God keep the DIYers safe from harm

[ambrosia]

i apologise for the quality of my pictures, but i was having an argument with the customer while taking them.
what they show is a DIYer who has cut into and adapted the flue of a combi boiler to combine the tumble drier out let with the boiler flue. while the boiler is on it sucks all the fluff from the tumble drier into the heat exchanger

 

[lame plumber]

ho hum.............

 

[AlexGas]

View attachment 24663View attachment 24664View attachment 24665View attachment 24666

i apologise for the quality of my pictures, but i was having an argument with the customer while taking them.
what they show is a DIYer who has cut into and adapted the flue of a combi boiler to combine the tumble drier out let with the boiler flue. while the boiler is on it sucks all the fluff from the tumble drier into the heat exchanger

Send the pics to the Gas Engineer mag. I think you might be on the winner here and will get the prize.

 

[jtsplumbing]

So what was the outcome ? did you close down boiler ?? Or did he throw you out ?? this is a winner for the GS mag , the things people do !! :censored:

 

[Rickster123]

Did you riddor it?! I've never seen anything like it before!

 

[AlexGas]

Looks like good old BAXI 105 is dead now.

 

[AlexGas]

Please, tell us more about the DIYer.

 

[townfanjon]

Is he an engineer ?

 

[AlexGas]

Is he an engineer ?

Looks like it.

 

[Elgordo]

Lucky to be alive is what he is , bet he was well pleased with himself too

 

[REDSAW]

@~@

 

[hammers4spanner]

Some people are literally stupid

 

[ambrosia]

no he was in denial and still is. i was called out on a completely unrelated problem, water keeps going hot and cold.
got there and the he'd already taken the case off (i've given up telling customers they cant do that) saw the flue and couldnt believe it, however could not make him understand how serious it was. told him i was going to cap the meter and turn his gas off, he told me no way, told him i was going to turn gas off or call national grid and that that boiler was not staying on without a new flue. that turned out to be a big mistake because i just wanted to cap the boiler and run away from it, however he starts trying to get a new flue

Then his missus starts trying to shake me down, saying they had the boiler serviced a few months ago and the engineer didnt say there was anything wrong with it, but of course they had no paperwork, apparently the previous engineer and just said the water keeps going hot and cold because the pressure was down

eventually they agreed to have a new boiler fitted monday, without a powerflush to save money and only if i agreed to not charge them for call out. If they want to have a new boiler without a powerflush thats their problem

not a good situation to get into, really wanted to cap and run away, nothing worst than a customer who thinks he knows more about boilers than you.

its a shame the pictures were so bad, you cant see just how much soot there was all inside the flue, heat exchanger etc all in big clogging lumps

 

[ShaunCorbs]

make sure you take a pic of your installation just in case he decides to t in for his dryer

 

[AlexGas]

No powerflush!? I would try to cap it and just go!!! No permission to turn it off - a call to 0800 111999 would put them straight. Hope you are OK!

You ought to get them to sign a paper to say - they didn't want the PF, so there are no comebacks on that.

 

[macackau]

I'd be walking away from that job. No power flush means not installed to MI so no warranty/guarantee either. Customer sounds like hard work. Although it pays the bills sometimes it's best to lose out on a job and let someone else deal with them

 

[Allgoode]

Customer sounds like a right arse.

As mentioned above the best option would be to cap and walk away as you will no doubt be getting endless grief and then be blamed for not installing iaw MI's once the boiler goes wrong and the manufacturer has to be called out.

I don't think natures natural selection has worked with this customer and his idiotic idea's of how to route your tumble dryer's exhaust hose correctly.

I would seriously reconsider going back unless it is to cap off the old boiler, just explain to them that you have to do this to protect yourself and to justify fitting a new boiler, document everything and place warning labels, take photo's as well & them get them to sign notice.

Once that was done say you need to go and pick up the boiler bits never to return.

If anyone else is called out to sort then they will see all documentation and maybe call you or if the customer is a complete horse's arse and fits a new flue or the old one and takes himself out then not your prob.

A bit harsh but possibly best way forwards,

Think about it,

Thanks,

Andy

 

[gmartine]

I can't see anything but grief coming from this.

 

[ambrosia]

as far as i'm aware Ideal will allow an install without a powerflush, so theyre getting an Imini

I've told them the probable reason water was going hot and cold is a blocked heat exchanger and they need a powerflush.
Theyve already signed to say they have turned down a powerflush, although they did opt for a magnaclean as it was £300 and half the price of the powerflush

 

[macackau]

This is from the imini installation manual. Point number 4

It is most important that the correct concentration of the water treatment products is maintained in accordance with the manufacturers’ instructions.
2. If the boiler is installed in an existing system any unsuitable additives MUST be removed by thorough cleansing. BS 7593:2006 details the steps necessary to clean a domestic heating system.
3. In hard water areas, treatment to prevent lime scale may be necessary - however the use of arti cially softened water is NOT permitted.
4. Under no circumstances should the boiler be fired before the system has been thoroughly flushed

 

[Leo21]

as far as i'm aware Ideal will allow an install without a powerflush, so theyre getting an Imini

I've told them the probable reason water was going hot and cold is a blocked heat exchanger and they need a powerflush.
Theyve already signed to say they have turned down a powerflush, although they did opt for a magnaclean as it was £300 and half the price of the powerflush

Sounds reasonable for a Magna clean.

 

[lame plumber]

No manufacturer demands a power flush imho, this is something the likes of BG have invented, quite often a desludger put in 2 weeks before you go to remove a boiler achieves very good results, especially as it has had time to break up any sludge and put it in suspension, people think a power flush is the be all and end all, it isnt, its just another means of cleaning a system, but not always the best, especially if it is on a micro bore system.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

would be walking away and ringing ESP,job has a bad karma,would not be touching it,experience tells me this ones going to go pear

 

[Leo21]

would be walking away and ringing ESP,job has a bad karma,would not be touching it,experience tells me this ones going to go pear

Same here, I'd be asking for a big deposit up front at the very least.

 

[jonnyswamp]

Just read post#13, I would distance myself from this idiot as fast as I could, make sure you do everything by the book, ID notice, call ESP if refused etc
I'd get gassafe involved (even if the other service engineer is imaginary)
And I would also put in writing (to the idiot) the reasons why I wouldn't carry out any repairs/replacement (he couldn't see the immediate danger he had put his family in and would probably do the same again)
The above letter would be hand delivered