Building Regs for new (or replacement) boiler?

[Hawi:]

Hi.

Last night, a friend of mine was telling me that they have come up against a requirement for building regs application to replace their old oil-fired boiler with a new one. I had no idea that this is required and I'm a bit concerned because I will soon be changing my oil-fired system for a gas combi.

Are these building regs effectively not just fire regs, - and are they not coverered by a (in my case) gas fitter's certificate?

Anyone had any experience of this? Do BR applications now need to be submitted for ANY changes to a home heating system?

TIA.

H.

[dom]

AIUI any new or replacement boiler will have to conform to all parts of the building regs, but particularly Part J, Combustion appliances.

yes, much more than just Part B, Protection from fire.

Either a building notice to your local building control dept is required, or an approved person that can certify compliance.

I don't know if your qualifications covers it, but as you're not familiar with the regs, I guess you don't usually work on installing domestic gas boilers.

[John Rumm]

No, they are more related to efficient use of energy - i.e. political in nature and nothing that really ought to be part of the building regs.

IIUC If you are a Gas Safe member then you should be able to self certify and notify BC via them (possibly for a small token fee).

If you were DIYing an install, but not Gas Safe registered then you would need to submit a building notice first in theory.

Not any, but quite a few.

(when I changed the boiler in my last place I did not actually become aware of the need for the building notice until after I had done it! When I sold the place, and questions were asked about paperwork for the boiler, I just told them what I had done, and that there was no completion certificate. Nothing further was said about it)

[RobertL]

When mine was replaced recently the installer said the notification was automatic and would eventually reach my BC file. AIUI the installer to be gas-safe registered to do it (cue people to explain why this is not so) and that same registration give syou access to the database where they notify the change.

Robert

[YAPH]

Notification isn't automatic to us (Gas Safe Registered installers)

- we have to do it as an explicit bit of work (via interweb or phone) but we are nevertheless supposed to do so.

[Hawi:]

Ahhh. Thanks for that. I'd better make absolutely sure that my guy follows the process then!

Much appreciated.

[Hawi:]

Thanks for that. Oh no, I was only going to do the pipework myself and then get a gas engineer in to connect, test and commission the boiler. But he hasn't mentioned BR at all. Might he possibly be able to certify compliance himself? (I can't get hold of him at the moment, to ask).

Apparently it takes into account the entire heating system, including compulsory TRVs etc.

A bit more research to do, methinks.

[Hawi:]

Just out of interest, do you know when changes to heating had be notified for BR? My friend said that his work was done 4 years ago.

[Andrew Gabriel]

April 2002 under Part L, which is why I started my heating install in February 2002. (Although my heating installation conforms with current regs, I wasn't going to pay someone else to check it. If it was a free service, I'd be more than happy to use it.)

In practice, the scheme wasn't working until some time well after this date anyway in many areas (certainly not in Bedfordshire).