" (yes) and then told me that it is against regulations to have a ceiling fan in the same room as a gas fire/back boiler as it could (when switched one way) pull fumes back into the room.

I did some digging and found regulations applying to extractor fans but couldn't find anything relating to recirculatory ceiling fans, hence my request for links to any guidance.

He gave us the choice of not reconnecting the heating or him disconnecting the ceiling fan. As we have a baby, we cannot be in a situation with no heating, so had to permit him to dismantle the fan.

I have emailed Corgi for advice.

Canucklehead

Hi

He should have tested as per roger 196, and with doors and windows shut.

GSR.

gas4you

Nothing to do with corgi anymore, it's gas safe now.

Tigsteroonie

Sorry, that's who I meant, I can never remember what they're called! :rotfl:

ginvzt

Ok, I have found a report prepared in 2003: "THE EFFECT OF CEILING-MOUNTED RE-CIRCULATION FANS ON DOMESTIC OPEN-FLUE APPLIANCES"

http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file11332.pdf

It says:

HSE suggested that manufacturer’s instructions should advise against the
installation of a ceiling fan in the same room as a non-room-sealed appliance,
or any other location that might adversely affect safe removal of combustion
products, unless it is demonstrated through appropriate tests that operation of
the fan cannot prejudice safe operation of the appliance.

Apparently, there were "eleven hospitalisations in January 1998 were caused by spillage from a
back boiler unit due to a ceiling fan."