ECO4 funding and installation issues

Huxley71

I applied for energy saving measures following a newsletter from my county council - this linked to an energy saving charity who confirmed I was eligible for ECO4 funding and referred me to an installation company.

Said company sent a surveyor to assess my house and he said the house was suitable for cavity wall insulation, motion sensors on radiators and the installation of Hive, which were subsequently booked in.

Following a minor issue I called the company expressing my concern with the survey, and informed them that I wasn't sure that all my walls were in fact cavity walls, and therefore whether the house was suitable for the insulation. They assured me that the drilling and digital imagery carried out by their surveyor confirmed the house was indeed suitable so I assumed all was well. As a caveat, I'm the least practical person in the world.

The installation team arrived on Tuesday and told me they would need to put vents in the walls of two rooms with gas fires, I hadn't been informed of this. They then proceeded to start drilling holes externally for the cavity wall insulation but have drilled right through the walls in two rooms, blistering the plaster and causing crater-like holes, they claimed that sometimes mistakes were "unavoidable" and then left with a view to returning to complete the work tomorrow.

I've been in touch with the installation company who initially said the original crew would make right the damage when they come back tomorrow. I queried how this would be feasible as they're not plasterers and obviously wouldn't be able to match the existing paint, at which point they became fairly abrupt and dismissive.

I then received a call from the Installation Manager who has assured me that their Home Improvement Team will come to rectify the damage at some point, which is unlikely to be within the next six weeks.

Meanwhile the original bodgers are due back tomorrow to install the vents. I am very reluctant to allow access given the balls up they've made so far and potential for this to be exacerbated, but whilst abnegating any responsibility for endorsing this company, my county council, town council and the energy saving charity by whom I was originally referred, have all advised that I must allow them to complete the planned works or I will lose any rights I might have to insist they make good the damage they have caused.

Apologies for the mammoth post, but I've spent the best part of the day endeavouring to resolve this and just been shunted from pillar to post. I'm not even sure whether their contract is with me or whoever's funding the work - which despite my best efforts I've yet to ascertain.

If anyone can offer any advice whatsoever on my best course of action or who's ultimately responsible here I'd massively appreciate it.

ThisIsWeird

The exterior holes for the CWI will need filling with mortar in any case, so the hole drilled by the incompetent who drilled all the way through will just be filled the same way. That does leave the skim of plaster and repaint to do inside, and this should ideally be done by a painter/decorator, so fingers crossed for that bit.
The drilling right through was clearly an error, but I may be a bit unfair on the guy... When you have a cavity, it's obvious when this is reached. It looks as tho' some of your walls are as you told them - not cavity! If it's a single-skin wall, then the guy did nothing wrong - he just drilled the same depth as normal. If it's double-solid thickness, then it would have been nice if he'd twigged that he hadn't reached the cavity, and stopped... But, we all make mistakes
I think you should allow them to get on and complete the work, and then challenge them afterwards if you are not happy with the finish.
A completely separate issue is the air vents. The surveyor presumably picked up on the fact that your setup didn't confirm to regs, and is technically unsafe. Room-fed gas fires must have a minimum air supply. Quite possibly your room is draughty enough to provide this, but the guy is presumably following 'rules'.
Depending on where these vents are fitted, an issue is likely to be that they will be ugly, on the inside and out. You can ask where they are going?
If you are concerned about this, an option may be a floor vent near the fire, but this will require a vented floor void, and most likely you to pay for it.
All you can do is ask.
Personally, I'd let the guys continue with the CWI as it'll hopefully be of great benefit to you, fix the holes, and then tackle them if not happy.

How many of your walls are not 'cavity'?

FreeBear

ThisIsWeird said: A completely separate issue is the air vents. The surveyor presumably picked up on the fact that your setup didn't confirm to regs, and is technically unsafe. Room-fed gas fires must have a minimum air supply. Quite possibly your room is draughty enough to provide this, but the guy is presumably following 'rules'.
Depending on where these vents are fitted, an issue is likely to be that they will be ugly, on the inside and out.

Depending on the age of the property and the size of the gas fire, a vent to the outside may be required. For a fire under 7KW in a pre-2008 hose, a vent probably isn't needed. For detailed information, consult the Approved Document Part J (a.k.a. Building Regs).

If you want to jump to a simple calculation without wading through the above document - https://rts.vents.co.uk/blog/regulations-gas-appliance-ventilation-in-england-wales/

Often with these ECO funded schemes, the "surveyors" and the individuals doing the work are not familiar with the details of the Building Regs. They'll get briefed that air vents are needed for gas fires and conveniently ignore the fact that the requirement is linked to the fire rating. It is the same when having new windows installed - "You must have trickle vents" is the standard line, yet the regs just state "background ventilation" which can be achieved in a number of different ways.

If these 'erberts are adamant that vents must be installed regardless of what the regs actually say, do what a number of people have done with trickle vents. Grab a can of expanding foam from Screwfix, and fill the hole. Just make sure you have a Carbon Monoxide alarm (that is CO, not CO2) in each room that has a gas (or any other) fire.

Albermarle

Depending on the age of the property and the size of the gas fire, a vent to the outside may be required. For a fire under 7KW in a pre-2008 hose, a vent probably isn't needed

When we first moved in this house many years ago there was a gas fire ( coal effect type) in the room and an ugly vent in the floor.

When we had a new gas fire the fitter said a vent was not needed and we have since carpeted over it ( and installed a CO monitor)

Ganga

How will they know that the house is NOT double wall type with a cavity , when the living room fills up with foam or polystyrene balls 

Huxley71

Thanks everyone, they came and completed the work yesterday and to be fair were very apologetic about the holes!
They've fitted the vents, which are indeed ugly, but thankfully they're pretty inconspicuous as they're both behind furniture and the house is still standing! I feel I may have my work cut out in getting them to come and sort out the damage internally but we shall see.

ThisIsWeird

Thanks for the update.
Hopefully you will feel the benefit of the improved insulation.

Chickereeeee

I had 3 companies come and survey for cavity wall insulation. Two of the the three said I needed an air vent for my fuel-effect gas fire (<7kw). I knew I didn't. I argued with the one I wanted to go with via email, and they eventually said I was correct.

Come installation day, installers said "Right where do you want your air vent?" Argument ensued. They said they had been triained , and knew what they were talking about. I said they had got it wrong.They said they could not proceed without doing the air vent. I said, OK, fine off you go. 

Eventually, they phoned the guy who gave the training course. He was busy training, but would phone back. Half an hour later, installers got a call. Long conversations, and muttering.  

Eventually, they came back. "OK, we'll do it, and sort it out when we get back to the office"

I do wonder how many draughty air vents installers have put in when not needed.

ThisIsWeird

What a bizarre obsession with venting people's homes when their job is to fit CWI.
Just weird.