Gas Safety Warning Notice on 2010 boiler

anotherday1

I've just had British Gas come round to fix a fault with my boiler. It appears they need to fit a new pump. Anyway the engineer wanted to look at my flue in the loft and he said my flue has not been installed correctly. I have dug out my paperwork and the previous owner had the boiler installed by a local Gas Safe registered installer in 2010. The installer is still in business.  

The engineer has only issued a safety warning notice and he hasn't disconnected me or anything, but should I contact the installer and ask him to put it right, or is it just the case the regulations have just changed maybe? Hence the installation was within regulations back in 2010, but it wouldn't be allowed with new installations in 2020. 

Any advice? 

Myser

Are there any further details on the warning notice?  Current regulations require the flue to be accessible.

Given that the gas supply wasn't disconnected to the boiler suggests that it's just an advisory.  Ask for more information from BG.

Hasbeen

This:
 "Hence the installation was within regulations back in 2010, but it wouldn't be allowed with new installations in 2020." 

Get it updated to current regulations if you want? Also rewire your house and put new consumer unit in to comply with current reg's. Etc Etc

Its an advisory if you want to be "safer" then get it upgraded? But that might change in a few years time? LOL

anotherday1

This is what he wrote

"flue is supported with single strap banding and is missing one flue support bracket".

The boiler is in the airing cupboard on the ground floor of a bungalow. The flue goes through the uninhabitable loft and out of the roof. The loft is not used for anything and it has no floorboards or anything. 

Do you think I should contact the installer from 2010, or just not worry about a missing bracket and single banding?

It has survived 10 years with no safety issues!

Myser

Probably not a big deal but the BG person was just commenting on how it should have been installed properly with the correct bracket in place.

You can present the report to the orignal installer with photos of the missing bracket asking whether they will come and remedy it?

anotherday1

You can present the report to the orignal installer with photos of the missing bracket asking whether they will come and remedy it?

I guess I could just send the report and a photo and see what he says. 

I'll probably leave it though, since it seems solid enough to me. I would have to sit around on a Saturday or take time off work for him to add the missing bracket and the extra banding (what ever that is). Missing one bracket suggests there are brackets. Missing all of the brackets might be different, but he didn't write that! 

Ectophile

After so many years, the installer has no obligation to fix it.  You could pay them to add extra brackets if you wish.

It would be a problem if you ever want to rent the house out.  It might be a nuisance when you well the house (one of those things that delays the sale).

southcoastrgi

Strap band has never been an acceptable way of supporting a flue 

flashg67

I had exactly the same 'discussion' after the same issue was highlighted on an installation in my house. I actually bought and fitted a band myself cheaply. From a layman's point of view regs must surely be open to interpretation - my original installation was about 6 years old and had had inspections before with nothing flagged, yet another rgi recommended a band 6 years later, and   yet 'southcoastrgi' says this isn't an acceptable support method........  

Alanp

It used to be classed as not to current standards, but this was changed to at risk, which is probably what you have been issued with , or immediately dangerous, in which case it would have had the gas disconnected and capped off ( with your permission) 

southcoastrgi

flashg67 said:

I had exactly the same 'discussion' after the same issue was highlighted on an installation in my house. I actually bought and fitted a band myself cheaply. From a layman's point of view regs must surely be open to interpretation - my original installation was about 6 years old and had had inspections before with nothing flagged, yet another rgi recommended a band 6 years later, and   yet 'southcoastrgi' says this isn't an acceptable support method........  

the point of a bracket is to stop the flue moving, strap band won't stop a flue moving in one or more directions, are there flues out there that have strap band on them, yes hundreds of thousands but it doesn't make it correct, I agree with Alanp it was NCS if it was supporting the flue (some common sense had to be used) this has been reclassified as AR, there are two flavours of AR one turns off the power to the boiler & tells you not to use it, the other one gets you a do not use sticker on the appliance & the gas is turned off to it & you are told not to use it