G3 diy install who do It report to.

[gingalig]

Hi, Not sure if its the right forum, please feel free to move if not.

Went out to a leak on an unvented cylinder and found all sorts of horribles, There was no benchmark, the PRV/ temp valve, PRV expannsion valve and Pressure reduction, all linked into the same 15mm pipe, terminating into an inline trap that went under the screed, on inspection it didnt actually connect to anything, just a hole in floor and big puddle. (The PRV/ temp was letting by and I suspect a faulty cylinder stat.) there is an existing 22mm copper pipe running into a 32mm sleeve under the screed that terminates outside the house ( Just a straight pipe into the air ) This has a tundish inside the house but is not connected to any pipework ?? There is not much scope for additional pipework as there is UFH, My question is do I report this and if so, who to ? the owner has only just moved in and there is no paperwork. I have said that I will make safe, replace the PRV, terminate the outlet correctly, and connect the pipework to the tundish, but that I'm not happy to benchmark it. Apologies if I'm asking the obvious, I am G3 but dont have that much experience of these kind of bodges.

 

[Harvest Fields]

@ShaunCorbs

 

[snowhead]

There's no point wasting your time reporting it.
No-one will be interested, the previous owner won't be able to remember who did the work.

Disconnect and treat it as a new install, of a previously used unvented, the same as a non registered gas boiler would be done.

 

[oz-plumber]

This is my easy solution - implemented it many times.

Fix what you can to make it safe and make sure the cylinder won't explode.

Write up a report on the system for the customer to hand over to whatever relevant authority.

Charge the customer for you rectification work and writing up of report.

Give them a ballpark estimation on total rectification costs.
Had too many problems in the past with getting over involved with the situation and then involved with the authorities.

You won't get paid for all the time you waste getting involved and the more you get involved the more the job becomes yours.

Leave the messy bit with dealing with the authorities up to the customer and leave it up to the authorities to amend the requirements on your report.
Then you will at least have a clearcut, defined and authority recommended repair schedule - to charge the customer for

 

[Last Plumber]

There are no 'Police' for this type of thing. Building Control are the nearest thing but they will not be interested in it at all.

Give a price for correcting it if you want to.
Make sure you put the 'Dangers/Do not use', side of it in writing and get a signature.

 

[chris watkins]

All of the above I am afraid to say.
Around 3/4 of all we go to have not been installed correctly.

How old is gingalig ?

House owner is the one responsible in the eyes of the Law, if only they understood that maybe they would be more interested in who is installing not just the cost!!!

 

[Mrwhisky]

Hi,

I've got a question off the back of this post.

Last year I had a direct invented cylinder installed by a gas safe registered engineer with G3 qualification.

The guy works for the same local authority as me and I'll be honest I thought I was saving money.

I can't comment on the state of the workmanship but I've kept chasing him to register the cylinder but he just gives loads of excuses or outright ignores me.

I'm not one for reporting people but I believe it's a legal requirement to register the cylinder and self certify the work. He didn't even fill in the checklist either, which again seems to be a legal requirement.

I've not got much choice but to report him I'm afraid, would this be to gas safe or building control? We work for a different authority to where the flat is with the installation.

I paid him promptly, kicking myself for doing it too promptly before getting it registered and the proper paperwork.

Thanks for any advice. If he never gets back is it possible to have the same unit "reinstalled" by someone who will do things by the book?

Cheers

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Building control chances are he’s not qualified out of work hours etc

 

[Last Plumber]

As I said in 2018, you are wasting your time reporting it. It is only when someone is injured or killed by something or property is damaged that these things are investigated and dealt with, or that's how it seems to be to me.

Gas safe are no use in this case as they only allow people with the modern qualification that covers G3 regulations to self certify via their business. In other words, they have seen a certificate that says a person has sat a course and passed, which in itself means nothing either these days.

Gas Safe no longer recognize a valid C&G certificate and 35 years of industrial, commercial and domestic experience. However, if you pay a couple of hundred for half a day in a classroom learning nothing and hold zero experience, you're welcome.
Baffling but true!!

Nothing against those who know their stuff but the qualification alone proves nothing to me and everything to Gas Safe.

Building control will do nothing either. Try by all means but don't waste too much time on it and don't hold your breath.

I did report a lethal situation to HSE once over but their attitude was disappointing too.

 

[Chuck]

I'd forget about reporting him unless the work is manifestly unsafe. In practice, if he won't or can't complete the registration, you're going have to get the cylinder reinstalled and registered by a legitimate company. Let him know that's how you are going to proceed unless he has completed the LABC and warranty registration by some specific date. Then reclaim the costs from him using the small claims legal procedure if necessary.

In my experience, getting friends / family / colleagues who are 'in the trade' to do work on the cheap, or even at full cost, rarely ends well.