Is Gas Safety Certificate required for a residential property?

Envisage

I have bought a 3 bed house where I live and it has an old conventional boiler located in the living room behind the fireplace.

British Gas came to visit and they said that the boiler is about 20 years old, is not very efficient and has safety risks so they left a warning label for us and didn't issue the gas safety certificate...

I've bought a Carbon Monoxide device recently and put it just in the living room; just in case.

Is it worth repairing the existing one and fixing the chimney and its terminals? or is it worth removing the existing old boiler and installing a new one? The new boiler costs between £4.5k to £7k depending where we put it.

The advantages of the new boiler would be like

1) it is probably more economical in long run (around £500 a year less costly);

reduction in fuel consumption (£300 a year) in addition to
the reduction in insurance (£200 a year)

2) greater peace of mind

The disadvantages are:

1) initial cost (from £4.5k to £7k)
2) space occupation of the new boiler
3) 3-5 days of trouble while engineers do their work
4) will require redecorating e.g. if put in the kitchen

If the later where should I put the new boiler; Loft, Bathroom or Kitchen?

If we put the new boiler in the kitchen, we can probably cabinet it but the pipes will go around the kitchen that I will hate to see. How would the pipes be decorated?

If we put it in the bathroom, it may be too close to the bedrooms and not sure how noisy is the boilers.

If we put it in the loft, not sure how noisy it would be or how the pressure it would be?

Also, there are so many different boiler types. Which ones I should be installing? Combi-Boiler, Conventional again, Sealed System, etc?

I've been thinking about this for the last 10-11 months but couldn't decide yet which option is best unfortunately...

Please advice?

BitterAndTwisted

A gas safety cert is not a legal requirement for a residential property unless it is let. Under the circs I hope to God that you have a carbon monoxide alarm installed!

The decision to replace the boiler rather depends on what it's going to cost to make the existing boiler safe.

G_M

You do not need a gas certificate unless you let the property.

However, if the boiler has safety risks, why are you risking your life?!!! :eek:

Repairing a 20 year old boiler is unlikely to be economic. Only do this if you absolutely cannot afford a new one. And you're likely to have to replace it anyway in a few years.

A new boiler will be safe. It will be cheaper to run (less gas). It will not break down (or if it does will be under warranty).

For advice on where to put it, and indeed on type (conventional Vs combi ) ask on the gas board here.

Or DIYnot here (lots of gas engineers on that board)

There are various schemes for free or discount boilers. See if you qualify.

BG are expensive. Always shop around and get quotes from independent gas engineers too (GasSafe!).

spacey2012

A new combie boiler will pay for itself over a couple of years.

martindow

spacey2012 wrote: »

A new combie boiler will pay for itself over a couple of years.

It's likely to be more economical but you would be having to use an awful lot of gas for it to pay for itself in two years.

witchy1066

on moving into a new house I would always have an electrical and gas check, if either are deemed unsafe then it would be sorted ,

OP in your case if the gas board have condemned your boiler you have no choice, why would you even consider not doing so when your family's life could be at risk,

if you don't want the boiler in the kitchen, do you have an airing cupboard upstairs ?
that is where we are having our new boiler fitted when we move, not sure on the cost as its being done by a family member who fortunately for us is a corgi registered engineer,
depending on the size of your home and which boiler would suit your family ,prices range from around £800 to a couple of thousand but what price can be put on yours and your family life
in my opinion its a no brainer

Kynthia

Both my boiler and my parents is in a cupboard in the hall.

I definitely agree with finding a local trusted plumbing firm and getting them to quote for the job of a new boiler and ask their advice about location and pipe work.

katejo

Envisage wrote: »

I have bought a 3 bed house where I live and it has an old conventional boiler located in the living room behind the fireplace.

British Gas came to visit and they said that the boiler is about 20 years old, is not very efficient and has safety risks so they left a warning label for us and didn't issue the gas safety certificate...

I've bought a Carbon Monoxide device recently and put it just in the living room; just in case.

Is it worth repairing the existing one and fixing the chimney and its terminals? or is it worth removing the existing old boiler and installing a new one? The new boiler costs between £4.5k to £7k depending where we put it.

The advantages of the new boiler would be like

1) it is probably more economical in long run (around £500 a year less costly);

reduction in fuel consumption (£300 a year) in addition to
the reduction in insurance (£200 a year)

2) greater peace of mind

The disadvantages are:

1) initial cost (from £4.5k to £7k)
2) space occupation of the new boiler
3) 3-5 days of trouble while engineers do their work
4) will require redecorating e.g. if put in the kitchen

If the later where should I put the new boiler; Loft, Bathroom or Kitchen?

If we put the new boiler in the kitchen, we can probably cabinet it but the pipes will go around the kitchen that I will hate to see. How would the pipes be decorated?

If we put it in the bathroom, it may be too close to the bedrooms and not sure how noisy is the boilers.

If we put it in the loft, not sure how noisy it would be or how the pressure it would be?

Also, there are so many different boiler types. Which ones I should be installing? Combi-Boiler, Conventional again, Sealed System, etc?

I've been thinking about this for the last 10-11 months but couldn't decide yet which option is best unfortunately...

Please advice?

You are certainly not legally required to have a certificate unless you have a lodger or let it out. It may well be that your boiler isn't safe but I would get a 2nd opinion from a local firm before writing it off. I don't have much confidence in BG. I have a Vaillant combi boiler which is located on for first floor landing in a cupboard. It is now 10 years old but still working well (serviced annually).

mlz1413

Definitely get a local plumber. British gas work on commission .... Would you really trust a salesman just because he wears overalls?

witchy1066

katejo wrote: »

You are certainly not legally required to have a certificate unless you have a lodger or let it out. It may well be that your boiler isn't safe but I would get a 2nd opinion from a local firm before writing it off. I don't have much confidence in BG. I have a Vaillant combi boiler which is located on for first floor landing in a cupboard. It is now 10 years old but still working well (serviced annually).

big difference between a 10 year old boiler that has been serviced regular and a 20 year old boiler that at best has been checked once and at worst never

if you can not trust british gas then why not just stick a pin in the gas registered section of yellow pages :rotfl:
I know which I would have most confidence in,

I agree get a couple of people up ,then you can make an informed decision

ging84

Are you sure it was british gas that came round?
are you on one of their boiler insurance schemes?

There should be no reason they cannot repair your boiler just because of it's age, they should have been able to diagnose the fault and tell your if it is or is not repairable.