Removal of 1970's warm air heating unit containing ASBESTOS!

wafers

Our house was built in '71 and still contains it's original and defunct 'Selex Electricaire' warm air central storage heating unit, containing masses of bricks and asbestos. We want to remove it to install gas central heating.
An asbestos removal specialist has quoted £2000 + Tat to remove it completely and safely.
An electrician who isolated the supply of electricity from the unit for us said that it's simple to dismantle and take apart yourself as long as you wear mask, disposable overalls and decent gloves.
Asbestos is a scary word and I don't want to risk breathing in, or releasing fibres if I do the job myself. However, £2k is way more that we can justify as part of house renovations (we have just bought the place)....
What do people recommend? The darn thing needs to come out?!

docmatt

wafers wrote: »

Our house was built in '71 and still contains it's original and defunct 'Selex Electricaire' warm air central storage heating unit, containing masses of bricks and asbestos. We want to remove it to install gas central heating.
An asbestos removal specialist has quoted £2000 + Tat to remove it completely and safely.
An electrician who isolated the supply of electricity from the unit for us said that it's simple to dismantle and take apart yourself as long as you wear mask, disposable overalls and decent gloves.
Asbestos is a scary word and I don't want to risk breathing in, or releasing fibres if I do the job myself. However, £2k is way more that we can justify as part of house renovations (we have just bought the place)....
What do people recommend? The darn thing needs to come out?!

You need to do a risk assesment. Can it be taken out without breaking/disturbing the Asbestos? Asbestos containing material is fine if not disturbed/broken.

Might be worth getting at least 3 more quotes too.

wallbash

Asbestos is a scary word

Dismantle the asbestos , try not to break the sections . You will be fine.

Is the boiler surrounded by white or the dangerous blue asbestos ( we don't know , but white is far more common)
We used it in school for years , some how , along with lead in paint we survived !


to sum up

An electrician who isolated the supply of electricity from the unit for us said that it's simple to dismantle and take apart yourself as long as you wear mask, disposable overalls and decent gloves.

He was not going to make any money out of his advice

BUT

An asbestos removal specialist has quoted £2000 +

wafers

Cheers for the replies. Now got a local electrician 'thinking about' removing the system himself as he has removed similar systems in the past. Have no intention of touching it myself the more I think about it. Guess will just have to keep on phoning electricians until someone says they can do it.

Hintza

So to summarise the OP deems it too dangerous to do themselves but doesn't want to pay someone to do it (supposedly) the safe way. But wants to employ someone to do it on the cheap and risk their own health?

That aside most of this is a scam. Blue asbestos is the dangerous stuff and as has been said yours is most likely white:-

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1525683/Christopher-Bookers-notebook.html

You can read plenty of articles if you search.

OP just do it yourself and save a fortune.

Bettie

wafers wrote: »

What do people recommend? The darn thing needs to come out?!

That seems a bit pricey. I had mine taken out along with the heating system then had a new flue to replace the old one and a new warm air central heating unit plus a new door with vents all for £3000.:T
PS
A specialist company came from London to Bristol to do the job, they were employed through the company that fitted the warm air unit

fluffpot

Aside from removal, asbestos also needs to be disposed of properly - is your 'cheap' option going to do this???

Surely the presence of (or possibility of) asbestos would have been flagged up in the survey?

vax2002

You needs to know what type of asbestos is involved, this can only be done by sampling.
If it is Blue asbestos it could contaminate the whole house with fibres that can cause death.
The electrician will be jailed if he messes with it and gets caught if it contains blue asbestos.
Blue asbestos is very very dangerous and fibrous stuff and before it is touched you need to ensure what type of asbestos you are dealing with.
Use the experts.

wafers

Thanks vax2002. Now come to the conclusion that we will get it sampled by an asbestos removal company and take it from there. It wasn't flagged in the survey, although the asbestos is obviously in the fitted unit and I don't imagine a standard survey would involve removal of any covers!
Interestingly, one electrician said that many people in our 70s estate could well have had their heating units ripped out without realising the potential danger.

fluffpot

wafers - I agree that they wouldn't remove the covers a part of a survey, but if it was known that the house has a warm air heating system, then this might suggest asbestos. My view, but then I'm not a surveyor....

I think you've chosen a sensible starting route though! Good luck