New boiler: is exterior hole under new flute a problem?

FreeBear

The brick looks similar to London Stock - Go round your local building reclaim yard and pick a couple up. Measure what you already have, and make sure the replacement is the same size. When the hole is filled, a lime mortar without any cement added should be used. Don't let them use expanding foam to fill the gap.. Or use expanding foam to hold the bricks in place..

pred02

Bendy_House said:

Not for you to do, but that collar should pull off to allow unfettered access to the hole and surrounding area - none of which looks to have been sealed. With that collar removed, it should be a quick and easy job.

Do you have a matching brick spare? If not, I'd first check the person who'll do this - plumber or brickie - can get one. I guess there's a range of colours on these bricks, so perhaps a brick 'face' can be made up with mortar, and then coloured to 'match'?

Who did the boiler install, and wasn't 'making good' part of it?

I did find the brick that he dug out to get the new flue in I suppose it can be reused and mortared in.

Gas plumber from MyBuilder - had no choices my wife delivered 5 days ago and old boiler gave out. He is not returning my calls. I have until next Tuesday to sort the problem out then I am away for 5 weeks. Should I try to get another builder to seal it or do a DIY interim solution. 



Running out of options.

Thanks

Bendy_House

pred02 said:

I did find the brick that he dug out to get the new flue in I suppose it can be reused and mortared in.

Gas plumber from MyBuilder - had no choices my wife delivered 5 days ago and old boiler gave out. He is not returning my calls. I have until next Tuesday to sort the problem out then I am away for 5 weeks. Should I try to get another builder to seal it or do a DIY interim solution. 



Running out of options.

Thanks

Well done - that'll do!

I don't actually know what responsibility a plumber - boiler installer - has to make good the work afterwards, but they should have discussed it with you so you know. For example, I wouldn't expect a plumber to, say, refit a kitchen wall cabinet over a new boiler, but I would expect them to make it clear if they couldn't do it, and ideally be able to suggest a colleague who can. The same applies to making good outside - I wouldn't necessarily want a plumber to make good that hole, unless they assured me they could do it to a good standard, but I would expect to know it wouldn't be done, so could either make my own arrangements, or else take on his recommendation for this job.

If you have concerns about water or even CO getting in, then a few strips of duct tape straight over the hole and pressed right onto the facing brick surface so it binds well should do the trick. That'll give you time to resolve it properly.

I think you'd need to clarify just what you paid this person for - literally to just replace the boiler, or to leave the job in a fully completed state, which it currently is not.

I hope there's a plumber on here who can clarify what your expectation should be, but I'd repeat - they should have made it clear what is and is not covered.

So, tape will cover it for the time being until you know who needs to sort it. If it appears that the plumber should have finished this job, then you give them a texted ultimatum - fix it by the Xth, or else you'll get someone else to do it and send him the bill. If he doesn't pay, you'll MoneyClaim.org him. And you'll leave a frank and honest review on the site you found him - complete with photo.

Do you have Legal Protection on your house insurance? If so, call them up tomorrow and ask for their guidance.

There could even be an 'innocent' explanation, like he's fitting a few boilers in the area and will then come back with a bucket of mortar and make good a few in succession. But he should obviously have let you know. And I doubt it's that anyway :-)

NSG666

had no choices my wife delivered 5 days ago and old boiler gave out.

It's a bit mean calling her that and I hope she recovers soon.

It should have been done by the plumber so you can leave him a bad report on Checkahammer if he's not returning your calls. It might also be worth querying it with the Gas Safe Register as they might take a dim view of him leaving it like that assuming he's registered and will be even more interested if he not.

Is it really going to be worth pursuing him for costs? Probably not.

It's a handyman job, the brick is very useful. Ask around your friends and neighbours for a recommendation or join a local Facebook group to ask for one. The biggest difficulty you will have is that the job is so small they won't want to come and look at it. You might have to settle for sending them a photo and getting them to give you an estimate (quote if you are lucky) that way or offer them it as a cash job. Failing that have you got a ladder and any good at DIY?

Another_Level

The new boiler is working supplying plenty of hot water and heating if needed, great stuff mission accomplished 

Externally the flue needs some completion, for some reason the installer has extended the white section of the telescopic flue pipe further than needed. The black rubber cover up ring sits on the black part of terminal. There different diameters so maybe the cover up ring looks adapted to fit 

Its probably a ladder job but looking at the photos i would remove the black rubber cover up ring and use traditional building products ie part of a brick and ready mixed mortar. Pushing the mortar all around  the flues circumference  to make that apperature water tight.

 Hopefully the inside flue aperture has some sort of seal off, boilers