With the introduction of fan flued gas appliances in the mid 1990’s installers were able to install boilers away from external walls freeing up valuable space. With gas boilers being able to fitted to internal walls and flued through ceilings and stud walls the design of new builds and renovated properties could make better use of space. The practice of flueing gas appliances through ceilings and walls became more popular from 2000 onwards and now many new flats and apartments have concealed flues.

Gas Engineers are legally required to check the flue after any work on a gas boiler or gas appliance; this also includes a visual inspection of the flue. Also when fitting a boiler the installer must be able to inspect the flue to ensure that it does not constitute a danger to anyone.  The installer and subsequent engineer performing periodic services and maintenance must be able to check that:

• The flue is continuous throughout its entire length
• That all joints and properly connected and appropriately sealed
• And that the flue is adequately supported throughout its entire length

Unless the engineer can make these checks they cannot ensure that the flue from the boiler is safe for use, in compliance with their legal duties. Therefore this necessitates the need for appropriate inspection hatches whereby the flue is concealed.

The original industrial technical guidelines advised that where a boilers flue was concealed with the ceiling or wall void and could not be visually inspected it should be accesses as being ‘not too current standards’ (NCS) in accordance with the ‘Gas Industry Unsafe Situation Procedure’ (GIUSP). This is dependent on the boiler not having any other risk present which may make it unsafe for use.

Therefore because of the issue of not being able to visually inspect concealed flues revised technical guidelines are being introduced. Homeowners are now required to have inspection hatches fitted into ceilings and stud walls to allow for visual inspections to be made by 31^st December 2012. Any engineers performing work on any affected systems after the 1^st January 2013 will advise the user that the system is ‘at risk’ in accordance with GIUSP, and with the owner’s permission will turn the gas supply to the boiler off so it cannot be used.

During the interim period whereby inspection hatches have not been fitted the gas engineer will undertake a simple risk assessment which will ensure the risk of CO expose is managed in the short term. This risk assessment includes:

• Looking for signs of leakages along the entire length of the flue
• Carrying out a flue combustion analysis check
• Checking for the presence of appropriate audible CO alarms, and install such alarms where they are not already fitted

As long as the boiler passes the series of checks and risk assessment does not indicate any concerns to safety then the boiler can be left on. However suitable inspection hatches must be fitted to ceilings and walls by the end of the 31^st December 2012. Once the inspection hatches are fitted the engineer can ensure that the flue is safe and has been installed in accordance with relevant standards and manufacturer’s instructions.

If your property has a concealed flue within a void and no inspection hatches:

• If the property is less than 2 years old contact the original builder for assistance with the retrofitting of inspection hatches and repair of any flue defects.
• If the property is between 2 and 10 years old contact the home warranty provider as you may be covered by them if there are defects in the flue. The main warranty providers (NHBC, Premier Guarantee and Zurich Building Guarantee) have however advised that cover is not provided for installing inspection hatches in homes over two years old.
• If the property is 10 years or older you should contact a Gas Safe registered engineer. You or your landlord will have to meet the cost of the inspection hatches and any defects to the boiler or its flue. It may still be worth contacting the home builder who may be able to assist in some way, or be able to recommend reputable building services companies to carry out the work.

Having taken advice as above, arrange for a competent builder or building services company to fit inspection hatches as soon as possible and by 31st December 2012. (If you don’t, from 1st January 2013 a Gas Safe registered engineer will advise you that the appliance is “at risk” and, with your permission, will turn off the appliance; they will tell you it should not be use until inspection hatches are fitted.

For more information about this new regulation Click Here.

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About Boilers

The capacity (heat output) of the Boiler needed to satisfy your requirements can be calculated by adding up the manufacturers specified heat output of all the radiators, plus a 3kW allowance for a hot water cylinder. Ten per cent is added to allow for exceptionally cold weather. The overall calculation is affected by the heat lost through the walls and ceiling, and also by the number of air changes caused by ventilation.

Central Heating Boilers provide warmth and comfort to any home. There are many different types of boiler on the market by lots of different boiler manufacturers. Boilers can be Gas Boilers, Oil Boilers, Solid Fuel Boilers or Electric Boilers. Nowadays, most boilers are high efficiency Condensing Boilers. Condensing boilers extract more heat from the fuel than other types of boiler. Condensing boilers achieve this by passing water through a highly efficient heat exchanger, or a second heat exchanger that uses heat from the flue to preheat cool water returning to the radiators. There are various types of boiler available.

Combination boilers or Combi Boilers provide both hot water to a sealed system and a seperate supply of instant hot water directly to taps and showers. Advantages of combi boilers are ease of installation, space-saving and economy. A heating only boiler is in most instances the most likely boiler to buy if you are replacing an older model of boiler. The chances are that you will have a regular (conventional) boiler. A typical conventional system includes a boiler and extended controls, a feed and expansion cistern, and a hot water cylinder, generally located in an airing cupboard. This will be fed by a cold water storage cistern located in the loft.

A system boiler unlike a combi boiler, work on the principle of stored hot water. However a system boiler differs from a regular boiler in some important respects. Firstly, many of the major individual components of the heating and hot water system are built in, which means that installation is quicker, neater, easier and more efficient. Secondly, the hot water is pumped from the boiler through the system to the radiators and hot water cylinder, resulting in a fast response and more economical running costs. The system boiler removes the need for a feed and expansion cistern.

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