what is going on with British Gas and the condeming of boilers

Pssst

I wonder if the OP could enlighten us as to the exact make,model of the appliance and also a description of the fault/condition which has rendered the appliance inoperable?

amcluesent

>What on earth is going on with British Gas and how they are condeming boilers...<

1st thing to ask is what commission/kick-back the 'engineers' get when the hapless home-owner/tax-payer pays up for the new boiler to be installed.

Of course, it's a scam!

Pssst

I suspect that apart from any commision ( i have no knowledge), they are also expected to sell products and services, have performance targets, and get the wagging finger if they dont tow the line.

globbits

This might explain a bit!

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/money/consumer_affairs/article586133.ece

Canucklehead

Good evening: Here is a copy of the Gas Industry Unsafe Situations Procedure guide. Another frequently posted issue i.e.undersized ventilation is discussed here .

HTH

Canucklehead

Cardew

These new regulations could almost be the subject of another thread.

I have a gas boiler fitted in a small purpose built 'outside' boiler room attached to my garage.

For some 17 years this boiler was considered perfectly safe in it's nice home. Serviced happily(albeit expensively) by BG.

Then came the new regulations and it was now declared 'unsafe' by BG as the single vent in the wall was not adequte ventilation. The solution was to cut through the brick wall and fit another vent.

Now I am not blaming BG as they have to abide by the regulations. However I really do question that boilers fitted 5 years ago are inherently unsafe.

It is similar to electrical work in houses. These days you must have a certified electrician to do anything other than change the fuse in a 13 amp plug(well not quite but you get my drift)

IMO trade assciations, and that includes CORGI(sorry Canucklehead!!), deliberately 'play the safety card' in order to further their member's interests, and legislation follows.

There are many times more deaths and injuries in the home than from gas/electrical problems.

I hear some people actually have open fires in their houses, with real flames! Others have saucepans of boiling water on their stoves, and I have even heard of people who actually have chip pans full of oil on a naked flame; not to mention those who smoke in a house.

We really should ban all those clearly unsafe activities!

Canucklehead

Cardew wrote: »

IMO trade assciations, and that includes CORGI(sorry Canucklehead!!), deliberately 'play the safety card' in order to further their member's interests, and legislation

Good evening: A point of clarification...CORGI isn't a trade association: it maintains a register of gas installers and promotes gas safety under the auspices of the HSE (at least until April 2009 when Capita takes over from CORGI). Membership in CORGI isn't voluntary for tradespersons wishing to legally engage in gas fitting activities for renumeration.;)

HTH

Canucklehead

Cardew

Canucklehead,
Thank you - you make the point on CORGI promoting safety with the HSE, and making it mandatory for gas fitters to register with CORGI, far better than I.

merley

I have just had my boiler condemned yesterday by BG and left with no heating or hot water. Under mu cervice contract, the said same boiler was serviced on 3rd October with no problem bar the flue exit being not to current standars as too close to conservatory. The engineer was called because there was a build up of pressure in the system. He made no attempt to diagnose the cause which turned out to be a simple problem but went straight to look at a seal around the flue exit which he knows pulls away with time. I am sure this has not just happened. He called his mate from round the corner who surprise surprise agreed with him. When we actually pushed him to look for the cause of the pressure, the top up tap was accidentally held open by a washing machine in front of it!!! The boiler is 20 plus years old but was working fine as the BG service a few weeks before said. We feel scammed and cheated, now left with a big bill for a new boiler as it is really cold.

Merl

Phlik

British Gas condemned our boiler several years back (well tried). I went on the monthly cover plan, out they came and checked out the heating system, all was ok and they serviced the boiler. the next year a different BG engineer came out and immediately condemned it, saying the gas front was not fitted to the back boiler correctly. I then pointed out that the system had been checked the previous year to ensure it was suitable to go on the monthly cover plan, so which engineer was incompetent no 1 or no 2? Lots of back peddling ensued and several apologies, and I'm still using it 8 years later. I don't use BG to service it anymore though

Phlik

Edit: and when I say condemned, I arrived home to find the gas shut off at the meter and taped up with black and yellow warning tape (can't remember exactly what it said on the tape). I wasn't impressed, I had another Corgi plumber look at the system the next day and he immediately uncondemned (might not have been a word, but it is now ) it. Methinks the BG engineers were a little overzealous in their pursuit of commision .