Urgent Plumbing advice needed from on poss boiler defects

[worriedmum]

Hi there,

I'm a worried mum of 3 little ones under 3.5yrs old and we currently rent a house through a letting agent. We have received copies of various Gas Safety Checks from British Gas and appointed Plumbers who check the boiler over periodically during tenancy. BG have issued 'Not to Current Standards' notices each visit in the past 1.5yrs and commented but thats about it?!

All have noted the following defects on the boiler and as i'm not in anyway familiar with plumbing speak, could do with some help please

1) PRV does not terminate to outside (NTS)
2) External Boiler Flue below recommended height
3) Flue Cage Required (NTS)
4) Frost Stat in wrong place (Its placed on internal garage wall about near the floor)

There is a long piece of copper pipping floating in the wall about a foot away from the bottom of the boiler, but can literally be pulled through the large hole in the wall it sits in and doesnt connect to anything? We have found large amounts of water leaking from the boiler, especially last Winter, which soaked through the contents of our storage boxes stored in the garage.

Any help would be appreciated, as the letting agents have so far failed to do any remedial repairs as per comments, other than a plumber appointed informing us i have to turn on a value to increase pressure to the boiler manually whenever it drops (which happened a lot when we used the radiators).

 

[Agile]

With the boiler in the garage none of those things are of any great significance just not entirely in accordance with the regulations.

Topping up the system is something a user has to do every few weeks/months.

Tony

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

1. PRV is a pressure relief valve. This is a safety valve to release excess pressure. Shouldn't do anything under normal cicumstances, but if it does it can release steam and/or boiling water, correct practice is to route it to discharge externally in a safe position.

2 and 3. Flue is too low, it could get hot when boiler is working. A wire cage fitted over the flue prevents hot parts from being touched.

4. Frost stat switches boiler on at low temperatures (and overrides any timed settings) to prevent the boiler and system from freezing.

None of the issues affect the safe operation of the boiler, but you'd be advised to keep the little ones away to avoid any accidents with hot parts. Sounds like a rather shoddy installation...

 

[Burnerman]

It should be worthwhile informing your landlord about your concerns, but as has been said above, there's nothing really interfering with your boiler.....apart from the fact that once the pressure relief valve has opened (and discharged the boiler water onto your personal items in the garage) that these things often don't like to fully shut off again and therefore continue to leak - which is why you have to keep on topping the boiler up. This item should be replaced.
Maybe the landlord would be interested to hear about the safety issues regarding the flue, etc?
John

 

[adlplumbing]

i would not worry ncs are just minor faults and not a safty issue

 

[scatmanjohn]

Topping up the system is something a user has to do every few weeks/months.

Tony

Every few weeks?

 

[misterdubya]

There is a long piece of copper pipping floating

Never known cu pip to 'float'.

You don't have Dynamo lurking around do you?

Isn't pipping to do with apples, or is that 'bobbing'?