If you're working on rads..

[WaterTight]

And it involves a drain-down.
And you make sure boiler is working before you start.
You turn off boiler, turn off power to pump.
Drain down.
Do the work.
Fill up, add inhibitor, remove any airlocks present.

If the boiler then won't work / work properly on re-starting system - is it always fair to say this will be because of an inherent fault that has come to light or at least a co-incidental fault that may have decided to develop during a drain-down but is not something I could be claimed to be responsible for? So in either case - not my fault?

I've only had this happen once. Got a guy out who said the fault was a random co-incidence and explained such to customer. But in total I've done maybe 9 or 10 drain-downs and re-fills on my own. Not many. And so it's always a background worry since the occurence. But is it basically the case that as long as I follow the correct above proceedure (and don't hit the boiler with a spanner or pour ketchip into the f+e) no fault that occurs could ever be my fault.?

I'm not asking because I'd want to cut and run. I'll happily help to get a boiler engineer out to have a look and try to be there when it's looked at - it's not an issue about time.

I just want to know there's not something that could go wrong that I could reasonably be blamed for... and then have to spend £200 on

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

ah but before you drained down did you check if the neutral point was blocked?,bear in mind on some boilers(suprima springs to mind)they have a flow switch that can play up if air in the system,you could be very unlucky and have a fault decide to start after the works,but if it worked before all custards will expect it to work afterwards ,so if its drain down related you have to sort it but anything else their problem the difficult situation we are in is they have to pay us

 

[HoodedClaw]

To late I know, but I was taught and always do, check that the boiler fires and works as expected before I do and draining. Do you check the F&E first for crap that can get sucked in on refill?

 

[WaterTight]

you could be very unlucky and have a fault decide to start after the works,but if it worked before all custards will expect it to work afterwards ,so if its drain down related you have to sort it but anything else their problem the difficult situation we are in is they have to pay us

But this is the interesting question. Who is financially responsible if a fault occurs that was nobody's fault? You had to drain-down and a fault occured because of the drain-down. If you're qualified and able to fix it yourself presumably you do - but you charge extra for whatever time/parts were used? So if I have to get someone in the sort it - there's no difference. Apart from perhaps the cost would be slightly higher. In which case maybe it would be best to split the cost.

It wasn't the customer's fault that a fault occured either, but unless you were to blame for it through negligence - it can't be your financial responsibility to sort it?

...Or caaaaaan it?


Good tip on checking the f+e HoodedClaw. I do give it a nose when tying up the arm.

 

[HoodedClaw]

I give a warning that more work 'may' be required when closing a valve, that it might need replacing if it starts dripping when opened again, so - as long as is same general warning is said when draining, and its a an unrelated problem you cant really be at fault, I also ask when boiler was last serviced before flicking it off even though i cant service them and point out it needs doing (they always do). Then if anything doesn't start - well they need a gas engineer. if draining down caused the problem that i couldnt fix, guess I'll have to bear the cost.

 

[GQuigley67]

I went to a job before were the heating was already drained down(plumber stole sparkys wires and ran off) I was jst to flush it and fill it up again. On my inspection of the F & E this was an old galvonised steel one(around 30 years I'd say), it was full of rust and debris. I scrapped away all the rust and debris and binned it and a hole appeared in the F&E tank, now this is due to the tank being empty for so long and the oxygen corroding it, then I had to bill the customer for a new F & E tank and installation, safe to say they weren't happy and I suspect they thought I deliberately put a hole in the cistern, but that's life

 

[mikegas]

And it involves a drain-down.
And you make sure boiler is working before you start.
You turn off boiler, turn off power to pump.
Drain down.
Do the work.
Fill up, add inhibitor, remove any airlocks present.

If the boiler then won't work / work properly on re-starting system - is it always fair to say this will be because of an inherent fault that has come to light or at least a co-incidental fault that may have decided to develop during a drain-down but is not something I could be claimed to be responsible for? So in either case - not my fault?

I've only had this happen once. Got a guy out who said the fault was a random co-incidence and explained such to customer. But in total I've done maybe 9 or 10 drain-downs and re-fills on my own. Not many. And so it's always a background worry since the occurence. But is it basically the case that as long as I follow the correct above proceedure (and don't hit the boiler with a spanner or pour ketchip into the f+e) no fault that occurs could ever be my fault.?

I'm not asking because I'd want to cut and run. I'll happily help to get a boiler engineer out to have a look and try to be there when it's looked at - it's not an issue about time.

I just want to know there's not something that could go wrong that I could reasonably be blamed for... and then have to spend £200 on

Dont forget to vent the pump