Followup photos from Landlord and gas fire thread

The guy looks like a younger version of Fred Dibnah.

At least a more alive version

Well at first sight it would seem that the first fitter must have been really blind to have missed that sort of blockage in the flue.

Surely he would have checked the flue had been swept prior to installing a new gas fire? That should have trivially found a bucket. What's more why would he have even thought of bring the CORGI inspector anyway near any installation that is not 100% perfect??

Well, I haven't got a clue. The fitter who's just found the bucket has said that he's going to put in a report to CORGI and suggests I also write a letter to them as well, which we had already decided to do anyway, following advice from this group.

John

I think it's highlighting that it's not just a rusty bucket, but that the hole is man-made (you can see mutiple drill holes round the periphery).

The big question, given that it seems to have been deliberate, is *why*. Just to bypass a chimney blocked with an old bucket? One would have though it would be easier to remove the bucket that drill through it.

Tim

It shows that the bucket had a human head in it, no wonder it was then blocked up in the chimney.

Well I'm sort of thinking along the lines of 'did CORGI or a similar body exist more than 40 years ago?'

I seem to sort of remember the original gas fires being fitted when I was about 5 (I'm now 50) but at that time, would it necessarily have been a specifically trained gas person or could any plumber (or even just any old local handyman) have done the job?

To my untrained eye it seems that the wooden shelf thingy has been put there to stop birds, soot or anything else from dropping down the chimney. Specifically cutting a hole in the bucket is obviously to let something out, and as it was found up a chimney it's not a great leap to make, to think that it may have been to let flue gases out. My mam and dad are both dead now (which is why we now own the house and rent it out) so I can't ask them, but it seems quite plausible - to me anyway :o)

John

Anyone figured out why the bucket was up the chimney yet? I have. ;-)

MrDownie obviously didn't

Yeah, as the OP I'd *love* to know :o)

John

In an hour or so...got to go out for some paint as the mixing place shuts at

2. Its a plausible concept given to me by an OAP neighbour that used to do it?

According to him in the 50's & 60's there were no strict rules as they have today,there were some in the building trade but gas fires were a new thing and only the well paid had them installed as coal fires were the norm at them times.

Those buckets were around in the 60's cos I remember the women scrubbing the stone steps using zanizal and and a scrubbing brush.

Basically the bucket was put over the center hole of wood/hardboard inside the chimney to act as a cyclone chamber ie the suction would be far greater as opposed to an open chimney above the board.

Any fumes between the gasfire and the board would have been pulled upwards at a faster rate.

Well I Think it deserves merit even no one else does. ;-)

Eat your heart out MrDyson

Bloody 'ell George, that's brilliant mate. I never knew that. Well done :o)

Still doesn't explain why the original fitter didn't spot it or remove it, mind.

John

I suspect the guy never seen it because he didn't pull down the hardboard? but on saying that the HB will have just rested on the ledge of the frame affixed to the wall of the chimney so that if pushed up it will have opened,sorta like a loft hatch.

Most landlords don't see a lot of things as they wish to leave the hassle to agents to sort out problems with the property,more fool them.