Boiler placement-no building reg cert

Bai-Lee

Hi,

We are looking to buy a home and have come across come stumbling blocks.

The seller is saying they don't know when the boiler was installed and it has an external flue.
I know that if it was installed in the last 10 years it would need to been done by a registered gas safe tradesmen and have a certificate which would be provided by them. It would also have be notified to eh council

The council have no record neither do Corgi.

From speaking with the gas safe people they say we need to ask the council.
The council say we don't know about it and as we aren't gas tradesmen we can't say its placement is fine.

The seller has a maintenance cert that says its working fine but, hes giving us the run around on a load of different issues and I don't trust them. If he said it was installed on this date then I would feel more comfortable...
HELP!

Should we get a gas safe engineer to check it our behalf?
The problem I have is that if we buy the house and the boiler packs in and we get told to move it as its not safely placed on the wall then we foot the bill as we would take ownership once completed.

I jut want someone to give me some help, its our first house and its becoming a nightmare.

G_M

Is this really such a big deal?

The seller has a maintenance cert that says its working fine

If it works fine, and has not been condemned as dangerous by the GasSage engineer who inspected then stop worrying.

Hyperthetically, assuming it had been installed pre-regulations regarding external flue, it would comply. You'd just deal with any upgrade as and when needed, just as is true about the electrics, depth of foundations, insulation or any other change you make in the future where the original standard differs from the current standard.

People ge far too hung up on this stuff!

Bai-Lee

Given this is our first home and I dont know I thing about gas I wanted some advice. We didn't get that from the council, gas safe register or solitors so yes I came here.
I may get hung up on its but its our first big investment and I want to make sure its safe.

The seller has messed us about with price, water, paper work etc and I have no trust in him that the boiler isn't under 10 years old and he didn't register it so thats my main worry. That its Installed but not properly.... I get your point on its got a cert though so thank you. Everyone else has said ts not good enough or nothing else at all.

C_Mababejive

Get it inspected if you wish. They must know who installed it? I could fit my own boiler but i couldnt certify it.

Doozergirl

A certificate isn't going to help when it packs in the day after you move in.

Yes, get it tested! Regardless of where it's installed.

G_M

Bai-Lee wrote: »

....
I may get hung up on its but its our first big investment and I want to make sure its safe.

The only way to know if it is safe today is to get it tested.

But you know it was safe on the date of the last service or the engineer would have condemned it and noted this on the service/inspection report. I asume you have been given/offered a copy of the most recent service report? That has much greater relevance than a document that is 5, 10 or 15 years old.

MisterB1959

when it is certified as being safe by a gas safe registered person, they will have checked the flue etc is correctly working.


if it had been installed and registered under building regs and NEVER tested since that date then I would be a little bit more concerned, but the recent gas safe cert tells you that everything is as it should be, the building reg cert would only have applied at the time of installation, so the installation may NOW be unsafe, blocked flue etc


I understand why you might be feeling a little wary, but given a choice between the two, I would take the recent gas safe cert without any hesitation

oldbaldman

G_M wrote: »

Is this really such a big deal?

If it works fine, and has not been condemned as dangerous by the GasSage engineer who inspected then stop worrying.

Hyperthetically, assuming it had been installed pre-regulations regarding external flue, it would comply. You'd just deal with any upgrade as and when needed, just as is true about the electrics, depth of foundations, insulation or any other change you make in the future where the original standard differs from the current standard.

People ge far too hung up on this stuff!

G_M you appear to be making a number of assumptions about this scenario, not the best approach in my view. Always better to have the facts, and if they are not presented, seek to obtain facts before dishing out advice which may cost a person money or more!

There is as yet no evidence presented here to suggest that the appliance was or has been inspected by a Gas Safe registered engineer. There is mention of a "maintenance certificate", but no clarification on what this document is or who it was completed by and signed off by, if anyone, or what their qualifications are.

OP - you are right to enquire about the relevance of the boiler safety issue in my view.

Is there a boiler model number that you can obtain that may enable you to date the boiler date made to assist identifying installation date?

Is there a mark on the boiler anywhere that might show when it was installed?

I understand that some vendors may refuse to give installation dates to avoid helping you determine when the appliance was installed. Be suspicious of these vendors, I would be.

You might consider the cost of installing a new compliant boiler against the total cost of the property and in the long term the purchase my be worth going for? Or it may not?

obm

MisterB1959

mr oldbaldman - it has a maintenance certificate, no one is allowed to test gas appliances unless they are gas safe registered, no gas safe registered person would issue or enter on a record that the appliance is working correctly without being sure it was. a gas safe cert does look rather like a maintenance sheet, with various tick boxes - so long as its signed and filled in correctly then it can be checked it is valid quite easily

oldbaldman

MisterB1959 wrote: »

mr oldbaldman - it has a maintenance certificate, no one is allowed to test gas appliances unless they are gas safe registered, no gas safe registered person would issue or enter on a record that the appliance is working correctly without being sure it was. a gas safe cert does look rather like a maintenance sheet, with various tick boxes - so long as its signed and filled in correctly then it can be checked it is valid quite easily

MisterB1959 - your apparent trust and faith that no one will do what they should, not do is charming. You make a number of assumptions about this scenario, and that is not ideal.

Without specific detailed information about the certificate and the GSR name and number of the engineer you can not be certaion, the OP can not be certain that the appliance is safe or that it was tested by a GSR engineer.

If it were me I would ask for a copy of the paperwork, the name and number of the supposed GSE that tested the appliance and call the GS Register it ensure that the person was registered and legally entitled to carry out these works.

But I am cautious and value my health. Others may take a risk that I would not.

obm

Hoploz

G_M is talking good sense as usual.

Assuming this maintenance certificate is showing it has been inspected or serviced by a gas safe engineer then it was ok on that date. (a bit like a car MOT)

You can ask them to provide a new certificate which they may or may not do, but if you don't trust them then arrange your own inspection. It'd only cost about £70 or thereabouts. That would be far more use than an ancient installation certificate. (a bit like a certificate saying the car was good to drive when it was first in the showroom)