Student halls - gas coming in through window from boiler flue below!

superman909

Hi there.... I must live in one of the worst rooms in my particular student accommodation. I am situated next to a kitchen that happens to have a very noisy boiler (flue sounds like a hair dryer), which is only half the problem as my main concern is the smell of gas from the boiler flue from the kitchen below ours. I know it is coming from that one as on a cool day the steam is evident and comes in through my window, which is also my only means of ventilation so I need it open now and again. I did complain to the central services long before Christmas and nothing has been done, only an inspection which deemed an engineer is needed for the flue vent noise but no menyion of sorting the flue below causing the smell?! What can I do as this is potentially harmful to my health!

HappyMJ

If it's an illegal installation then report it. It needs to be so many millimetres away from your window. You need to measure it. How far away is it.

Candlemoth

Phone transco 0800 111 999 explain to them exactly where it can be smelt from. They need to know incase it is something else. Also do not let anyone smoke out that window or light matches near it.

jimjames

Have you taken any of the advice from your last post?

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3658863

If the engineer has inspected then you are probably ok and while the smell might not be nice it isnt toxic.

t0rt0ise

did you get a carbon monoxide detector? I would.

superman909

jimjames wrote: »

Have you taken any of the advice from your last post?

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3658863

If the engineer has inspected then you are probably ok and while the smell might not be nice it isnt toxic.

I actually waited until after Christmas to see if they had done anything post inspection, but they definitely haven't sorted it out, the noise from ours is still exactly the same, and the air in my room does not seem very "fresh" even when I open the window all day, as if all these fumes are just filling up the room? I am thinking about long term affects of these fumes/gases even if they are within he "safe limits" it is just unfair I have to put up with it for another 6/7 months, I guess the boiler will be on less after February/March, but I want to know who I should phone to talk to about this (Environmental Health appropriate for this particular case? If not who?).

PasturesNew

He died: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-12749049

terry2

superman909 wrote: »

I actually waited until after Christmas to see if they had done anything post inspection, but they definitely haven't sorted it out, the noise from ours is still exactly the same, and the air in my room does not seem very "fresh" even when I open the window all day, as if all these fumes are just filling up the room? I am thinking about long term affects of these fumes/gases even if they are within he "safe limits" it is just unfair I have to put up with it for another 6/7 months, I guess the boiler will be on less after February/March, but I want to know who I should phone to talk to about this (Environmental Health appropriate for this particular case? If not who?).

I suspect the problem is that when you reported things, you put them all in together, with the result that the safety aspect of the fumes got missed. You need to put in another fault report about JUST the fumes and saying that you think this is a SAFETY matter.
If you like, you can then follow it up with an e-mail to whoever is in charge of the residences saying that you have SAFETY worries about the fumes. (use e-mail as that makes it easier for it to be forwarded to the correct person).
If that fails ask at your student union for the name of the university/college's safety officer and forward a copy of the e-mail to them.

bengasman

superman909 wrote: »

... it is just unfair I have to put up with it for another 6/7 months, I guess the boiler will be on less after February/March, but I want to know who I should phone to talk to about this (Environmental Health appropriate for this particular case? If not who?).

Why did you not ring GSR for which I gave you the number in your previous post?
Complaining on here is not going to achieve anything if you don't pay any attention to the proper advice given.

superman909

bengasman wrote: »

Why did you not ring GSR for which I gave you the number in your previous post?
Complaining on here is not going to achieve anything if you don't pay any attention to the proper advice given.

Sorry, I couldn't find my own thread..... So what exactly do these guys do, and will I be charged? Is this a free service?

Mr_Ted

The 1st thing to do is close the window!!!

The 2nd is to inform the Bursar, or site manager, if its a halls of residence!!!

The 3rd, if the Bursar fails to call anyone in as an emergency is to do it yourself!!!