Ventilation in kitchen

[dai]

Hi all iv recently fitted a new kitchen in a customers house to existing design now a corgi gas man has turned up to service the boiler and is blaming me for not adeqate ventilation there is a air brick in wall has been there for 30 yrs plus is it my job to fit new air vents in wall or is he passing the buck any help would be much appreited

 

[ajs heating]

did you fit one of those oversize cooker extractor fans over the hob at all ?

 

[fuzzy]

who fitted the boiler?

 

[dai]

Its the oringnal boiler from new this guy has just come and serviced it and has said iv got to fit a black hole vent i dont think its my job to as i am just carpenter what do you think

 

[ajs heating]

there must be a reason he has said this as you say their is an air brick.
thats why i asked if a large cooker hood has been fitted to new kitchen.

 

[fuzzy]

ajs - why the cooker hood affect, are you on about the testing with it on?

 

[wessie]

i had the same problem and it was because of the cooker hood he said it would draw too much air away and not let the gas appliances breath properly i took his word and fitted more low vents

 

[ajs heating]

as wessie said,

example
boiler draws air from kitchen, large cooker hood draws air from kitchen (more than boiler)
so cause the cooker hood is greater it can pull the flue gases into kitchen.

a while ago i recieved a memo from corgi regarding this and stated that any kitchen fitter that fitted a large cooker hood in this situation without checking the boiler etc would be found to be breaking corgi regs and would be liable.

 

[dai]

Thanx for the replies there was no cooker hood fitted the customer did not want one i fitted the kitchen back to how it was originaly i have fitted a black hole vent to above skirting board and billed her for fitting it do i now need a corgi man to come and check it

 

[ajs heating]

it needs to be checked to make sure its giving enough ventilation.
but if you have not altered any vents or blocked any vents and as you say not fitted a cooker hood that can affect the original ventilation to the boiler the problem is not yours from the start.
this sould of been checked when the boiler was fitted.

 

[mcmoby69]

i agree with AJS. problem was not yours at the beginning, it is up to the numpty who serviced the boiler AFTER the extractor was fitted. you did not help the situation and may not have known the effects it would have , BUT HE DID. therefore it is down to him to issue a notice (NCS,IM or AT RISK) he is responsible for isolating the appliance and correcting the problem himself or getting it corrected and checking it again. sounds like he just wants to go around cleaning boilers and replacing thermocouples.

forgot to ask what make and model of boiler is it? how old? and is it open or balanced or fanned flue?

 

[Soapy]

If you covered any vents then it's your fault. If you didn't then it's the house owner's problem. They will have to pay to get someone to fit vents that are suitable for gas and the correct size.