Gas safety certificate and vents
Discussion
We're renting a house for a while whilst we figure out where we want to move next. Next to the front door is a vent straight to the outside about 6" x 8" in size. The lack of curtain over the front door means that the hall is freezing in these temperatures as the heat just disappears through the vent (you can actually feel the draft if you stand close to it). As the central heating thermostat is placed in the hall the rest of the house overheats as the temperature barely goes above what is registering otuside. With this in mind I taped over the vent with gaffer tape to stop the draft and remedy the problem.
However, we've just had the annual gas safety certificate done and the guy insisted on removing the gaffer tape. He said "The boiler needs air to work and blocking this up could cause the boiler to produce carbon monoxide."
The boiler is located upstairs in the airing cupboard. It's a very old unit - the house is from the 80's and I think it might be the original boiler.
Can someone who knows these things tell me if he was just being over-cautious or if there's a real threat of carbon monoxide being produced? In my mind the air gets refreshed every time we open the door so I'm not really sure what extra the vent would do. I've not noticed a lack of oxygen whilst it's been covered!
I really would like to block this vent up as it is a major source of heat loss in the house but on the other hand I'd also like to remain alive.
Thanks in advance.
However, we've just had the annual gas safety certificate done and the guy insisted on removing the gaffer tape. He said "The boiler needs air to work and blocking this up could cause the boiler to produce carbon monoxide."
The boiler is located upstairs in the airing cupboard. It's a very old unit - the house is from the 80's and I think it might be the original boiler.
Can someone who knows these things tell me if he was just being over-cautious or if there's a real threat of carbon monoxide being produced? In my mind the air gets refreshed every time we open the door so I'm not really sure what extra the vent would do. I've not noticed a lack of oxygen whilst it's been covered!
I really would like to block this vent up as it is a major source of heat loss in the house but on the other hand I'd also like to remain alive.
Thanks in advance.
If it was me, I'd tape it back up and invest in a mains powered CO detector placed somewhere near the boiler. Just remove the tape prior to your next safety check and you should be good to go. If there is the slightest amount of CO from the boiler, the detector will alert you (they are pretty loud - as loud as a smoke detector) and you can either get it checked out or unblock the vent.
I'd be very wary of covering that vent.
The whole purpose of that safety certificate is to show that the Landlord has made every effort to ensure the gas appliances are safe. The supply of air for combustion is critical in maintaining a decent flame picture and complete combustion and adventitious air is taken into consideration.
The bottom line is that covering that vent makes you responsible for whatever happens next. This is why you sign the certificate and retain the pink copy whilst the engineer has his own copy with your signature on.
The whole purpose of that safety certificate is to show that the Landlord has made every effort to ensure the gas appliances are safe. The supply of air for combustion is critical in maintaining a decent flame picture and complete combustion and adventitious air is taken into consideration.
The bottom line is that covering that vent makes you responsible for whatever happens next. This is why you sign the certificate and retain the pink copy whilst the engineer has his own copy with your signature on.
Do not - repeat do not, cover that vent.
That boiler is known as an open flued boiler and needs a cart load of fresh air to burn and therefore work safely.
If you tape the vent up and put a CO detector near the boiler you are running a risk (however small) of becoming overcome by poisonous fumes.
That is why all rented properties have a gas safety inspection every year - to keep tenants safe.
It never ceases to amaze me how many gas "experts" there are on here, when in reality there are a handful of Gas Safe registered engineers who actually KNOW what they are talking about - me and Ferg are your starter for two.
Rant over!
That boiler is known as an open flued boiler and needs a cart load of fresh air to burn and therefore work safely.
If you tape the vent up and put a CO detector near the boiler you are running a risk (however small) of becoming overcome by poisonous fumes.
That is why all rented properties have a gas safety inspection every year - to keep tenants safe.
It never ceases to amaze me how many gas "experts" there are on here, when in reality there are a handful of Gas Safe registered engineers who actually KNOW what they are talking about - me and Ferg are your starter for two.
Rant over!
Ganglandboss said:
voicey said:
Thanks for the responses - two conflicting views! May I ask if any of you chaps are in the gas trade? Great call on the CO dectector - I will buy one regardless.
