Dodgy installation maybe?

[Atouchofgas]

Right guys, bit of advice please. Had phone call early, cust has some work done to her property and has had a new ch system installed. Guy who installed it has " disappeared " and she's is having a dispute with builder. I have been asked to go and inspect and if possible commission. I have said unable to commission until I can see the extent of what's needing done and needing redone. Question is what should I be looking for apart from the obvious eg pipe size etc or should I run for the hills. Sorry for the long winded story

 

[Dotty]

Take no prisoners and plenty of notes. Think blank canvas and how you'd have done the job then mentally compare.

And don't be afraid to walk away the moment payment is questioned, she's asked you in, not the builder. Her arguments with him, let her recoup the money from him.

 

[Barry98]

Paper trail - have one

 

[Atouchofgas]

Cheers croppie, not afraid to walk end of day it would be my name on it.

 

[Leo21]

Just bear in mind that anything not right your more than likely liable for. Set your stall out, and charge her from the off. Including a first inspection. No favours owed! You didn't do the job.

 

[hammers4spanner]

first issue payment
second issue in my mind on scenarios like this is the boiler, you can do TT,gas rate ,visual inspections of flue ,appliance piping, pressures etc etc but you never know how well its fixed to the wall .
you stick your name on it and some doughnut has used inch screws or wall is soft and could end up on floor in couple months .

 

[deandive]

Im allways a bit sceptical about jobs like this, cant help thinking either its a cowboy builder or the dispute is over money, if its the former then I suppose its just a case of ensuring all is well and billing the customer. If the dispute is money based Id walk away just in case you get stung too

 

[Leo21]

As above. Sometimes it's a ploy to get a boiler fitted without getting "over priced" gas safe engineers to do it.

 

[Atouchofgas]

I agree with you Leo, going into job with eyes wide open, a large note pad and will take photos, just so I can cover my bum

 

[Dotty]

I like the point about how it's hung and what fixings were used.

Unless you're going to have to rehang the boiler make sure you record that you aren't responsible for the mounting of the boiler.

 

[tamz]

We all know the arguments about not signing stuff off but if you don't someone will or they will fire it up themselves. When it comes down to it, no one is going stay cold.
You will know as soon as you look at it. Just use common sense. If it has a 20ft run of half inch for the gas and speedfit off the boiler walk away.
Not all guys doing jobs on the side are idiots. Most do it for a day job but can't sign it off.

 

[pipefitter]

I had the same scenario a couple of years back & I drained down & actually took the boiler off the wall to check the fixing,it's the only way to be sure,turned out to be ok but if your putting your name to it you need to be certain that its a good install

 

[Leo21]

I like the point about how it's hung and what fixings were used.

Unless you're going to have to rehang the boiler make sure you record that you aren't responsible for the mounting of the boiler.

If your worried about the fixings just grab the boiler at the top and do a pull up. That's what I do on the bracket if I'm not sure if the fixing. If it can take your weight plus the boiler it's fine.

 

[tamz]

I drained down & actually took the boiler off the wall to check the fixing,it's the only way to be sure

You should have just swung on it. If it doesn't pull off the wall with an extra 90kg of weight it is going nowhere.
That idea of taking the boiler down has always intriged me. Who is to say because someone has a gas card they are any more qualified in screws and rawlplugs than your average "tradesman".
I've seen fully qualified gas guys hang boilers with 35mm drywalls or redidrivers

 

[lame plumber]

gas safe produced a tb on this subject a while back, print it off and take it with you, they are quite specific in what they want you to do as its your bum hanging out if its picked up later on

 

[tamz]

gas safe produced a tb on this subject a while back, print it off and take it with you, they are quite specific in what they want you to do

Yes they are quite specific in saying don't do it so in the real world they are really encouraging people to turn it on and hope for the best ( i would if it was me in that situation so could that be considered good gas safe (for the consumer) advice?).

Gas safe don't write the rules they merely interpret them then put their spin on it.

 

[lame plumber]

Yes they are quite specific in saying don't do it so in the real world they are really encouraging people to turn it on and hope for the best ( i would if it was me in that situation so could that be considered good gas safe (for the consumer) advice?).

Gas safe don't write the rules they merely interpret them then put their spin on it.

cmon tamz once you read past the bs they do specify clearly what you should do, then tell you how much theyll jump on you if you dont though

 

[Atouchofgas]

Cheers for the replays lads, I will find the tb and read it, go to job and assess what's need. I am just wary as theres a dispute going on and I am being dragged into it but id rather go and make sure that it's a safe job

 

[Dotty]

As said previously, lay your stall out and refuse to be dragged into any disputes. Just tell it how you see it no matter which party it upsets.

 

[pipefitter]

You should have just swung on it. If it doesn't pull off the wall with an extra 90kg of weight it is going nowhere.
That idea of taking the boiler down has always intriged me. Who is to say because someone has a gas card they are any more qualified in screws and rawlplugs than your average "tradesman".
I've seen fully qualified gas guys hang boilers with 35mm drywalls or redidrivers

I was getting paid to check if the install is correct ! Why would I swing on a boiler! I can drain it ,undo a few nuts & remove a flue & lift the boiler off then check what fixings have been used
I'm not suggesting that a gsr is better at fixing something to the wall than your average tradesman but if I'm called into check the integrity of a install I will assume that it wasn't a tradesman that did it originally

 

[stevetheplumber]

run a bead of stixall around the boiler i will never come of lol