Question for gas fire fitters

Flora_Poste

Hi just looking for some thoughts on this please....

Mum wanted her living flame fire serviced. It's 18 months old. She rang the shop that she got it from and asked them for someone to do it. They gave her a number for 'Steve'. Steve turned up this afternoon. Had a look at the fire, went outside and had a look at the chimney, came back in and said her mid feathering had gone. it was very dangerous, might poison her and might even poison the semi detached neighbours with two small boys next door.

He dis-assembled her fire and said he couldn't put it back together because it failed building regs and she needed a new flue. Total cost £340 including the service. No cheques please, cash only.

Mum let him carry on and he's done the job and I actually saw the new flue going in so not worried in that respect but what bothers me is that he didn't leave any paperwork, receipts or guarantees and when we pushed him he said he 'doesn't carry that sort of stuff around' and he would 'post something off next week'. It all seems a bit dodgy to me and I'm wondering what he should have left and what I'm after the shop to do. Surely if it failed building regs before we should have some certificate that it's passed, or a guarantee? It's a proper local fireplace shop we've used for years and they are usually very good.

I've rung the shop to query it and they are trying to pass it off as a third party responsibility which won't really wash but I need some technical stuff to quote back at them if nothing turns up.

phill99

Sorry ignore this. In the wrong section!

booty40uk

Sounds like you've been well and truly ripped off.

Flora_Poste

Anything more helpful ?

daveyjp

Gas Safe will inspect work you think may not have been done correctly. This won't help if it was, but at least a third party will have had a look.

Having just had a new fire a flue problem was found. It was sorted for £100, but if this hadn't worked it would have been about £350 for a new flue installation.

rustyboy21

Most likely the shop doesn't employ the fitter themselves, a lot of fireplace shops use sub contractors, so that is most likely why the gas fitter had to be rung by your mum. The shop will not get any kick back from the fitter for passing his details on, I know I don't when I give cards out for chimney sweeps.


I know of some gas fitters, who are not Vat registered, as they are below the threshold, which means '' They don't see why they have to supply receipts'' ( please note the apostrophes in the last comment ! ) I don't see why as it just makes things a lot more professional and look above board. AFAIK they don't have to leave any documentation with you if the flue is condemned, only if you do not get it repaired by them straight away. They would then leave notice stickers and paperwork stating why the fire was capped off.


I wouldn't stress out too much over it, just contact him and say you want a receipt for the work done, you will then see if he is Vat reg, but I would think not


He would have done a smoke test after taking the fire out, he would have then gone outside to make sure everything was ok, which in your mums case was not. I have had the same in my house and a few weeks ago, the same in my mums. The mid feathers going, as they call it, means the mortar holding the bricks in the chimney has failed, which will let fumes spill from the chamber, through the walls or cracks into rooms adjacent. I have had this issue. When I moved into this house a fire was already fitted. A few months down the line, I went to get it replaced and it failed the smoke test. I put down the banging headaches and nausea at night down to stress at work, maybe it was the fumes.


At least the issue is sorted out now, bar the paperwork. If no paperwork is forthcoming, I would suggest getting his gas safe no off their website and contacting them to see if they can get anywhere.

Flora_Poste

Excellent, thanks for those comments. Feel quite a bit better about it now. I'll see what turns up in the post this week.

vaio

who installed the fire 18 months ago?

rustyboy21

vaio wrote: »

who installed the fire 18 months ago?

Doesn't necessarily mean that the flue was faulty then, if that is what you mean?


The bad rain we have had and the vibration from excessive wind may have caused the issues OP's mum has had

vaio

No doubt one of the RGI guys will step in soon but......

My understanding is that gas fires need a flue liner and, on a fire installed 18 months ago, one would/should have been fitted. Mid feathers is the brickwork that forms the seal between adjacent flues in a shared stack.

Assuming I'm right on those then two things leap to mind...

The first is that if there is a flue liner there then the condition of the mid feathers doesn't matter.

The second is that even if the feathers are important/needed you cant see their condition from the ground, you need to inspect the inside of the flue or seal it up and do a smoke test.

Frankly I suspect the OP's mum has been taken for a ride.

Flora_Poste

It was installed 18 months ago by a fitter supplied by the fireplace shop where she bought the fire, although not directly employed by them. When she rang to ask for a service they gave her a fitters number but it was a different bloke. But from my point of view we used the shop to make it was done properly, not just by someone from the pub or whatever, so they must have responsibility for the fitters they use.