Boiler installer left old flue hole open

Section62

sheenas said:

Wow that is one dangerous install. The new flue is not sealed nor the old flue, both could allow Co2 into the house. Further the flue is less than 600mm from the window you have open? I would immediately get a Co2 meter if one was not provided and get this fixed. 

CO, rather than CO2.

Section62

WIAWSNB said:

How high is it? How easy to get to?

"...in a 2nd floor flat..."

So (safe) access to the outside is likely to be an issue, which is probably why the installer has done what they have.

starving_artist

Seal this asap.  Similar situation - pigeons found it was ideal and evicting them turned in to a prolonged and annoying saga.  They still hang around looking wistful - amazing how long their memories are.

Pagw

Thanks for all the replies. No I've not paid them yet. I'm not able to measure the distance between the flue and the window as the flue is hidden from the inside. There is a CO meter already. I'm not sure whether any of the other pipes lower down are new (I don't have previous photos of that wall, and hadn't thought about the pipes before). 

Thanks for pointing out the issue of the new flue not being sealed too.

Is it a requirement with any new gas boiler installation (including replacements at the same position) that the condensate pipe goes into a drain?

Would I likely have good legal grounds to expect the installers to correct these issues? If the new flue ought to have been sealed and/or the condensate pipe attached to a drain, then it sounds like their job is currently not completed. For filling the old flue hole, I've read that that may come under "making good" the area afterwards - this wasn't explicitly discussed beforehand and isn't in the quote (I presumed they would clean up after themselves inside, and since I wasn't expecting them to move the flue, the issue of filling in the previous flue hadn't come to mind!).

If filling in the hole weren't covered as part of the installation, it seems like they have in effect damaged the freeholder's wall - I wonder would this generally mean that the freeholder could pursue the installers for the costs of filling in the hole? (I realise that the details of my lease may complicate things - but I just wonder what would generally be the case.)

eddddy

Pagw said:

If filling in the hole weren't covered as part of the installation, it seems like they have in effect damaged the freeholder's wall - I wonder would this generally mean that the freeholder could pursue the installers for the costs of filling in the hole? (I realise that the details of my lease may complicate things - but I just wonder what would generally be the case.)

So a hole has been cut in the freeholder's wall without the freeholder's consent. That might be a bit of a tricky situation.

If the boiler company (i.e. your contractor) cut the hole following your instructions, it's likely that you've breached your lease. 

You could ask the freeholder for consent to cut a hole in their wall, but they probably have the right to charge you a premium (i.e. a chunk of money) for letting you do it.  (Arguably, they might be allowed to refuse consent.)

A zealous freeholder might also impose conditions - for example, the freeholder's surveyor has to inspect the new hole, seals, etc to make sure everything is done properly. And you would then have to pay the surveyor's fees, etc.

But on the other hand, some freeholders might not care very much and turn a blind eye to the whole thing.

(But when you sell the flat, a super-keen surveyor / solicitor might ask about freeholder consent for cutting the hole.)



BUT...

...you're saying that your contractor wasn't following your instructions  when they cut the hole.  So the contractor decided to cut a hole in somebody's wall without the wall owner's consent.

In that case, the freeholder can almost certainly tell the contractor to re-instate the wall back to what it was - unless you (as the leaseholder) get permission from the freeholder, and, for example, pay the fees and the premium etc.


The above considerations also apply to filling in the old hole.


So you need to decide how to play this - and be careful about agreeing with the contractor that the new hole can stay (and the old hole can be filled in), as that might put you in breach of your lease.

plumb1_2

Get them back to do the remedial work, don’t pay until it’s resolved 
if they refuse speak to gas safe, You also need the benchmark doing and building control cert, issued by gas safe after the installation has been registered.

And from multiple past experiences gas engineers use a catapult to brick up.

Pagw

Thanks. They did come back and fill the hole after I spoke to them.

See here for a follow up query:https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6646674/retrospective-licence-to-alter-process/