HETAS - is it just another certification scam?
 

I've recently had a wood burning cooker installed. The installation
process involved lining the flue, connecting the cooker, and providing
the air supply. The HETAS certificate was not forthcoming so I chased
up the installer, whose credentials I had checked on the HETAS website
and with the company that sold me the cooker.

I was told that certification would cost me another £175 (I'd already
paid 10 times that!) and that, "didn't I remember discussing the issue
and agreeing I would do building control myself?" I wasn't happy, so
the MD of the firm suggested I accept a fraudulent certificate. I have
just received the certificate that contains the following
inaccuracies.

1. Twin wall flexible liner. - it isn't!
2.Permanently open air vent fitted. - it wasn't (and still isn't)!

And on the safety information plate, there's another porky:

3. Nominal diameter 6". - it isn't.

I could have installed the cooker myself for a fraction of the cost,
but decided for safety sake to go down the official route. My
conclusion is that the installers aren't certified for the type of
flue they did install, despite the HETAS website saying they are ( I
checked before giving them the job), so they have just lied.

Now I have a dodgy certificate, I don't know whether its best just to
accept it or pursue the matter further?

T

HETAS - is it just another certification scam?
 

wrote in message
...
I've recently had a wood burning cooker installed. The installation
process involved lining the flue, connecting the cooker, and providing
the air supply. The HETAS certificate was not forthcoming so I chased
up the installer, whose credentials I had checked on the HETAS website
and with the company that sold me the cooker.

I was told that certification would cost me another £175 (I'd already
paid 10 times that!) and that, "didn't I remember discussing the issue
and agreeing I would do building control myself?" I wasn't happy, so
the MD of the firm suggested I accept a fraudulent certificate. I have
just received the certificate that contains the following
inaccuracies.

1. Twin wall flexible liner. - it isn't!
2.Permanently open air vent fitted. - it wasn't (and still isn't)!

And on the safety information plate, there's another porky:

3. Nominal diameter 6". - it isn't.

I could have installed the cooker myself for a fraction of the cost,
but decided for safety sake to go down the official route. My
conclusion is that the installers aren't certified for the type of
flue they did install, despite the HETAS website saying they are ( I
checked before giving them the job), so they have just lied.

Now I have a dodgy certificate, I don't know whether its best just to
accept it or pursue the matter further?

T

pursue the matter with hetas and your local building control...why would
they want to issue a dodgy certificate if every thing is legit? Your
insurance company may take a dim view if some thing goes wrong and things
are not in order..

HETAS - is it just another certification scam?
 

hg wrote:
wrote in message
...
I've recently had a wood burning cooker installed. The installation
process involved lining the flue, connecting the cooker, and providing
the air supply. The HETAS certificate was not forthcoming so I chased
up the installer, whose credentials I had checked on the HETAS website
and with the company that sold me the cooker.

I was told that certification would cost me another �175 (I'd already
paid 10 times that!) and that, "didn't I remember discussing the issue
and agreeing I would do building control myself?" I wasn't happy, so
the MD of the firm suggested I accept a fraudulent certificate. I have
just received the certificate that contains the following
inaccuracies.

1. Twin wall flexible liner. - it isn't!
2.Permanently open air vent fitted. - it wasn't (and still isn't)!

And on the safety information plate, there's another porky:

3. Nominal diameter 6". - it isn't.

I could have installed the cooker myself for a fraction of the cost,
but decided for safety sake to go down the official route. My
conclusion is that the installers aren't certified for the type of
flue they did install, despite the HETAS website saying they are ( I
checked before giving them the job), so they have just lied.

Now I have a dodgy certificate, I don't know whether its best just to
accept it or pursue the matter further?

T

pursue the matter with hetas and your local building control...why would
they want to issue a dodgy certificate if every thing is legit? Your
insurance company may take a dim view if some thing goes wrong and things
are not in order..


So they have gone from simply not providing to overt fraud. Report.
Trading standards. HETAS. Building Control.

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org

HETAS - is it just another certification scam?
 

On 10 Feb, 16:53, "hg" wrote:
wrote in message

...
I've recently had a wood burning cooker installed. The installation
process involved lining the flue, connecting the cooker, and providing
the air supply. The HETAS certificate was not forthcoming so I chased
up the installer, whose credentials I had checked on the HETAS website
and with the company that sold me the cooker.

