new boiler problems

[hughwon]

Just had a new baxi combi boiler installed, plumber not quite finished yet. pipework to boiler all connected, he got hot water running but there is no cold water supply to bathroom and the toilet will not flush, he thinks this might be just an airlock, I am not so sure. there are two water tanks in loft plus one header tank, he capped one the water tanks off because the header tank and one of the water tanks had water running out of the overflow pipes outside. After he left a error code appeared on the boiler-the pressure had dropped so I tried to re-pressurise boiler but the needle on the dial did not move and I noticed water was flowing out off the overflow pipe for I think the header tank. Can someone please tell what is going wrong?

 

[justlead1]

Hi, If the job has not been completed it is difficult to doubt the competence of the installer. However i would question experience on system design.
Its one thing connecting a few pipes together and another knowing why. Good Luck

 

[REDSAW]

is he gas safe?.
just an eyebrow liffter for me at the moment.

 

[jonathanb]

Hmmm, sounds like rising main to expansion still connected hence the overflow when trying to fill boiler, the bathroom was prob tank fed also and hasn't been tied back in or just blanked off, not be an air lock though! Unfortunately with Redsaw on this,good luck!

 

[Bernie2]

Don't have to be GasSafe to fit central heating only gas. The gas fitter's have not taken over the world of Plumbing yet, although they are trying very hard it seems.

Reminds me when the old British Gas first introduced central heating to a mass market in the 70's. They told their gas fitters to start installing heating. Basically they had no idea how to do it. Its not surprising really as they had never been asked to do Plumbing work before.

But because they had been given Plumbing grades, the gas board demanded they do it as they where paying them to do so.

Don't forget if you get paid for what its thought you can do, you have got to be able to do it.

The combi system in question is obviously not right or only part finished.

I wonder why a fitter would commission a system that wasn't working correctly?

 

[newbie1]

Don't have to be GasSafe to fit central heating only gas. The gas fitter's have not taken over the world of Plumbing yet, although they are trying very hard it seems.

Reminds me when the old British Gas first introduced central heating to a mass market in the 70's. They told their gas fitters to start installing heating. Basically they had no idea how to do it. Its not surprising really as they had never been asked to do Plumbing work before.

But because they had been given Plumbing grades, the gas board demanded they do it as they where paying them to do so.

Don't forget if you get paid for what its thought you can do, you have got to be able to do it.

The combi system in question is obviously not right or only part finished.

I wonder why a fitter would commission a system that wasn't working correctly?

but you do have to be gas safe to fit the boiler and run the gas to it which is what he said he has had done ie boiler replaced not central heating installed

 

[Bernie2]

Hmm

GasSafe for cash yes, but if its in your own house and your classed as a competent person, you can work on the gas side as well as the water, but he has already had the boiler installed and gassed up, he can work on the rest of the system, GasSafe or not.

Even "sparks" work on the electrical side of boilers, so long as they don't open the combustion chamber or break into the gas line.

Bit hard to work on a boiler without doing so admittedly.

However if he installed the boiler that is different, if he wasn't thought to be a competent person.

It may not be right but as far as I know it is in the Regs.

 

[REDSAW]

all the same, did the plumber give you permission to mess with the boiler before he had finished tho'. if it were me i'd be a bit narked of.

 

[newbie1]

Hmm

GasSafe for cash yes, but if its in your own house and your classed as a competent person, you can work on the gas side as well as the water, but he has already had the boiler installed and gassed up, he can work on the rest of the system, GasSafe or not.

Even "sparks" work on the electrical side of boilers, so long as they don't open the combustion chamber or break into the gas line.

Bit hard to work on a boiler without doing so admittedly.

However if he installed the boiler that is different, if he wasn't thought to be a competent person.

It may not be right but as far as I know it is in the Regs.

a competent person is someone who has passed his acs not someone who thinks he is competent as he can still be prosecuted
gassafe is there for aeason its to stop any tom dick or harry playing with combustible material
i know a lot of plumbers fit boilers illegally but if i found a incorrectly fitted boiler by a non gassafe person i would have no hesitation in issuing a riddor
with plumbing if you make a mistake its unlikely you will kill someone(unless they drown)different story with gas
this has gone off tangent a bit as the post was about an incorrectly fitted boiler which led to the question about whether the person was gassafe registered
it sounded like at best he is not a skilled operative in either gas or plumbing

 

[jonathanb]

Yeah I'm with you brother - people are happy to get these "combi specialists" in to do the work, especially in these economically challenged times who obviously aren't qualified, have the skills or experience or using some one else's reg number . Us guys who keep paying an ever increasing fortune to be legit and keep up with all the latest quangos and courses, buy £500 + flue gas analysers to commission modern HE boilers,notify installations with Gas Safe, trained to level 2/ 3 & served our time properly (5 years +) and are skilled installers/servicemen are loosing out to this nonsense and also getting the "could you come round and have a look as our new boiler is not working right and the guy who installed it won't answer our calls" or posts like the above from the consumers as a result.

In the last year I have seen an increase with this, poor,shoddy work. Dangerous wiring with no spur / incorrect fuse ratings, undersized gas,incorrect flue use/termination,no prv connected,unflushed and untreated sludged up 2 month old systems, badly installed and unbalanced systems with miles of 10mm plastic back to a manifold, 24kw boilers serving 2 bathrooms and usually finding the words Ariston,Biasi or Ravenheat on the casing of a boiler swap that cost £1800 for a £500 boiler "installed" by a couple of clowns for cash over a weekend.

Sorry to rant but getting tired of clearing messes up all the time.

 

[vdcplumbers]

hi..well maybe your existing boler before what we called a system boiler.and You or the installer re-fit new boiler called combinationation boiler,if this is the case,The plumber did not connect the main water supply to your existing main water supply one pipe only which supply all bathroom,hand basin,toilet.etc. here is the case Check it by your self.
1.The tank must removed?and re-connect a main water suply to the existing pipes suplying all your appliances ,such as bath,sink,hand basin etc. and TEST.
2.The feed exansion tank must removed and capped the expansion pipes.
3.Run one pipe or connect one cold water suply to the new boiler.
4.pressurise the boiler up to 1 bar.and check all radiators has water and maintain the pressure up to 1 bar.If still not solve the problems...I think The plumber he is not competent to do a alteration of the system ..I hoe this is make you happy or solve the problems... If you locally I am happy to check your boiler and problems..You may view my expertise in my web site on www.vdclumbers.com (west london area)
Cheeers,
victor