It is a known fact that brick chimneys leak as bricks are porous however there is a point at which too much leakage will stop the chimney working.
A chimney works under a vacuum, so if you equate it to drinking through a straw that has a hole in you can understand that its function can be hindered.
Why or when do I need an integrity test?
- Building control requires it when there is a change of use or prior to the installation of a solid fuelled appliance.
- You suspect fumes may be leaking out somewhere
- Following a party wall dispute where a neighbour may have leakage into their property
- You have a new build with an untested chimney
- The appliance hasn’t been used in over 3 years and or its condition must be known prior to use.
- As part of a HETAS Safety Inspection
At Hodgson’s we have several DP23 testing machines which measure the leakage of your chimney rather than guessing with smoke. The main advantage of this equipment is that there is no access required to other dwellings and rooms as it is needed with smoke testing. It is also accurate and repeatable.
Pressure testing provides confirmation of the integrity of such systems:
- H1 Rated (5000pa) appliance for combined heat and power unit generator sets
- P1 (200pa) for Lower pressure usage on Boilers, Biomass Systems Hot water Generator
- Class 1 prefabricated systems
The Wohler DP 23 tests the tightness of flues and chimneys
Basic range of pressure and tightness testing:
- Ability to test all chimney classes and flue classes
- Ability to test commercial, industrial and powerplant flue class systems
If a Type 1 Smoke Test is Required we can ofcourse undertake this service to Approved Document J building regulations.
Our Sister company Covers London and the South East Too! Clean Sweep
For More details on how we perform these tests please click the link Integrity test and Smoke Test Type 1
Wohler DP600 Testing Unit