One of them definitely is - see if you can guess which one? 
An approved CO detector is a good thing to have though.
I am in the gas trade and have had my gas card for 15+ years now. Do not block that vent.
Although highly unlikely that any problems would arise, if they do you will be deemed responsible and the gas engineer would have covered his ass with his paper work.
You could if possible ask the landlord to relocate the controls stat into a place more suitable.
If there is a draft from the vent it can be changed to a different type which could help but it will still have to allow free movement of air.
Although highly unlikely that any problems would arise, if they do you will be deemed responsible and the gas engineer would have covered his ass with his paper work.
You could if possible ask the landlord to relocate the controls stat into a place more suitable.
If there is a draft from the vent it can be changed to a different type which could help but it will still have to allow free movement of air.
Edited by Leve Lad on Wednesday 1st December 22:40
So the boiler is in the airing cupboard upstairs and is supposed to get its air from a vent next to the front door downstairs?
How is the boiler supposed to get its air if the airing cupboard door is shut?
I'm not qualified but that sounds bloody stupid.
How is the boiler supposed to get its air if the airing cupboard door is shut?
I'm not qualified but that sounds bloody stupid.
Edited by Simpo Two on Wednesday 1st December 22:30
voicey said:
Thanks for the responses - two conflicting views! May I ask if any of you chaps are in the gas trade? Great call on the CO dectector - I will buy one regardless.
The guy who did your annual inspection is in teh gas trade and doing his job. Why don't you just listen to his advice? Why do you think he insisted that the vent is left uncovered? He does the job day in and day out and is a qualified technician.Let's put fear to one side for one minute and try some logic. An airing cupboard door is normally closed, right? So when the door is closed, how then does the boiler get its air? Not from the vent downstairs by the front door I'd wager. Therefore the vent cannot be material, especially as cold air sinks and is not going to reach the inside of the airing cupboard upstairs.
Simpo Two said:
Let's put fear to one side for one minute and try some logic. An airing cupboard door is normally closed, right? So when the door is closed, how then does the boiler get its air? Not from the vent downstairs by the front door I'd wager. Therefore the vent cannot be material, especially as cold air sinks and is not going to reach the inside of the airing cupboard upstairs.
The cupboard will have to be vented. It won't be an air tight door.Gingerbread Man said:
Simpo Two said:
Let's put fear to one side for one minute and try some logic. An airing cupboard door is normally closed, right? So when the door is closed, how then does the boiler get its air? Not from the vent downstairs by the front door I'd wager. Therefore the vent cannot be material, especially as cold air sinks and is not going to reach the inside of the airing cupboard upstairs.
The cupboard will have to be vented. It won't be an air tight door.Agreed. My airing cupboard door isn't vented but then it doesn't have a boiler inside.
But I still think that if you have a boiler in the airing cupboard then a vent downstairs by the front door is a ridiculous way to get oxygen to it. There must be a better solution - something connected to the eaves/roofspace perhaps?
But I still think that if you have a boiler in the airing cupboard then a vent downstairs by the front door is a ridiculous way to get oxygen to it. There must be a better solution - something connected to the eaves/roofspace perhaps?
Simpo Two said:
Agreed. My airing cupboard door isn't vented but then it doesn't have a boiler inside.
But I still think that if you have a boiler in the airing cupboard then a vent downstairs by the front door is a ridiculous way to get oxygen to it. There must be a better solution - something connected to the eaves/roofspace perhaps?
A: Depends what type of boiler it is. Newer boilers take their air intake from outside via a balanced flue.But I still think that if you have a boiler in the airing cupboard then a vent downstairs by the front door is a ridiculous way to get oxygen to it. There must be a better solution - something connected to the eaves/roofspace perhaps?
B: If you go in through the front door into a very small hallway, both rooms off it have doors, then ahead of you are the stairs. At the top of the stairs is an internal sighted airing cupboard housing a boiler.
Where else would you easily put the vent? By the front door might be the only outside wall available to the boiler to draw in air. All the other rooms can be sealed off by doors.
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