Next Door Neighbours new boiler

moneyistooshorttomention

I'm wondering if the OP needs to officially tell the neighbour (ie in writing - proof kept) that they've created a problem in order to protect themselves legally if a problem comes up from this at any point.

I've got the phrase "contributory negligence" in mind here if the OP just let the neighbour get away with this - without having some proof they can provide that they've told the neighbour to "deal with this".

I'm thinking of things like any insurance claim ever that is caused by the neighbours actions on this.

Ant555

silverchoice wrote: »

I've just spoken to Gas Safe who aren't interested because it's not a safety issue. I asked them if they would inspect it and they told me only the neighbour can ask for an inspection. He told me they shouldn't have installed the condensate soak away in my drive and have advised me to seek legal advice.

The advice on the gas safe website confirms that they will not be interested unless its unsafe but suggests queries about the flue should be directed to your council/local authority.

https://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/media/2461/chimney-flue-disputes.pdf

Hope this helps

Aylesbury_Duck

silverchoice wrote: »

I've just spoken to Gas Safe who aren't interested because it's not a safety issue. I asked them if they would inspect it and they told me only the neighbour can ask for an inspection. He told me they shouldn't have installed the condensate soak away in my drive and have advised me to seek legal advice.

Stop dancing around the issue and go and see your neighbour. I understand that you don't want to antagonise him but whether you tell him directly or "grass" on him to Gas Safe or the local authority, you are going to have to deal with him at some point. At least this way the installation is recent and he should be able to get the installer back to relocate everything which will be much easier than a second installer having to undo it all.

Call round, say that you've noticed that the soakaway and flue are installed on and over your land and that it is not acceptable. No doubt he will huff and puff and refuse to do anything, at which point you say that he has left you with no choice but to contact the local authority. Then walk away and do just that.

AndyMc.....

Aylesbury_Duck wrote: »

Stop dancing around the issue and go and see your neighbour. I understand that you don't want to antagonise him but whether you tell him directly or "grass" on him to Gas Safe or the local authority, you are going to have to deal with him at some point. At least this way the installation is recent and he should be able to get the installer back to relocate everything which will be much easier than a second installer having to undo it all.

Call round, say that you've noticed that the soakaway and flue are installed on and over your land and that it is not acceptable. No doubt he will huff and puff and refuse to do anything, at which point you say that he has left you with no choice but to contact the local authority. Then walk away and do just that.

Will Building Control be anymore interested?

I know it’s not to regs but it’s more a trespass than a danger.

silverchoice

Ant555 wrote: »

The advice on the gas safe website confirms that they will not be interested unless its unsafe but suggests queries about the flue should be directed to your council/local authority.

https://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/media/2461/chimney-flue-disputes.pdf

Hope this helps

Funny you should say that. I emailed building control at my local council and this is what they replied:

“A new gas boiler should be installed by a contractor who is part of the Gas Safe self-certification scheme. The contractor must supply your neighbour with a Gas Safe Certificate and log the work with Gas Safe, further information can be found at https://www.gassaferegister.co.uk .
Guidance can be found on positioning of flues in Approved Document J of the Building Regulations https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200135/approved_documents/72/part_j_-_combustion_appliances_and_fuel_storage_systems .

With regard to your concerns of trespass this is a civil matter between you and your neighbour, however your neighbour should have informed you of any work on the boundary or party wall, I have attached a copy of the Party Wall Act for your information.

I hope all this information is useful.”

Aylesbury_Duck

So you haven't actually spoken to the neighbour yet.

Gas Safe evidently aren't interested because it's not unsafe. AndyMc's point about building control seems to be correct and they're not bothered either. That leaves you to bring it up directly with the neighbour backed by what looks to be your last reinforcement which is a solicitor's letter to demand it's moved.

You can email all and sundry as much as you want and spend time looking up building regs and gas rules and taking opinions on here but you're just wasting time and not getting anywhere. If you'd rather avoid the confrontation and have no plans to do anything in the area concerned, just leave it and address it if it ever becomes a real problem.

silverchoice

Aylesbury_Duck wrote: »

Stop dancing around the issue and go and see your neighbour. I understand that you don't want to antagonise him but whether you tell him directly or "grass" on him to Gas Safe or the local authority, you are going to have to deal with him at some point. At least this way the installation is recent and he should be able to get the installer back to relocate everything which will be much easier than a second installer having to undo it all.

Call round, say that you've noticed that the soakaway and flue are installed on and over your land and that it is not acceptable. No doubt he will huff and puff and refuse to do anything, at which point you say that he has left you with no choice but to contact the local authority. Then walk away and do just that.

I have contacted my council and gas safe are neither are bothered even though gas safe said what they had done was wrong.

Alex1983

I'm surprised but not surprised by gas safe, they can be a complete waste of time at times but I've been involved in 2 of these recently and heard of quite a few stories from friends of similar when gas safe have made the installer move it.

Don't know where to go from here apart from ring gas safe again and speak to a different person, it's not fitted correctly and gas safe have said this so how they can say there's nothing they can do is strange, it's a brand new install that has to be signed off which is not possible as it's fitted incorrectly. I can only see gas safe being powerless if it's a non registered installer.

AndyMc.....

Alex1983 wrote: »

I'm surprised but not surprised by gas safe, they can be a complete waste of time at times but I've been involved in 2 of these recently and heard of quite a few stories from friends of similar when gas safe have made the installer move it.

Don't know where to go from here apart from ring gas safe again and speak to a different person, it's not fitted correctly and gas safe have said this so how they can say there's nothing they can do is strange, it's a brand new install that has to be signed off which is not possible as it's fitted incorrectly. I can only see gas safe being powerless if it's a non registered installer.

Do you actually know anything about gas safe and boiler installations?

Ruski

AndyMc..... wrote: »

Do you actually know anything about gas safe and boiler installations?

Yeah, he's a Central Heating Engineer......

My CHE has also had this exact issue - the customers flue crosses the boundary wall - he's got to advise to reroute via a snorkel or through the roof in this case... (not his original work)

HTH

Russ