Boiler Condemned? What a Warning Notice Means and What to Do

If your boiler has been condemned, a gas engineer has found a fault they judge to be unsafe, turned the boiler off and labelled it under the gas industry's unsafe situations procedure. "Condemned" is the everyday word for it; the label itself will say either Immediately Dangerous or At Risk. Either way, do not use the boiler until the fault has been put right by a Gas Safe registered engineer. It does not automatically mean you need a new boiler. Many faults behind a warning notice can be repaired.

What Does It Mean When a Boiler Is Condemned?

It means an engineer has classed the boiler, its flue or the gas supply to it as unsafe and made it safe by switching it off or disconnecting it. The warning label and notice record what they found.

Every Gas Safe registered engineer follows the same procedure when they find something unsafe, whether they work for British Gas, a boiler manufacturer, the gas emergency service or a small local firm. That is why people searching for a "British Gas boiler warning" and people with a sticker from an independent engineer are dealing with the same thing. The engineer should attach a label to the boiler, give you a written warning notice, and explain in plain terms what the fault is and why it is unsafe.

If you did not get that explanation, ask for it. You are entitled to know which fault was found, which category it was put in, and what was done to make it safe. Keep the notice: whoever repairs the boiler will want to see it.

What Is the Difference Between Immediately Dangerous and At Risk?

Immediately Dangerous means the boiler is a danger to life or property as it stands. At Risk means there are one or more faults that could become dangerous, so it should not be used until they are fixed.

• Immediately Dangerous (ID): the engineer will ask your permission to turn the boiler off and disconnect it from the gas supply, usually by capping the pipe. Typical examples are a gas leak, fumes spilling into the room or a flue that is broken or disconnected. If a householder refuses, the engineer can call in the gas emergency service, which has legal powers to make the supply safe.
• At Risk (AR): the engineer will turn the boiler off with your permission and label it, but may leave it connected. Examples include a flue hidden in a ceiling or boxing with no way of inspecting it, or a combustion reading that is outside the manufacturer's limits.
• Not to Current Standards (NCS): this is not a warning notice. It means something does not meet today's rules but is not unsafe. You can keep using the boiler, and the engineer will just tell you about it.

The label on the boiler usually shows which category applies. If you are not sure, the written notice will say.

Can You Still Use a Boiler With a Warning Notice on It?

No. Once a boiler has been labelled Immediately Dangerous or At Risk, you should not switch it back on, reconnect it or remove the label until it has been repaired and checked.

The rules on gas safety say that no one should use a gas appliance, or allow it to be used, if they know or suspect it is dangerous. Beyond the law, the practical risks are real: a leaking joint, a damaged flue or poor combustion can lead to fire, explosion or carbon monoxide poisoning, and carbon monoxide has no smell. Turning the boiler back on also means any damage that follows is on you, and your home insurer may take a dim view of it.

While you wait for the repair, you can usually still use electric heaters and an immersion heater if you have one. If you smell gas at any point, follow the steps in our guide on what to do if you smell gas near your boiler and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.

Can a Condemned Boiler Be Repaired?

Often, yes. A warning notice describes a fault, not the boiler's age or condition, and many of the faults behind one are a single part or a single joint.

Faults that are commonly repairable include:

• A leaking joint or fitting on the gas pipe to the boiler, which is resealed or replaced and then tested.
• A flue with a loose, damaged or poorly sealed section, which is replaced or remade.
• A flue hidden in a void with no inspection hatches, which is put right by fitting hatches so the whole run can be checked.
• A seal, gasket or component inside the boiler that is letting fumes escape or upsetting combustion, where the part is still available.

Repair is less likely to be sensible when the fault is in a major part such as the heat exchanger on an older boiler, when parts are no longer made, or when the boiler has other faults building up. That is a judgement worth making with the facts in front of you. Our article on whether it is worth repairing an old boiler covers how to weigh it up. If the answer is replacement, an honest engineer will tell you so rather than keep patching it.

Should You Get a Second Opinion?

You can, and it is reasonable to, especially if you were told the only option is a new boiler. Any Gas Safe registered engineer can inspect the boiler and give you their own view of the fault.

Do it properly. Leave the label where it is and the boiler off, show the second engineer the written notice, and ask them to confirm the fault themselves rather than just quote for a new boiler. You can check that anyone you invite in is on the Gas Safe Register before they arrive. If they agree it is unsafe, ask what the repair involves and what it would cost, so you are comparing a repair with a replacement rather than one quote with nothing.

A second opinion is not a way to get the label removed without a fix. Once the fault has been repaired, the engineer who did the work will test the boiler, remove the label and tell you it is safe to use.

What Should Landlords and Tenants Do?

Tenants should tell their landlord or letting agent straight away and send them a photo of the notice. Landlords must arrange the repair through a Gas Safe registered engineer before the boiler is used again.

Warning notices often turn up during the annual gas safety check. A landlord cannot get a pass certificate for an appliance that has been labelled unsafe until it has been fixed, so the repair and the certificate go together. Our guide to the landlord gas safety certificate (CP12) explains what that check covers. If you are a tenant with no heating or hot water while you wait, keep a note of when you reported it and what you have been told.

If you need the fault on a warning notice diagnosed and put right, our boiler repair service in London starts by confirming what was found before recommending anything.