Plumber put together a thing … and I have concerns

[Nickfromwales]

On 29/06/2023 at 10:44, mjsx said:

All right, so I reported a concern with the gas safe registry. Thanks all for your info and advice. They say they’ll get back to me within 5 business days, and inspect within 10. Seems kinda slow but maybe it’s faster in practice…

 

Will babysit the boiler for now… At least it’s Summer. 

What is the silver valve on the hot outlet? Is it an isolation valve? Pic?

[mjsx]

An update to this tale.

 

In summary, a gas safe engineer came out around 10 days after I reported a concern, spent a few hours at the property and found several problems.
 

He wrote a 10 page report (boiler was classified as “At Risk” but not “Immediately Dangerous”), which was passed on to the plumber (I didn’t have to do anything), who was given around 3 weeks to fix all defects. There was no followup inspection. Overall I was satisfied though I am very surprised that the PRV discharge into a condensate pump is to spec. 
 

A few observations:

 

1. I wasn’t around when the inspector came around, but apparently there was quite a bit of checking manuals and so forth to see if the installation follows the manufacturer’s specifications.
 

2. The main things that ended up being changed/fixed: area around air brick where flue exits was sealed and tidied (including adding a “cage”); plastic PRV pipe replaced with copper and tundish added (though still discharges into condensate pump); insulation added to all pipe work; thermostat connected; benchmark commissioning checklist completed and local authority notified.

 

3. Some of the complaints are quite picky (inspector admitted this verbally), for example flagging a filling loop that was left connected, and an old uncapped gas pipe.

 

4. The report had multiple complaints about the flue—termination at both ends not to spec, and also insufficiently supported. Plumber did fix a few things, but assured me that the support was actually fine (it looks like two sections but is actually just one internally or something?). Mumbled something about going back to gas safe to argue that it was correct. I don’t know how this part of the process works.
 

5. Defects need to be fixed by the original plumber free of charge, but if you want someone else to do it, you have to pay for this separately. Gas Safe won’t help you get any money back from the plumber. 

 

6. The inspection process was fairly swift, clear and (IMO) serious and competent. I’m glad I went through with it, and thanks to everyone here for encouraging me to do so in the face of some pushback from my builder.
 

 

[Nickfromwales]

Item 4 is the concern. The flue is called “coaxial” as in the products of combustion are blown out via the inner 50mm or so section whilst outside air for supply to the combustion chamber gets sucked in via the larger outer ‘ring’ of the flue. There’s an air switch that needs to see equilibrium between these pressures or the boiler locks out, thinking that one or other is compromised. Safe in that respect, but the way the original installer left this, especially without the cage, is just horrendous. 
Glad you’ve seen a positive outcome, and I still share the same concerns as you over the pump, but the MI’s will always take precedence over BCO or GSR. The difference between good, or OK I guess!