Gas/Oil Flue Differences?

[colinj]

Morning,

I need to replace my flue as it has suffered some damage from a over enthusiastic digger driver with a rogue bucket 😡

I am a relatively competent diy'er, so thought this would be a doddle...

I have a condensing oil boiler with a horizontal flue at 80/125mm.
First port of call was Worcester Bosch who gave me a part number and I found the flue available online for ~£160
Thought that was a bit steep for a short length of metal so I looked around the net.
After a bit of googling, I found a suitably sized flue at my local Screwfix for ~30 quid and thought - job done.

However, it transpires that the £30 flue is for a gas boiler and the £160 one states that it is for oil boilers.
I have since seen this price differential between flues for the 2 types of fuel on many other websites.

So, my question is: If the flue dimensions are identical for gas and oil, what is the differences between a gas flue and an oil flue?

 

[SimonG]

Different temps.

If it was the digger driver then cost is irrelevant as surely they would be paying!!

And no type of diyer should be playing with a combustion appliances flue.
Do you have all the necessary gear to check the combustion once you have finished playing?

 

[colinj]

Different temps.

If it was the digger driver then cost is irrelevant as surely they would be paying!!

And no type of diyer should be playing with a combustion appliances flue.
Do you have all the necessary gear to check the combustion once you have finished playing?

Thank you Simon.
The driver is a relative and will be paying, but just trying to minimise the cost for him.

I certainly wouldn't attempt anything like installing a boiler.
In this instance I was just hoping to change a flue with no alteration to the combustion process and therefore no requirement to check combustion as nothing else would be changed.

 

[Chuck]

The driver is a relative and will be paying, but just trying to minimise the cost for him.

Then pay all or part of the bill yourself.

In this instance I was just hoping to change a flue with no alteration to the combustion process and therefore no requirement to check combustion as nothing else would be changed.

get a qualified professional to make the repair and check the finished result is safe.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

You need to make sure the seals on the new flue are ok and not leaking also I would want it checking for piece of mind just encase he’s done more damage eg water / crud into the burner chamber etc

 

[Knappers]

I've been a heating engineer for over 15years and would probably be more cautious replacing a flue than fitting a whole new boiler.
There is little that we do that is massively complicated or difficult but I'm sometimes reminded of all the little things I'm looking for and checking almost instinctively that your just not going to be aware of.

PLEASE get a gas man in to do this job!