At Risk Boiler passed as OK by Home Service Contractor.

[Agile]

Went to see a boiler near home last evening.

It was only installed about 6 months ago and has been inspected by "Home Service", one of the insurance based maintenance firms. They passed the installation as OK for their cover.

I found that the flue was wrongly assembled and I issued an At Risk Notice as that fault can cause the boiler to explode. ( Inner part pushed in from the outside so its not locked in place. ) We dont know who fitted the boiler, probably builders!

What else, if anything, would any other competent person do to report or complain about this gas safety omission by the Home Service Contractor?

Tony

 

[weareleeds]

Fill out a riddor let corgi investigate

 

[Agile]

Not that easy!

Firstly, its the HSE who investigates Riddors!

Secondly, their notes make it clear between the lines that they dont really want lots of forms if the person concerned is not identifyable.

I have no idea who fitted it or who came for Home Services!

Tony

Edit: can anyone email me the Contractor's telephone number for them? Isn't this the firm who have another company who deal with callouts?

 

[corgiman]

Ring them and let them know tony

our firm does quite a but of work for them and they have always been mad up for the safety aspect, I have been audited myself by them everyyear, more than CORGI.

 

[bripl]

you may not know the engineers name but you have the company details riddor it, the sooner the merchant bankers of this industry are highlighted the better.let the cust scream blue murder at the company and corgi

 

[ollski]

Why not get the customer to ring the original installer to come and rectify it as its only 6 months old?

 

[lorraine]

what exactly do you mean by the inner part pushed in place fron the outside?

if its 60/100 or 80/125 flue, you are supposed to push the assembly out from inside and then seal it with the provided rubber/plastic flue seal covers. Unless vaillants instructions are different.

I went to an install last week where some numpty corgi cowboy had installed a condensing boiler with a flue that was lower than the exit. ie boiler exit at 2.0m above ground, actual flue terminating at 1.8m above ground. (it was a concentric flue)

 

[Agile]

Ollski, I dont think that you have assimilated this situation.

The property was renovated by a property developer using the usual builder who presumably employed an east European plumber. Not being CORGI registered and not having 10 minutes to spare he did not fill in the Benchmark to incriminate himself so we dont know who he was and I dont think he will be keen to identify himself in any case.

The purchasor has no idea who did what.

Of course because it was a bit cheaper its a non condensing boiler.

Sorry Lorraine, I dont really understand what you are trying to say and Vaillant are not the only boiler manufacturer either.

Tony

 

[meldrew's_mate]

If you can get the builder's details from the homeowner it might be best to approach Building Control (assuming it wasn't registered either). They seem to have more interest in this kind of installation than CORGI, and certainly have more teeth, but you have to do all the legwork and make it easy for them to trace the cowboy.

 

[Agile]

One foot in the grave?

The developer renovated the property and then sold it to the purchasor who by a lucks stroke of coincidence also happens to be the current owner.

The developer was certainly not going to give details of the dogey builders and unregistered east European plumbers whom illegally installed a non-condensing boiler dangerously.

All that anyone knows is the name of the developer/vendor and he is keeping quiet!

Tony

 

[gazthepottertonengineer]

Home service bought out servo-warm a few years back so it would have been one of there engineers who would have come out they are based in high wycombe

 

[lorraine]

I didn't understand how you could leave a boiler in a situation where it could blow up by incorrectly installing the flue?!? the flue just pushes on to the turret and I didn't see how you could do anythign wrong!

 

[kevplumb]

All that anyone knows is the name of the developer/vendor and he is keeping quiet!

amazing how they all get amnesia when the sticky smelly stuff starts flying

 

[Agile]

To Lorraine, I did not leave the boiler working. I issued a warning notice and advised them that it was dangerous and should not be used!

Remember we are discussing a conventional boiler NOT a condensing model.

Most flues are designed to have the inner pushed into the outer from the INSIDE. There is a locking ring which then prevents the inner from moving outwards.

When its pushed in from the outside the locking ring is inoperative and the inner part can fall outwards.

If this happens then the gas/air mixture will recirculate within the boiler until it reaches the minimum EL and then the whole boiler full of mixture can explode and blow the casing open.

Thats not something that you want to be attributable to you if you fitted or even just inspected the boiler for an LSC or on behalf of Home Service as in this case.

Tony Glazier

 

[lor]

i have had this happpen to me . i was looking through the sight glass at the time . it blew the case off. i was deaf for a week. guy on the roof by the flue was v lucky to be unhurt. 3 storeys up!

cannot say i fully understand why, unless the mixture doesnt light initially.but why would it not light ,it has air ?