At risk situation, what would you have done?

[samwilko]

A landlord who's properties I look after asked me to go and do a landlord check and service on a vokera compact 29he in a property she is buying with a sitting tenant. The current owner has always had his landlord checks done so I was told it should be fine.
i got there to find a 15mm gas supply delivering 14.5mbar inlet pressure at boiler, 21 at the meter. A vertical flue with two extensions two 45 and the terminal secured by some loose strap band half way up and boxes of Christmas decs piled up against it. The pressure relief dropped via tundish into a basin trap then straight into the soil stack. The tenant refills trap with a bottle of water once a month to stop the smell coming up. It's also mounted straight onto ply, which I know is ok in some instances but these boiler instructions specifically state if it's mounted on combustible surface it must have fireproof board on it.
The existing owners gas engineer was only there Friday to carry out a repair on it. I looked at his previous landlord check and it says gas pipe work under size. Surely at 14.5mbar you would AR it?
My report is the only thing they were waiting for to complete the sale so I know for a fact I'm going to get a load of phone calls tomorrow.
i ve AR'd it for inadequate flue supports and 14.5 Mbar inlet pressure. NCS for the lash up on the pressure relief valve.
The combustion analysis results were fine, can't remember what they were, it's in the van but they were ok.
I hate to drop the previous engineer in it but this should surely have been acted on before? I'm not sure how old it is but the benchmark isn't filled out either.
The previous engineer who was doing landlord checks on the property isn t necessarily the boilers installer. Others is no record who fitted it at all.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

any other appliances there?i would have AR`d it as well

 

[samwilko]

No the combi is the only appliance. There used to be a gas cooker but that s been capped and replaced with electric.

 

[Nostrum]

AR for the flue if it was likely to come apart, only NCS for the low inlet pressure. There's no real risk unless, as gasman stated, it was having an effect on a cooker with no FSD, which could go out and carry on letting by unlit gas.

If the flue is solid, but not supported to the requirements then I NCS it.

 

[arran197]

Flue is a definite at risk. Any flue sections not supported by rigid support is now at risk. In the absence of manufacture instructions it's every 1.8m and after every change in direction for condensing appliances.

The low inlet pressure is ncs provided it passes all other tests.

I'd replace the tundish with a sealed clear plastic version to stop the smell.

 

[Nostrum]

Any flue sections not supported by rigid support is now at risk.

Wheres this documented please Arran?

I've heard this said before but that means if you have a flue in loft coming up from boiler, 1 mtr section off boiler, 45, short section of flue, 45, terminal length you need 3 supports for what is probably less than 2.5mtrs of flue run, ridiculous.

Also, there is a contradiction as most flue lengths are 1 mtr, so how can you space supports 1.8 mtrs if every length needs a support?

 

[arran197]

When I say sections, I mean lengths of flue, not individual flue sections. And you are right, ridiculous I know, but in your example you would need 3 clips.

 

[Nostrum]

Do you know where this is documented?

I've heard lots of variations of the requirements, including a most from HAs who make it up as they go along. I just use common sense, if it can come apart, it's AR, if not its NCS. That said, if I get a definitive specification, I'll use that!

 

[arran197]

I haven't got anything where it is written down, but they've been changing the regs on flues so often over the last few years that it's difficult to keep up.

According to my supervisor and our auditing team, any flue section needs to be clipped after change of direction and every 1m. Although the last time it was 1.8m. I think your competent judgement comes in to it at the end of the day. But as a guide, I'd fit a flue clip to.every section on a condensing appliance. We mainly have Baxi Duo Tec on patch and we all know that it states in the instructions that every 1m needs support and after change in direction.

 

[mikeyc]

Did it gas rate and PT ok? I would of put NCS for inlet pressure is yes. And as said definate AR for flue