I was told that certification would cost me another £175 (I'd already
paid 10 times that!) and that, "didn't I remember discussing the issue
and agreeing I would do building control myself?" I wasn't happy, so
the MD of the firm suggested I accept a fraudulent certificate. I have
just received the certificate that contains the following
inaccuracies.

1. Twin wall flexible liner. - it isn't!
2.Permanently open air vent fitted. - it wasn't (and still isn't)!

And on the safety information plate, there's another porky:

3. Nominal diameter 6". - it isn't.

I could have installed the cooker myself for a fraction of the cost,
but decided for safety sake to go down the official route. My
conclusion is that the installers aren't certified for the type of
flue they did install, despite the HETAS website saying they are ( I
checked before giving them the job), so they have just lied.

Now I have a dodgy certificate, I don't know whether its best just to
accept it or pursue the matter further?

T

pursue the matter with hetas and your local building control...why would
they want to issue a dodgy certificate if every thing is legit? Your
insurance company may take a dim view if some thing goes wrong and things
are not in order..

The HETAS registered company don't want to issue a certificate for the
liner they installed for some reason. They tried to put me off by
charging a ridiculous amount, but decided to go down the fraudulent
certificate route instead.

Despite the HETAS website saying they are competent in "all types of
chimney lining", they probably are only certified for stainless steel.

T

HETAS - is it just another certification scam?
 

Your points 1,2 and 3 are LEGAL REQUIREMENTS. The building regs
specify solid fuel appliances MUST be twin wall, MUST have permanently
open vents, MUST be 6" or more diameter.

What was specified in the contract? I'd be reaching for a lawyer in
your position - and shopping them to building control. And as they've
proposed a fraud - possibly the police.

If they've fitted a single wall liner intended for gas appliances, it
may well fail in a few years time - there's damn good reasons for most
of the building regs requirements.

HETAS - is it just another certification scam?
 

HETAS - is it just another certification scam?
 

On 10 Feb, 16:21, wrote:
I've recently had a wood burning cooker installed. The installation
process involved lining the flue, connecting the cooker, and providing
the air supply. The HETAS certificate was not forthcoming so I chased
up the installer, whose credentials I had checked on the HETAS website
and with the company that sold me the cooker.

1. Twin wall flexible liner. - it isn't!
2.Permanently open air vent fitted. - it wasn't (and still isn't)!

And on the safety information plate, there's another porky:

3. Nominal diameter 6". - it isn't.


I'm no expert, but seem to recall there is a danger of chimney fires
with wood burning stoves. I'd be inclined to suspect they've installed
a cheap flue liner that isn't suitable for the intended purpose and
now are understandably reluctant to provide a written statement of
what they have installed.

Find someone competent, get a statement of what is wrong with the
work, sue them for the remedial works. Contact Hetas and state your
displeasure with their recommended installer. See if they can provide
some names.

HETAS - is it just another certification scam?
 

On 10 Feb, 18:23, " wrote:
Your points 1,2 and 3 are LEGAL REQUIREMENTS. The building regs
specify solid fuel appliances MUST be twin wall, MUST have permanently
open vents, MUST be 6" or more diameter.

What was specified in the contract? I'd be reaching for a lawyer in
your position - and shopping them to building control. And as they've
proposed a fraud - possibly the police.

If they've fitted a single wall liner intended for gas appliances, it
may well fail in a few years time - there's damn good reasons for most
of the building regs requirements.

Actually, points 1 and 3 aren't legal requirements. The installed flue
is a cast in situ refractory concrete liner, the diameter being 7".

They not only proposed a fraud, but I have the fraudulent certificate,
and the fraudulent safety information notice.

HETAS - is it just another certification scam?
 

My misunderstanding - I read it as meaning they had installed an
undersized stainless steel liner of a grade not intended for solid
fuel use.

HETAS - is it just another certification scam?
 

On 11 Feb, 07:59, " wrote:
My misunderstanding - I read it as meaning they had installed an
undersized stainless steel liner of a grade not intended for solid
fuel use.

I believe the flue to be fit for purpose. There's even a box on the
HETAS form for a cast in situ liner. The more I think about it, the
more I'm of the opinion that the company has let that part of their
HETAS registration lapse, and are covering their backs.

The irony is that the company is called something like
CastInSituLiners-R-Us and are part of a national franchise network of
the same name.

Nevertheless, fraudulent HETAS forms are one thing, not providing
external combustion air is quite another!