Joule unvented unit

[Best]

I have been out tonight to an oil heating system that has stopped working. Boiler is in garage, but a builders plumber has fitted the red expansion & filling loop and a Joule unvented cylinder, all up in the attic and brand new.
Went to have a look and can't believe it! All plastic & push fit.
NO tundish and NO combination valve!
D1 pipe from T&P valve is 15mm plastic about 2 metres long, then a 22x15x15 push fit tee to accommodate the discharge from heating relief valve and straight into a length of 40mm waste horizontally going to outside as if an ordinary overflow!
Customer assumes plumber just took the missing parts with them. No paperwork done, although the installation & service manual was sitting on top of the unit, with the last page missing.
I have been asked to sort it all!

 

[ShaunCorbs]

can you put cylinder in garage ? and sounds like a nice job, least the strip out will be easy

 

[Chalked]

Are you sure the red vessel is for hot water?? You mentioned a filling loop, so would be heating.

The installation sounds a right bodge tho!

 

[townfanjon]

Would love a pic of this

 

[Best]

can you put cylinder in garage ? and sounds like a nice job, least the strip out will be easy

I actually suggested the unvented unit could have been put beside the oil boiler in garage.
But probably too late to do that now, - bungalow has had major work done and modernised, tiled floors etc. Most I will ever want to do is fit a complete discharge pipework including supplying a tundish and a proper combination valve all to regs.
Frankly I don't really want to work on a plastic piped unvented unit that has been done by builders idiots - it has just been sat on the flooring in the attic with no strengthening supports. (Luckily there's a wall below that area).
Oddly the customer doesn't want to confront the builder about this

 

[Best]

Are you sure the red vessel is for hot water?? You mentioned a filling loop, so would be heating.

The installation sounds a right bodge tho!

The red vessel is definitely for the heating. The Joule white expansion vessel with its long flexi hose is fitted beside it, - both screwed onto the Purlin (main wooden roof beam)
It is a complete bodge, as you say! Who would fail to install a combination valve and tundish, only an idiot? I notice the Joule instructions aren't great though tbh.

 

[Chalked]

The red vessel is definitely for the heating. The Joule white expansion vessel with its long flexi hose is fitted beside it, - both screwed onto the Purlong (main wooded roof beam)
It is a complete bodge, as you say! Who would fail to install a combination valve and tundish, only an idiot? I notice the Joule instructions aren't great though tbh.

Combination valve could have been fitted on the water main. Downstairs.

 

[lame plumber]

take a peek under the kitchen sink or where the cold main enters the house for the combination valve, been caught out before where a clever clogs hides it there to save on the copper to run the balanced cold main.

 

[Best]

take a peek under the kitchen sink or where the cold main enters the house for the combination valve, been caught out before where a clever clogs hides it there to save on the copper to run the balanced cold main.

Yes, as Chalked and you suggest, I was thinking same, but couldn't be bothered checking tonight.
That still means the pressure relief valve is wrong place and to add to it - there is a 22mm gate valve fitted on feed to unit which, if turned off would isolate the relief valve from the unit.
I have already pointed this all out to customer including gate valve and possibility the missing combination valve is somewhere else.

 

[Best]

Would love a pic of this

I took a couple of photos.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

I took a couple of photos.

well chop chop

 

[Best]

Enjoy

 

[ShaunCorbs]

hahahahahaha

 

[Best]

Note the D1 length of plastic push fit and into a push fit tee and shoved into a 40 mm grey waste pipe between joists. This probably just terminates at roof level outside!

 

[kay-jay]

What the actual ****?

 

[kay-jay]

I've got a thick labrador who could do a better job than that.
Clearly no building control notification, no g3 qualification and no f-ing clue.

 

[thompsonbrown]

What a mess!!
Total re-install needed.

 

[Best]

I've got a thick labrador who could do a better job than that.
Clearly no building control notification, no g3 qualification and no f-ing clue.

I agree. The instructions are poor, but do show the typical layout drawing of discharge pipe to tundish to a gulley and the D2 sizing formula.

 

[Best]

What a mess!!
Total re-install needed.

Yes, but I doubt if I will be doing that. Can't really do anything with rest of bungalow as it is all finished and impossible to get at no doubt. I really don't want any responsibility for any of those plastic pipes

 

[tomplumb83]

Whats the point of paying 250quid to do G3 if people can get away with work like that
Mind you, they probably have their G3

Maybe he was just having a bad day?

 

[kay-jay]

I agree. The instructions are poor, but do show the typical layout drawing of discharge pipe to tundish to a gulley and the D2 sizing formula.

I think you are being to generous to the installer. So what if the instructions are poor? Nobody here rushed off to Google a decent installation diagram before coming to the conclusion that that is a gash install

 

[Millsy 82]

Whats the point of paying 250quid to do G3 if people can get away with work like that
Mind you, they probably have their G3

Maybe he was just having a bad day?

So we can do it properly and should the worst happen it doesn't blow up and kill someone then saves going to prison for manslaughter.

I don't think he was having a bad day more like a bad 2 hours. Lol

 

[Best]

I think you are being to generous to the installer. So what if the instructions are poor? Nobody here rushed off to Google a decent installation diagram before coming to the conclusion that that is a gash install

I don't want to really make an excuses for the installer. He is obviously not a real plumber and definitely knows little about unvented units. But I was surprised to see the instruction book was so poor and with few diagrams. I would like to see the customer taking this to court if needed, but he just wants anything fixed. That's the sort of bodge job that should be shown to a court. I am going back today to fix the heating fault and I will take another look at discharge outlet and if the combination valve is elsewhere.

 

[Best]

I have now had a good look at it all.
Here is a photo of below the kitchen sink. As a couple suggested, - the combination valve has been fitted at sink.
The pressure relief valve just left to flood the new kitchen.
Also note the gate valve to do the entire mains, rather than a proper stopcock.



And I had a close look at 22mm hep discharge pipe in attic. It actually just goes through a piece of 40mm waste pipe lying between the joists and sticks out the end and against the felt of the roof, still very much inside the building as you can see! I have told customer to get compensation.

 

[kay-jay]

Oh dear. Poor customer.
Have they divulged how much they paid for that abomination? ?