Our combi boiler underwent its yearly check a few weeks ago and the engineer who did it said that the overflow pipe and flue needed replacing but it wasn't something he could do. The question is: how does do that? Is it a plumber job? And how expensive are we talking?
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[Help] Gas boiler advice needed
- Thread starter Gwylan
- Start date
Justice
Dangerous Idiot
5 minute job init
- Jul 17, 2003
- 21,147
Is this a Yoda type question?
- Thread starter
- #5
Who does that?
I'm confused because when I do a search to get it fixed, I get a list of gas heating engineers but we had one of those from the company and he expressly said that he wasn't qualified. That's why I'm trying to find out who is
- Feb 22, 2014
- 3,052
The engineer who said it needed replacing says he can't do the work? That sounds weird to me.
- Jul 10, 2003
- 29,484
If you've posted this in the hope of getting a slam dunk reply about plumbers extended lunchtimes and early Friday finishes, you're certainly not getting it from me
When I get home I can pm you a number of a boiler engineer if you're Brighton based.
- Thread starter
- #8
But this is what's confusing me. The boiler engineer says he's not qualified to fix it and the plumber we use says she's not qualifed. So who do we use? I think I'll ring up the boiler company and ask themIf you've posted this in the hope of getting a slam dunk reply about plumbers extended lunchtimes and early Friday finishes, you're certainly not getting it from me
When I get home I can pm you a number of a boiler engineer if you're Brighton based.
Justice
Dangerous Idiot
Something doesn’t sound right there re the boiler engineer
It's certainly a job for a Gas Safe certified engineer.
If your flue is high up, it may require scaffolding in place to change - it may just be the case that your particular engineer doesn't fancy the faff of all that. It's a lot easier to just service a boiler and let someone else deal with that bit.
If your flue is high up, it may require scaffolding in place to change - it may just be the case that your particular engineer doesn't fancy the faff of all that. It's a lot easier to just service a boiler and let someone else deal with that bit.
My guess is the boiler engineer just likes doing services and maybe boiler breakdowns, he will definitely need to be Qualified and Gas Safe Registered.
He may not want to change flue pipes etc, I’m not sure why he’s said he’s not qualified.
happypig
Staring at the rude boys
Me and Kenny will do it. On the downside we're not qualified either but on the upside we're cheap and live outside the blast radius.
There's going to be a lot of these. Building regs on flues were changed a few years back and a lot of existing flues don't meet them and will get failed. Ours got "failed" a couple of years ago and we were left with a note suggesting we don't use the boiler. Following year the same, but with a somewhat more forceful suggestion (but still a shoulder-shrug of "but we can't stop you and it's been fine for years"). Nevertheless, and given the boiler itself was 30 years old and not very efficient, we decided to solve the flue problem by replacing the entire boiler with a modern efficient system boiler.
Oops. Turns out system boilers will help you detect if there's a leak in you pipework somewhere ... because they run under pressure and don't like it if the pressure drops too low. We have a leak. No idea where it is yet. No idea who can help us find it either. For now, being summer, it'll be nigh on impossible to find anyway (and the pressure is stable enough we've not had to top up since end of April). But we just know, come winter, it'll be back to topping up once a week until we can figure out where the leak is and get someone in to fix at great expense (given it's almost certainly under the downstairs flooring somewhere, as upstairs we would have seen water damage in a ceiling by now).
Oops. Turns out system boilers will help you detect if there's a leak in you pipework somewhere ... because they run under pressure and don't like it if the pressure drops too low. We have a leak. No idea where it is yet. No idea who can help us find it either. For now, being summer, it'll be nigh on impossible to find anyway (and the pressure is stable enough we've not had to top up since end of April). But we just know, come winter, it'll be back to topping up once a week until we can figure out where the leak is and get someone in to fix at great expense (given it's almost certainly under the downstairs flooring somewhere, as upstairs we would have seen water damage in a ceiling by now).
Leak Sealer F4 500ml - Fernox UK
Leak Sealer F4 is a internal leak sealer developed for use throughout a central heating system to seal small, inaccessible leaks and weeps which may cause pressure loss and boiler breakdown. Once dispersed within the system, the product finds the area of oxygen ingress and forms a polymer to...
fernox.com
Difficult to find if you have solid floors downstairs, also if you have floorboards throughout the ground floor but have good quality floor covering.
I would try the Fernox leak sealer, can be added to a heated towel rail if you have one, can be added to a radiator but you will need an adapter.
Justice
Dangerous Idiot
Maybe he’s not
Our boiler is getting on a bit - the condenser pipe runs out into our gutter, and the flue through the roof in the loft.
We had a quote for putting a new one. It wasn't too bad, until they said 'condenser can't go into the gutter any more mate - we'll have to run a whole new pipe all the way along the back of the house and down to the drain (the same drain that the gutter runs into)' - then followed this up with 'and the flue will have to be moved (ie: new holes in the roof' as it's too near a wall'.
When I asked why - it was difficult to get an answer other than 'regulations, mate'.
Seems that it met all the regs when installed, and they've all changed. But no-one can explain to me quite why they have changed, or what the reason for the new requirements are!
We had a quote for putting a new one. It wasn't too bad, until they said 'condenser can't go into the gutter any more mate - we'll have to run a whole new pipe all the way along the back of the house and down to the drain (the same drain that the gutter runs into)' - then followed this up with 'and the flue will have to be moved (ie: new holes in the roof' as it's too near a wall'.
When I asked why - it was difficult to get an answer other than 'regulations, mate'.
Seems that it met all the regs when installed, and they've all changed. But no-one can explain to me quite why they have changed, or what the reason for the new requirements are!
Want to put up some pics of your flue and 'condensate pipe'..?
Condense pipe - Regs are now it should be in large bore to stop freezing up/insulated.
Flue - be good to see there report, as could be a few things; doesn't have enough fall, isn't supported well enough, access within a void, or more problematic, is to close to an 'opening in the fabric of the building'
And yes, he's either qualified to work on boilers (inc flues) or he's not.. and if the former, he just doesn't wan to do it/wants to upsell a new boiler..
beorhthelm
A. Virgo, Football Genius
- Jul 21, 2003
- 36,544
the regs on flue exit position changed to for greater distance and location relative to other houses and avoid potential CO2 emissions. i'm not convinced all the regs always apply, told mines wrong position by two engineers while a dozen others didn't.
see also manufacturers recommended fixtures, which if not applied may mean maintenance insurance cover is void.
Mr Bridger
Sound of the suburbs
You need a leak detection company which is what I do. I would offer to come round but I’m based in Northamptonshire.
There is a company in Worthing called LDS who can sort it out for you. A leak trace survey to trace it would cost around £750+ vat.
It sounds like a joint cracked rather than pinhole as it’s stabilised, so it’s reactive to expansion and contraction. It will leak when the heating is on.
As @BN9 BHA has suggested put some leak sealer in. I prefer Miracle seal CT1 but Fernox works ok.
You can claim back your fees through your buildings insurance under ‘trace & access’. Usual cover is £5k possibly £10k.
This will cover tracing and accessing the leak but not the actual repair itself. It will also cover any water damage or floor damage gaining access to the leak.
I wouldn’t leave it though, if you’re going to claim on your insurance as they will ask when you first knew about the leak. You are then knowingly let water damage your property and they will refuse the claim.
If you do struggle to get someone, let me know and I’ll come down or any advice just ask away.
Yes. What I don't quite understand though is that a vertical flue has to be a certain distance away from a wall to avoid emission ingress - yet horizontal flues seem to be allowable just a few inches out from the wall. What's the difference - the emissions are closer to the wall for the horizontal flue??