Chimney height regulations/removal

[SolarCity]

I'm often asked by customers if they are allowed to have their chimney removed. Can anyone point me at the regulations regarding this?

 

[telectrix]

if it's not required then as far as i know, there's no reg. says you can't demolish or reduce the height. seen loads that have become unsafe removed.

 

[SolarCity]

Currently only used for a gas fire - presumably the height of it can be reduced very low?

It is a large chimney on a bungalow.

 

[telectrix]

all you need to worry about is that the chimney has enough height to flue the exhaust gas out.

 

[BruceB]

Building Regs Approved Document J Diagram 34 should lead you to the answer, although you might have to refer to manufacturers instructions or a BS depending on the type of flue outlet.

 

[Gavin A]

Currently only used for a gas fire - presumably the height of it can be reduced very low?

It is a large chimney on a bungalow.

personally, if it's used as a gas flu we don't touch it, as there could be severe liability issues if you'd somehow ended up blocking the flu while doing the work, which would be fairly easy to do by mistake in unlined chimneys.

I don't know the exact regs on it, but our gas safe engineer had much sucking of teeth and looked very concerned when we discussed it, and thought we'd probably need to issue a gas safety cert to be on the safe side, so it's simpler just to say no IMO.

Any other chimney though, and we'll cap it at ridge height no problem - getting it below the roofline entirely is a bit more of an undertaking if it's through the ridge. AFAIK it's not a notifiable work as long as there's no structural element to it and it's not used, but I could be wrong (hopefully not).

 

[SolarCity]

Thanks for the info, fellas.

 

[solarsavings]

I'm gassafe registered so could lower the flue and check the safe operation of the gas fire and flue after the work was done. You could get a gassafe guy to take a look might cost about £45 for that and probably £65 to service the fire(and check the flue) after the work has been done.

 

[SolarCity]

To be fair, it was just advice that I wanted to pass on to customers. I wasn't going to be removing the chimney myself.

 

[steve Leese]

If you take the chimney down below roof level you will have to notify building control as you will be altering the roof structure, and be aware if your in a conservation area you can`t do anything to the chimney at all, a local person in my area of wales removed his chimney because it was unstable and they made him re-instate it with the same stone.

 

[Gavin A]

good point, I meant to say not to touch it in a conservation area etc, but forgot.

 

[sedgy34]

I'm often asked by customers if they are allowed to have their chimney removed. Can anyone point me at the regulations regarding this?

I removed mine so my 16 panels fitted perfectly, you can have a balanced flue fire if the chimney becomes in the way