Gas Safe Register Technical Bulletin 008 (Edition 2)

You probably won't have heard of Technical Bulletin 008 (TB008), but if you own a Powermax boiler installed in a flat then you probably will soon. TB008 is likely to impact on you heavily next time you need your boiler serviced or repaired. By 'impact', I mean it will hit you in the pocket and cause major disruption in your home while the work demanded in TB008 is carried out.  

The 'work' comprises installation of access hatches in the ceilings to allow full visual inspection of the whole of the flue and air supply tubes, where the flue and air supply tubes are concealed in a ceiling or other building void. From 1st January 2013 we gas bods will not be allowed to leave a Powermax (or any other boiler) in operation if we cannot visually inspect the whole of the chimney system.

This means installation of access hatches along the whole of the route from the boiler to the flue terminal outside.

In the interim period we are required to carry out a risk assessment and install CO (carbon monoxide) alarms in all rooms along the route of the chimney system. This naturally adds to the cost of any repair or service to a Powermax with a concealed chimney system because carrying out the risk assessment and fitting the CO alarms(s) takes an hour or so and CO alarms are not free... 

After 1st January 2013 inspection access panels will have to be installed in accordance with TB008 before a gas technician can carry out ANY work on a Powermax with concealed chimney system. 

You have all been warned now!

This will probably be the last straw for many Powermax owners and will prompt them to decide to replace their troublesome boilers that no-one will service or repair. The trouble here is that whatever new boiler is installed, a new chimney system will have to be fitted involving even MORE disruption and expense.  Any new boiler will mean abandoning the old Powermax flue and installation of a new flue compatible with the new boiler. Ceilings will have to be pulled down then reinstated with new access panels so the new flue can be inspected anyway!

The best thing to do is probably sell the flat and move....

Here are some links from those in authority explaining this in more detail. This link is the "Safety Notice" published on 10th December 2010 by the government's Health and Safety Executive: 

www.hse.gov.uk/safetybulletins/fluesinvoids.htm

Next, a link to the document published by Gas Safe Register. This is titled "Boiler Flues in Ceiling Spaces. Important advice for consumers who have flues which run in ceiling spaces"

www.gassaferegister.co.uk/advice/flues_in_voids.aspx 

And another link to Gas Safe Register, this one being their list of FAQs on this subject of concealed chimney systems. A good list of pertinent questions answered with no punches pulled, so well worth reading:

www.gassaferegister.co.uk/advice/flues_in_voids/frequently_asked_questions.aspx

And finally, in case you are wondering why I have not included a link to the original document all the stems from, TB008 (Edition 2) ends with a warning that it may NOT be reproduced in part or in whole without the permission of Gas Safe Register other than for personal reference only. I don't have that permission, and would not expect to get it should I ask, given that Gas Safe Register have decided to restrict distribution of TB008 to Registered Gas Installers only. A quick Google though should turn up plenty of links to the document by people willing to ignore the restriction.

This page first published 19/01/11
Last updated 05/11/11