Advice wanted

[David horton]

Hi guys

I have only joined today, so my apologies if this question has been asked before and answers are already on here, but at the moment I can't find any. I have been a service engineer for 7 years, I have done a little bit off break down on winter call out but can honestly say it's mostly been an educated guess when standing in front of a boiler that doesn't work. I understand how a boiler works, but have had no multi meter training, fault finding training and not changed many parts. I keep getting told the best way to learn is getting stuck, but would first like to know the basics, can anyone advise me on any worth while courses to go on, I don't mind paying but want to learn not just be given the sales pitch for boilers ?? Any advise would be much appreciated. Thanks

 

[Dotty]

Welcome to the madhouse David.

You'll get a wealth of information off this site but a lot of what you'll be asking is can only be answered in our gsr private forum.

Go visit this thread, it'll answer most of your questions on how we operate.

http://www.ukplumbersforums.co.uk/new-member-introductions/59145-how-get-started-ukpf.html

 

[IDCHAPPY]

Go on manufacturers training courses, will give you good grounding on there boilers mate

 

[Whyme]

Agree with big chappy. they will tell you there boilers are the best, just take from them the fault finding. once you get your head around modern boilers (cos older ones are easier) and the components and why they are there and how to test em it will all slot into place..

 

[David horton]

Go on manufacturers training courses, will give you good grounding on there boilers mate

Cheers mate

 

[Centralheatking]

Keep in touch David horton - we always like to encourage new members
there is LOADS of collective knowledge on here AND you can also help
us to learn as well.

Join into the Plumbers Arms when your free
J Cropp ALWAYS buys newcomers the first beer

centralheatking

 

[kris]

Hi David if you want a quick guided course you can learn at home then go to Mr Combi , he does everything from phone apps to training courses and he sells boiler fault finding DVDs , i purchased one myself, im same as you well used to be , i never done fault finding and ive never had anyone show me so ive learned all myself, between getting stuck in and purchasing things like the dvd and studying this forum youl soon pick it up, but the best training is at the boiler your working on, granted its a nightmnare if dont know what your lookin for but once you do a little bit of studyin youl pick it up quick smart, practise your multimeter (if u have one) on your own boiler or a friend or relative) ,, stick with the forum at least the guys on here are top notch very friendly and are glad to help anyone in trouble,,,,,,

 

[goz666]

I don't know anybody who has the answer to everything and even the technical guys at the manufacturers get it wrong. My only advice is to be open with other fitters you meet in the merchants, tell them you're new to breakdown work and I've never known any who wouldn't assist on the other end of a phone. Build up a network if you can, more heads the better just like this site.

 

[mountainman]

Croppie must have been on call when I joined, not even a pint in the pipe for me :'(

 

[Dotty]

Croppie must have been on call when I joined, not even a pint in the pipe for me :'(

You joined while I was on walkabout for a year.....

 

[SafeGasInstall]

Hi and welcome to the forum . the right place to gain and give info

could you please explain to me how did you service boilers for 7 years and not been able to faultfind them now ? Surly if you know what you are looking when you service a boiler and you understand how boiler work , all you have to do to fault find it is go in revers order of boiler sequence or separate the stages and realise where boiler is giving up

 

[stevetheplumber]

i would recomend the baxi three day course one day is all multimeter testing well worth the money

 

[Ermintrude]

Hi and welcome to the forum . Defiantly the right place to gain and give info

could you please explain to me how did you service boilers for 7 years and not been able to faultfind them now ? Surly if you know what you are looking when you service a boiler and you understand how boiler work , all you have to do to fault find it is go in revers order of boiler sequence or separate the stages and realise where boiler is giving up

Possibly an fga man for 7 years now he's taking the case off?

 

[chris watkins]

You joined while I was on walkabout for a year.....

Have you returned then? cos I never saw one either, been here three years !!!

So don't hold your breath David, see thats what they do, temped you in with wild promises of a drink & I did hear talk of a women at one stage. Still welcome along your soon get use to them all.

P.S. I would go with steve,s suggestion Baxi is 3 days & most defiantly more than just a boiler selling course.

 

[Chris F]

The 3 day baxi course is ace, the john reginald books are good and so is the mr combi dvd.

 

[happyflyer]

Hi and welcome to the forum . the right place to gain and give info

could you please explain to me how did you service boilers for 7 years and not been able to faultfind them now ? Surly if you know what you are looking when you service a boiler and you understand how boiler work , all you have to do to fault find it is go in revers order of boiler sequence or separate the stages and realise where boiler is giving up

That's what I thought, also when servicing a boiler you are more likely to disturb something, when you batten down the hatches and turn on and it doesn't work that's the fault you can't find, what
do you do then. I am like Safe don't understand???

 

[P4ULT]

I'd go with the Baxi suggestions. I only did the one day but was very good, much better than any other course I've been on.

i don't understand how some of you guys think that because you can service a boiler you can automatically fault find.

 

[happyflyer]

I'd go with the Baxi suggestions. I only did the one day but was very good, much better than any other course I've been on.

i don't understand how some of you guys think that because you can service a boiler you can automatically fault find.

I thought it was a prerequisite just the opposite, like I said if you disturb something on a boiler full of wires, sensors, pcbs whilst your servicing it, put the cover back on and it don't work what do you tell the custard
sorry luv it don't work you will need to get a proper engineer to fix it now, oh and by the way I still need paying for the service, if you can't fully fix it leave the cover on and don't service it. I have serviced every dam boiler that was ever made up until about 30 years back 15Kw up to 3000Kw if you couldn't fault find they not going to let you touch it, maybe things have change P4ULT can you do both?

 

[happyflyer]

i would recomend the baxi three day course one day is all multimeter testing well worth the money

I think most will agree that most boilers have common faults, PCB , fan pressure switches etc. I also know some engineers who don't have a clue and will change all the parts
before they get to the right one that's faulty, a good service engineer will no which parts it is, if a boilers been running trouble free for 3 years and it fails, it is highly unlikely its the installation unless its a knock on effect. A good service engineer needs to be a good all rounder, the ins and outs of a ducks whatsit.

 

[P4ULT]

I can do service and repair but my Main business was installs. I only really did any service and repairs on boilers that I've installed in the past.