I have my initial gas safe inspection coming up after successfully completing my ACS a few weeks ago - and, it's fair to say i'm slightly nervous. Not particularly because I think i'm not capable of
doing the various process' you have to follow, but doing them in the right order, whilst under pressure is somewhat daunting. So I'm hoping that the people on here may be able to offer some CONSTRUCTIVE advice on what YOU tend to do on a service. Following MI's is always the advice, I get that... but it seems to vary from engineer to engineer.
What i've found when i've been going out with engineers is that they all have their own way of doing things, so you try to pick up the "best bits" from each engineer and merge them into a package, whilst following the MI's. It's amazing what some engineers do/don't do... and can be a little confusing - particularly when one engineer will happily leave a manometer unattended on a gas meter for 20 mins, whilst another says that doing so is a huge no no...
Anyway, this is the process I intend to follow when I do a service on a Worcester 38cdi in the coming days - during my initial inspection.
1 - speak to customer to ask if any known issues or concerns.
2. Visual inspection of flue, ensure it's terminating correctly - not stuck in the middle of a hedge or 10mm from an openable window etc etc... no sign of "sooting" or incomplete combustion... condensate terminates correctly.
3. Tightness test installation prior to taking off boiler cover or carrying out any "work". Record standing pressure. checking no appliances are running on pilot and thermostat is set to low - customer told not to operate HW or CH
4. LDF meter unions, test nipple.. etc etc - following tightness test.
5. inspection of meter for bonding, label, tampering, correctly sealed, correctly supported, valve falls to off - direction tape.
6. return to boiler - attach FGA probe to o2 sampling point - turn boiler to max, carry out a flue integrity check as per MI's, case on. Assuming all good...
7. case off - visual inspection of connections and electrical components. any signs of incomplete combustion ( I know it's ok as I've checked it several times over last few days in preparation...)
8. fan depression test (showing -6.7) Heat exchanger doesn't need cleaning - so moving on... clean inside of appliance using appropriate tool/brush/whatever. Mi's say that no further action taken at this level so seals not disturbed - all confirmed at Worcester training centre during a training course.
9. Boiler off. Connect manomenter to gas valve. Standing pressure at appliance - turn to max - record operating pressure. Max off. Boiler off. remove manometer - LDF gas Valve.
10. Go to gas meter - attach manometer - return to boiler - put into max - leave for a few mins and gas rate (MI's say 10 mins - but does anyone actually wait?!) - record working pressure at meter - LDF test nipple. drop gas valve - check FFD locks out boiler after 4/5 attempts of reignition.
11. Once gas rated (comes in at just under 40kw.. the 38cdi is a 40kw boiler according to data badge) - check condensate - clean as appropriate. Refit.
12. boiler into max - leave for a few mins - purge FGA - insert probe - allow to stabalise - adjust gas valve on max to MI specs - same on min - then return to check max (one can alter the other) - after waiting for stabalisation period.
13. Assuming all is good and inline with MI's - return boiler to original state, complete paperwork - test CO/smoke alarms. customer signs sheet... walk away.
right, what have I missed??
Some may say this is overkill... some may say otherwise. Either way, the "if you have to ask then you shouldn't be doing it" brigade don't help.
When I've been going out with engineers they rarely do this much... which is worrying. I've seen guys tightness test, gas rate and analyse - adjust gas valve and then move on to paperwork. so it's hard to know "exactly" what should be done on every occasion.
Any help appreciated - comments and suggestions.
Thanks
P.S. Meter isn't bonded - record as a defect on paperwork and advise customer to have it done asap (not AR/ID - so on sheet just line through the defect category - as NCS "no longer exists" - leave bonding notice at meter and inform cust...)
doing the various process' you have to follow, but doing them in the right order, whilst under pressure is somewhat daunting. So I'm hoping that the people on here may be able to offer some CONSTRUCTIVE advice on what YOU tend to do on a service. Following MI's is always the advice, I get that... but it seems to vary from engineer to engineer.
What i've found when i've been going out with engineers is that they all have their own way of doing things, so you try to pick up the "best bits" from each engineer and merge them into a package, whilst following the MI's. It's amazing what some engineers do/don't do... and can be a little confusing - particularly when one engineer will happily leave a manometer unattended on a gas meter for 20 mins, whilst another says that doing so is a huge no no...
Anyway, this is the process I intend to follow when I do a service on a Worcester 38cdi in the coming days - during my initial inspection.
1 - speak to customer to ask if any known issues or concerns.
2. Visual inspection of flue, ensure it's terminating correctly - not stuck in the middle of a hedge or 10mm from an openable window etc etc... no sign of "sooting" or incomplete combustion... condensate terminates correctly.
3. Tightness test installation prior to taking off boiler cover or carrying out any "work". Record standing pressure. checking no appliances are running on pilot and thermostat is set to low - customer told not to operate HW or CH
4. LDF meter unions, test nipple.. etc etc - following tightness test.
5. inspection of meter for bonding, label, tampering, correctly sealed, correctly supported, valve falls to off - direction tape.
6. return to boiler - attach FGA probe to o2 sampling point - turn boiler to max, carry out a flue integrity check as per MI's, case on. Assuming all good...
7. case off - visual inspection of connections and electrical components. any signs of incomplete combustion ( I know it's ok as I've checked it several times over last few days in preparation...)
8. fan depression test (showing -6.7) Heat exchanger doesn't need cleaning - so moving on... clean inside of appliance using appropriate tool/brush/whatever. Mi's say that no further action taken at this level so seals not disturbed - all confirmed at Worcester training centre during a training course.
9. Boiler off. Connect manomenter to gas valve. Standing pressure at appliance - turn to max - record operating pressure. Max off. Boiler off. remove manometer - LDF gas Valve.
10. Go to gas meter - attach manometer - return to boiler - put into max - leave for a few mins and gas rate (MI's say 10 mins - but does anyone actually wait?!) - record working pressure at meter - LDF test nipple. drop gas valve - check FFD locks out boiler after 4/5 attempts of reignition.
11. Once gas rated (comes in at just under 40kw.. the 38cdi is a 40kw boiler according to data badge) - check condensate - clean as appropriate. Refit.
12. boiler into max - leave for a few mins - purge FGA - insert probe - allow to stabalise - adjust gas valve on max to MI specs - same on min - then return to check max (one can alter the other) - after waiting for stabalisation period.
13. Assuming all is good and inline with MI's - return boiler to original state, complete paperwork - test CO/smoke alarms. customer signs sheet... walk away.
right, what have I missed??
Some may say this is overkill... some may say otherwise. Either way, the "if you have to ask then you shouldn't be doing it" brigade don't help.
When I've been going out with engineers they rarely do this much... which is worrying. I've seen guys tightness test, gas rate and analyse - adjust gas valve and then move on to paperwork. so it's hard to know "exactly" what should be done on every occasion.
Any help appreciated - comments and suggestions.
Thanks
P.S. Meter isn't bonded - record as a defect on paperwork and advise customer to have it done asap (not AR/ID - so on sheet just line through the defect category - as NCS "no longer exists" - leave bonding notice at meter and inform cust...)
