Gas Flue Regulations - Am I Being Ripped Off?

colin1951uk

I'm wondering if anyone might know if there are any regulations regarding the size of gas fire flues.

I had an engineer call today to service my gas fire (last time it was done was four years ago) but the person in question immediately refused to do it after looking at the flue opening. He said it was a 'letter box' type opening and that prohibited him from looking up the chimney to see if it might be blocked in anyway. He then gave me some advice about a new flue arrangement (basically knocking out half the wall behind the fire) and quoted me £250 for the work. He did a quick check of the front of the fire and said that was fine and asked me to have a think about the flue option before he could do anymore. I was then issued with a warning notice about the flue and charged £40 for twenty minutes work.

Four years ago the fire past in flying colours!

Just to give a little insight about the fire...it's about twenty years old...is a 3 radiant convector type model made by British Gas and has been serviced every three /four years since being installed. The fire has a matching surround which is tightly attached to the wall/chimney and has a circular opening cut in it to access the chimney base. It's this opening that the engineer refers to as a 'letter box' type. I don't know the openings diameter but it is more than enough to get two hands in as well see if there is any blockage at the chimney base. The back of the fire has an escape vent for fumes which inserts directly into this opening and thus any fumes go straight out and up the chimney.

In the past I've had engineers check the chimney out by putting some sort of smoke pellet into the circular opening and then going outside to see if the smoke comes out of the chimney pot and thats been good enough to prove the chimneys clear. Any muck that might have needed to be removed at the chimney base has simply been scooped out by hand. All very simple and quite acceptable in the past.

I'm suspicious now because it's not possible to look up all chimneys to see if they're clear...I know my chimney doesn't go straight up as it does a right turn just up from the base and then up...and also I haven't had a problem in having a service in twenty or so years.

So before I spend anymore money on my fire would anyone know (maybe an engineer/builder if one is reading this) if I might be being had here.

Sorry for the long screed but I'm trying to make things as clear as I can.

Cheers.

Freddie_Snowbits

I would get anotehr engineer out. Mine uses a smoke kind of pellet to check the flue, and clean it out. Once every 5 years. cost about £45

Owain_Moneysaver

Regulations have got more stringent in the last few years.

colin1951uk

For what it's worth I got another engineer in today and he checked the the chimney with a couple of smoke pellets (as I'd mentioned before) without problem and did a full service on the fire and again it passed all the relevant tests.

Took just about an an hour and he charged me £57. Also advised me that as the fire was very old (but still in very good condition) it would be a good idea to buy a carbon monoxide detector for peace of minds sake and I've since done that (cost me £15 from Argos.)

I told him about the experience I had with the first engineer and he was flabbergasted. He said it was dead easy to get at the chimney base if necessary by simply removing four screws that hold the surround to the wall and then whole lot can then be pulled forward to give the required access.

He asked me if the fellow was on the Gas Safe Register and I said yes so he advised me to write to the person in question (with a copy to the GSR) and complain about the service and advice I was given and ask for my money back. If it the money isn't repaid repaid inform the GSR who can either put some more pressure on or at their discretion remove the individual from their service which would put him out of business.

So I will do that early next week and see what happens.

Just goes to show what some people will try to get some extra dosh...I'm not impressed!