Standards Development

Scope

“This part of BS 5440 specifies requirements for the installation of gas appliances to chimneys, chimney installation work likely to be undertaken by gas engineers and operatives working under UK gas industry conditions and requirements for the maintenance of chimneys.

It is applicable to open flue chimneys for Type B gas appliances and room-sealed chimney configurations for Type C gas appliances, each of rated input not exceeding 70 kW net (see Note 2 and Note 3), burning 1st, 2nd or 3rd family gases. It applies to chimneys of the natural draught or fanned draught type and is applicable to open flue chimneys and room-sealed chimneys supplied with the appliance as well as to those supplied separately.

NOTE Type B and Type C appliances are explained in Table A.1. It complements the requirements for the design, installation and commissioning of chimneys as required in BS EN 15287-1 and BS EN 15287-2 and requires extra details that are specific to the UK gas industry. This is kept in perspective by quoting some details of BS EN 15287-1 and BS EN 15287-2. It specifies the following:

• requirements for the selection of the appropriate flueing option for gas appliances in the UK;

• requirements for the installation of gas appliances to new chimneys, or chimney configurations;

• requirements for the installation of gas appliances to existing chimneys or chimney configurations;

• requirements for the installation of appliances which carry a CE mark and for which the manufacturer’s instructions are available to the installer;

• requirements installation of appliances which do not carry a CE mark and used/second-hand appliances for which the manufacturer’s instructions are available to the installer.

This part of BS 5440 is applicable to:

• complete chimney and all chimney components from the appliance connection to the discharge point into outside air;

• the installation of gas appliances to existing chimneys that were intended originally for appliances burning other fuels;

• chimneys for residential park homes but not to chimneys for leisure accommodation vehicles. This part of BS 5440 is not applicable to gas-fired incinerators. Refer to BS 5871-3 for the installation of decorative fuel effect appliances.

This part of BS 5440 includes compatibility of appliances installed in the UK with new chimneys designated under BS EN 1443 and with existing chimneys, including non-designated chimneys.”

Purpose

A revision is needed to ensure the industry is up to date with the use of different flue types, specifically for C-type appliances, the changes within Part F of the Building Regulations with regards to ventilation, the reinforcement of the requirements of Part J of the Building Regulations for flues in voids and the assurance around new build properties with lower levels of air permeability.

The input of the Gas Safe technical bulletins that have been published over the past 14 years, as well as the removal of design and build of shared flue systems that are no longer being built, such as U-Ducts, Se-Ducts, and Shunt-Ducts to make the Standard must easier to follow. The strengthening around internal kitchens is in dire need of expanding on within the document to help clarify the requirements of combustion air vs purge air.

The document is now 14 years out of date, surpassing its 5 yearly review requirements by 9 years. There are multiple areas that need reviewing and strengthening around flue installations to help strengthen the manufacturer’s instructions and also help create consistency.