HOLE DRILLED TOO BIG FOR FLUE PIPE OF A GAS COMBI BOILER

[Lolaruby]

I recently have had a gas boiler fitted in my kitchen and the flue pipe goes through the kitchen wall to the outside. However, the hole drilled seems to be way to big and I am left with a good 2 to 3 inches of open space around the pipe and can see outside from inside my house! Who is responsible for making this good and how should it be done?

 

[Best]

Post some photos on here.
I am not gas qualified, so some of the gas engineers on here will answer that for you.
Switch your boiler off at electric supply and get your gas installer back immediately!

 

[Harvest Fields]

The installer should seal that on the install. With sand and cement outside and plaster inside. Ask him to come back and do this.

 

[king of pipes]

Its the installers responsibility to make good inside and out as above get them back.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

The installer is responsible and it should be filled in with cement / render and made good

 

[townfanjon]

2 to 3 inches jesus , bloke wants shooting is he Gas Safe

 

[Meady]

So your telling me he drilled an 8 inch hole

 

[moonlight]

Get him back immediately. The flue should be sealed. Products of combustion (carbon monoxide) can enter your home.

If he has not yet finished and the boiler is isolated from the gas at this point. He should at least put some packing around to stop the drafts.

If this is so called finished I would contact Gas Safe. This is unacceptable work. Please do not use the boiler until the hole is sealed.

This is dangerous to your health.

 

[Chuck]

I recently have had a gas boiler fitted in my kitchen and the flue pipe goes through the kitchen wall to the outside. However, the hole drilled seems to be way to big and I am left with a good 2 to 3 inches of open space around the pipe and can see outside from inside my house! Who is responsible for making this good and how should it be done?

"2 or 3 inches" oversized all round round is big enough to have weakened the wall and needs dealing with properly. (Did someone cut a ten-inch hole instead of a 10 cm one?) The correct remedy would depend on the construction of the wall. I certainly wouldn't let the original plumber bodge it up with sand and cement.

If it were my property, I'd start by seeing whether my home insurance could help or give advice. Next step would be a quote from a competent builder and plumber (whoever did that is not competent IMO) working together to remove the existing flu, make good the wall, probably by replacing a block and and few bricks and then install the flu properly.

Gas Safe may be able to help (they have a complaints scheme) but I'd still want any work done by the original installer to be supervised by someone appropriately qualified such as a building surveyor or structural engineer.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Any chance of a few pics op ?

 

[moonlight]

Beat me to it

 

[Scott_D]

Might have been a balanced flue hole

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Or in a flat where you have no access to outside to put the cowl on so you have to oversize the hole to 6" (Worcester)

 

[Old Account]

Might be high up and he couldn't reach the outside though. But he should have definitely sealed at least the inside.
I can only agree with @moonlight bodge job. That's what it is people call themselfs qualified engineer - charging a whole lot for a boiler install and running off without making sure that the tenant is safe. No one is asking to make gold out of Rubbish, so it's possible and not a job which will take ages though.

Some people should feel it that they do Inga wrong, in terms of taking the liecens of them for couple years.

 

[Karsten Purdie]

It would be classified as AR as it stands as products of combustion could possibly enter the premises

 

[cmel1975]

"2 or 3 inches" oversized all round round is big enough to have weakened the wall and needs dealing with properly. (Did someone cut a ten-inch hole instead of a 10 cm one?) The correct remedy would depend on the construction of the wall. I certainly wouldn't let the original plumber bodge it up with sand and cement.

If it were my property, I'd start by seeing whether my home insurance could help or give advice. Next step would be a quote from a competent builder and plumber (whoever did that is not competent IMO) working together to remove the existing flu, make good the wall, probably by replacing a block and and few bricks and then install the flu properly.

Gas Safe may be able to help (they have a complaints scheme) but I'd still want any work done by the original installer to be supervised by someone appropriately qualified such as a building surveyor or structural engineer.

Absolute rubbish if it's a soundly drilled core drill hole it won't weaken the wall in any way.thats the whole purpose of a diamond core. I've drilled 20 ' holes many times with no structural damage whatsoever

 

[Chuck]

Absolute rubbish if it's a soundly drilled core drill hole it won't weaken the wall in any way.thats the whole purpose of a diamond core. I've drilled 20 ' holes many times with no structural damage whatsoever

Holes always weaken walls to some extent. May be significant, may not be depending on the circumstances.

Let's see some photos of your work. I'd like to see a 50cm hole thorough a brick+block cavity exterior load-bearing wall left open and unreinforced as the finished work, please. And if it's "Absolutely safe" you'll doubtless be able to produce evidence of building control approval for the work too.

 

[jonnyswamp]

Holes always weaken walls to some extent. May be significant, may not be depending on the circumstances.

Let's see some photos of your work. I'd like to see a 50cm hole thorough a brick+block cavity exterior load-bearing wall left open and unreinforced as the finished work, please. And if it's "Absolutely safe" you'll doubtless be able to produce evidence of building control approval for the work too.

"2 or 3 inches" oversized all round round is big enough to have weakened the wall and needs dealing with properly. (Did someone cut a ten-inch hole instead of a 10 cm one?) The correct remedy would depend on the construction of the wall. I certainly wouldn't let the original plumber bodge it up with sand and cement.

If it were my property, I'd start by seeing whether my home insurance could help or give advice. Next step would be a quote from a competent builder and plumber (whoever did that is not competent IMO) working together to remove the existing flu, make good the wall, probably by replacing a block and and few bricks and then install the flu properly.

Gas Safe may be able to help (they have a complaints scheme) but I'd still want any work done by the original installer to be supervised by someone appropriately qualified such as a building surveyor or structural engineer.

If the hole is cored and 6 or 7" in diameter it should be fine, even if it's square
The wall will not be significantly weakened unless it is/was already cracked /loos etc
A couple of photo's would speak volumes and let the experienced GSR's voice their opinion

 

[Chuck]

If the hole is cored and 6 or 7" in diameter it should be fine, even if it's square
The wall will not be significantly weakened unless it is/was already cracked /loos etc
A couple of photo's would speak volumes and let the experienced GSR's voice their opinion

I will agree that a hole up to 150mm diameter through a sound masory wall is okay providing its top is positioned just below the joint of two bricks, which are known as the 'save over'. Bigger that 150mm needs a lintel, or some other approved form of strengthening.

See for example figure 5.2 and the accompanying text in:

http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/...ample_chapter/1405102101/BY019-05-126-147.pdf

The original question described a hole that is considerably bigger than 150 mm however you read it. What's not clear was whether the wall was concrete or masonry.

 

[jonnyswamp]

How many plumbers do you know who position the boiler or flue to coincide with brick/blockwork joints
What do you do chuck, do you move flue to suit brickwork

 

[cmel1975]

Holes always weaken walls to some extent. May be significant, may not be depending on the circumstances.

Let's see some photos of your work. I'd like to see a 50cm hole thorough a brick+block cavity exterior load-bearing wall left open and unreinforced as the finished work, please. And if it's "Absolutely safe" you'll doubtless be able to produce evidence of building control approval for the work too.

So chuck years ago when fitting the 300mm x 300mm square balanced flue appliances you kindly fit a lintel in for them did you?