hrm boiler

[wukkie1]

hi i have an hrm boiler and want to service it. is there a service manuaavailable. my boiler runs ok but there is a slight black smoke where would this be coming from reegards bill

 

[Dotty]

Have you got a smoke gun, calibrated fga and a set of gauges?

If so I can help.

If not it would pay you to get someone in who knows what they're doing.

 

[Ermintrude]

DIY is fine on oil? It's only gas that will kill you, your children and the dog? Idiot . Just a bit of black smoke? U mean the wall is black round flue, oil leak inside and burner held in with string

 

[albatross]

The law says you must be competent to undertake such work. You need an OFTEC registered engineer to service your boiler.

 

[SimonG]

The law says you must be competent to undertake such work. You need an OFTEC registered engineer to service your boiler.

Actually it doesnt and you dont, but it should. But saying that, if you dont have the right equipment and the experience then you could just kill yourself and the family.

You can pick up all the gear for about 1k versus paying a good knowledgable engineer to come in annualy and do it. After all you would probably need to pay the bloke after youve stuffed it up.

Oh and by the way, turn it off, I charge considerably more depending on the amount of soot in the boiler.

 

[albatross]

I can't be bothered to look up the correct legal wording but if you think about it:

1. We would probably all agree that any oil installation must (by law) be fitted to building regulations and manufacturers instructions.

2. All manufacturers instructions I have seen for oil boilers state clearly that the appliance must be commissioned by a 'competent burner mechanic' (or similar wording). Also oil pressure/combustion must be set up.

3. To prove you are competent it is generally accepted that a person must have completed training and exams on an industry approved and recognised course. Just saying you are competent or reading a book in not good enough.

4. As you say a person would then have to buy gauges and an analyser and as we know they are not something a DIYer can just use out of the box therefore training would be required to know how to use them correctly.

So although unlike gas there is no law that says you must be qualified to work on oil appliances, by the reasoning above it could be said that is is not possible for a person to legally set up an oil burner unless they have at least passed a course such as OFT101.

Let's say a chap tries to service his oil boiler that we know is producing high carbon monoxide indicated by the soot, and through lack of knowledge/training/qualifications does not notice something dangerous that a qualified engineer would, or does something to make it worse, and either by chance or incompetence the next day that boiler catches fire or produces so much CO that someone dies.
The man is left with that on his conscience, house insurance refusing to pay up, a dead relative, a court case and a prison sentence, all because his ignorance/stupidity driven by a desire to save £100 by not paying an engineer do do the job correctly.

As professionals and the face of a safety related industry we should all give a united front in only ever advising people to use qualified persons to do work even if the law does not say so. In doing so we may have a little more work and as the years go on get rid of all the poor/unsafe installations we see every day and maybe save a few lives and alot of unhappy homeowners. How many times have we all been to jobs that have obviously been attacked by a DIYer, made worse and cost them more to correct it than to have had it done properly the first time.

 

[Soggy]

Well said, albatross.

 

[Ermintrude]

What like this self service isar, snapped the flue port off a few years ago when tightening thinks up.... He just thought it was a bolt!

 

[SimonG]

Everything you say is correct except the two statements in your first post. Its not law and you dont have to be oftec to service a boiler. Im all for a united front, but im also all for giving the correct info. I wont affect my credibility or professionalism by giving incorrect info to gain more work.

Truth is if you dont know what you are doing, dont have the gear and dont know how to use it if you do have it then leave stuff alone.

What we really need are more muppets like the op to play and die, unfortunately its only through deaths that what you say will come to pass.

 

[Ermintrude]

One ore two deaths / near misses won't do anything. Needs to be a national scandal before anyone even raises eyelid

 

[IDCHAPPY]

I don't really do oil as it's stinky gear but it really should have Oilsafe or be brought under Gashsafe at the worst....

 

[SimonG]

I don't really do oil as it's stinky gear but it really should have Oilsafe or be brought under Gashsafe at the worst....

Cant beat the smell of kerosene in the morning

 

[IDCHAPPY]

Cant beat the smell of kerosene in the morning

Eeeeee, your a hardier man then me mate :lol:

 

[Ermintrude]

Oil safe, water safe, gas safe, solid safe what next spark safe

 

[albatross]

Everything you say is correct except the two statements in your first post. Its not law and you dont have to be oftec to service a boiler.

You are right but I was being lazy. It's easy and good advice to tell someone to get an engineer than explain the full ins and out of the law to get to the same answer.

My second post took me ages and and sometimes my poor little pinkies are so sore it hurts to type alot!

 

[SimonG]

You are right but I was being lazy. It's easy and good advice to tell someone to get an engineer than explain the full ins and out of the law to get to the same answer.

My second post took me ages and and sometimes my poor little pinkies are so sore it hurts to type alot!

Its hard cos we all know it should be the law. Gas, oil and solid fuels should all require competence, experience and certification.

 

[lame plumber]

Everything you say is correct except the two statements in your first post. Its not law and you dont have to be oftec to service a boiler. Im all for a united front, but im also all for giving the correct info. I wont affect my credibility or professionalism by giving incorrect info to gain more work.

Truth is if you dont know what you are doing, dont have the gear and dont know how to use it if you do have it then leave stuff alone.



What we really need are more muppets like the op to play and die, unfortunately its only through deaths that what you say will come to pass.

its written in British Standards that you have to be competent and belong to a registered body to work on oil appliances, likewise for solid fuel appliances. the courts will refer back to these if you cock up and kill someone, just as the do with the highway code which is an advisory document the courts refer to when sending you down

 

[SimonG]

its written in British Standards that you have to be competent and belong to a registered body to work on oil appliances, likewise for solid fuel appliances. the courts will refer back to these if you cock up and kill someone, just as the do with the highway code which is an advisory document the courts refer to when sending you down

Which one?

 

[albatross]

Which one?

Thats the problem, you can never find the information when you need it!

 

[SimonG]

We should have a table of them as a sticky to refer to.

 

[albatross]

The other problem is it's around £100 to buy any British Standards BSI Shop - Buy British Standards
and there are many that apply to us. We would have to spend £2-3k to get all the relevant ones.

 

[SimonG]

Typical. Should be available for nothing to those that come under them.

 

[albatross]

Typical. Should be available for nothing to those that come under them.

I agree. It would raise the quality of workmanship and resolve alot of arguments.

 

[g-man]

People tinker around with the oil boilers and then call you in when the thing is choked with soot. What is worse is that they phone and say 'I think my boiler might need a service - how much do you charge?'