Important Information You Should Know
It may surprise you to know that In England & Wales all installation work
relating to appliances which burn solid fuel or wood biomass including
associated systems for heating, cooking and hot water, are subject to Building
Regulations and, depending on the scope of work, will require the issuance of
Approved Documents J, L, G & P and most work is notifiable by law to the Local
Authority where you live.
Communities and Local Government have indicated that the HETAS
Certificate of Compliance is the ONLY certificate to be used to show compliance
with the Building Regulations in respect of solid fuel appliances.
We've all noticed that the country has become obsessed with a "blame and claim"
culture. Failure to acquire a certificate for the installation of a solid fuel
appliance which could be found to be the cause of a fire can invalidate your
household insurance policy or delay the sale of your property at a later date.
It sounds crazy but the explanation for this though is very simple.
Because you are dealing with solid fuel, the temperatures that emanate from these
appliances are enormous and, for example, a solid fuel appliance located too
close to an insulated cavity wall could easily become a fire risk.
Few of us read the small print in policies so it often goes unnoticed but it is
designed to give the insurers an opt out for so many things.
Installation Do’s & Don’ts
Once you have decided to install a solid fuel appliance there are really only two
options available regarding installation.
The first option requires you to advise the Local Authority that you wish to
install a solid fuel appliance. They would then need to arrange for a building
control officer to visit your home to assess the site, inspect the work in
progress and to sign off the completed job assuming it meets their strict
criteria. This can cost you up to £300.
Your second and more cost effective option is to use a HETAS registered installer
such as SFI .
Not only do we absorb the costs of a building control inspection but we are
legally obliged to notify the Local Authority on your behalf within seven days
of finishing the job giving you peace of mind that your new system is safe for
all the family whilst at the same time saving you money.
It is therefore essential that we make you are aware at this point that because
we will provide you with a legal document certifying that the work has been
carried out to the relevant standards we will require payment in full on
completion of the installation.