Heating gases

paikea · 14-10-2010 8:36pm #1

I am living at a rented house for the last 3 years and we had the heating (which unfortunately is inside the house) serviced about 2-3 weeks ago. During that visit my wife complained of strong combustion smells in the house after the heating was on for an hour or so.
To "solve" the issue the heating guy put some sort of tape (duct tape?) around the boiler's chimney. Since then there is a constant very strong smell of burnt plastic every time the heating is on. We had complained several times with him (heating guy) but he keeps delaying his visit to fix that mess.
I can't move out of the house as there is a lot going on (baby coming, working on thesis, too much mess to move...) at the moment.

What would you guys do in a situation like this? I am very frustrated and getting very upset with this. Any help is very much appreciated.

RangeR · 14-10-2010 9:24pm

Landlord, landlord, landlord. Stop talking to the heating guy. Get the landlord to fix the problem. HE will then TELL the heating guy to fix it.

dudara · 15-10-2010 10:45am

Moved to Accomodation & Proprty

Agreed - you are renting, therefore this is the landlord's area. Make sure to let him know as soon as possible. Make sure also to get this fixed quickly as there are potential health hazards.

mrgaa1 · 15-10-2010 12:09pm

first of all the smell you are getting is probably due to fumes coming through and giving the tape like smell. You probably get this after a period of time as the boiler is fully operational at that time.

As another poster has said get the landlord to fix it ASAP. there are products you can get to do this yourself but then you could run into other issues.

The tape that should have been used is a cloth-like materieal that is extremely sticky but seals these type of leaks. Usually its green or black in colour. Other tapes will melt

Victor · 17-10-2010 8:53pm

Moved from Accommodation & Property to Plumbing & Heating. Apologies for the tennis.

Micky Dolenz · 17-10-2010 9:02pm

If the boiler is flue is leaking, this very dangerous as CO is almost certainly being released. Do not use it until you are completely satisfied that it is fixed.

Sparkpea · 17-10-2010 9:03pm

denso tape

17-10-2010 9:06pm

Turn it off and leave it off until you are happy it's safe, if need be get a second opinion from either a RGII engineer for gas or a OFTEC engineer for oil. Safety, safety, safety.

JohnnieK · 17-10-2010 9:50pm

I agree with Gary. Leave it off and sit on the landlord. The Flue sounds like it's leaking. Is there an open-able window near the terminal where it can be blown back into the house.
Do NOT attempt to fix it your self it is not a diy job you could in theory make it worse. Don't take a chance especially if there is a baby on the way. Stop his rent if he wont get it fixed and that will soon get his attention.

17-10-2010 11:04pm

Sparkpea wrote: »

denso tape

With out me sounding like a boiler policeman:eek:, Denso isn't designed for sealing a flue joint and will dry out leaving a potential hazard, it has a maximum temperature usage of 55c. Kos or fire cement, aluminum tape, high heat silicone etc... would be better products to use, Gary.

Joey the lips · 18-10-2010 9:12am

No tape. Propper flu and coupling.

Landlord is required to solve this. I dont think it would be wrong for you to ask for a CO2 monitor either.

paikea · 27-10-2010 9:49pm

Thank you all for all the replies. These are all good comments and it helped me know how to proceed. After a good serious talk with the landlady, she decided to move the boiler out of the house.

I will be making sure it is properly done and I will get someone to inspect it as suggested here.:cool:

ntpm · 28-10-2010 5:51pm

paikea wrote: »

Thank you all for all the replies. These are all good comments and it helped me know how to proceed. After a good serious talk with the landlady, she decided to move the boiler out of the house.
I will be making sure it is properly done and I will get someone to inspect it as suggested here.:cool:

Just to let you know it is a legal requirement for the landlord to carry out safety check on heating system once a year... also must comply with Manufacturere Instruction.
Also for insurance purposes must be certified by a"Competent Person" ie. RGII registered for Natural Gas Appliances and some insurance require OFTEC for Oil.

http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentandHousing/Housing/PrivateRentedHousing/PublicationsDocuments/FileDownLoad,19428,en.pdf

Section C and section H

Heating gases

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