Boiler Fitting - DIY ?

ollski

George_Bray wrote: »

If Gas Safe traders can learn how to fit a boiler, then so can I. It's not rocket science.

I may be wrong but I believe rocket scientists also needed to learn rocket science.
I mostly agree, but a 4 hour installation WILL be a godawful job.

keystone

George_Bray wrote: »

The reason is that the trade body representing gas fitters managed to persuade the Government to ban any body else from doing the work. I think I'm right in saying the number of people killed in gas explosions was a lot lower than in road accidents so, as brutal as it sounds, one could argue it's more to do with commercial interests (unless it happens to you). The Government are happy for men to be killed in futile military adventures but they restrict DIY, just because a few people were killed or seriously injured.

You are quite wrong I'm afraid. The reason the Register was introduced in the first place was to drive incompetant cowboys out of the business charging money for doing dangerous work and putting lives at risk. Ronan Point was the catalyst. DIY never really came into it which is why its a grey area because the legislators fudged it without properly addressing it - one way or the other..

Your boyfriend only needs to be 'competent' to work on his own house. As others have said, he'd certainly be declared incompetent if anything went wrong. It doesn't sound like anything has gone wrong with their previous installations, though, purely from a safety point of view.

To all practical intents and purposes competance is not measured on either a "can-do" or an "I've got away with it before" scale. At present tt can only be truly measured by having your ACS..

Actually it's a Gas Safe registered person, you'd need. But I'm sure you're right that the insurance company would disallow a claim if, say, there was a fire and it was deemed a result of DIY gas work.

Insurance invalidated on the spot plus no warranty either.

So they'd then check nearly all the aspects which some other people are using to argue against doing a DIY installation.

and on the grounds that the last persoin who touched takes responsibility for it walk straight away from it when the client can't produce any of the benchmark testing etc paperwork. Either that or he gives it the once over, fills out the papoerwork, declares it AR or ID (resulting it it either being turned off or osliated and gas capped off) leaving you with a list of worek required to be done to make it correct.

>>the boiler they fitted in his parents home has broken at
>>least once a year since I've known him

If that doesn't ring enormous alarm bells then nothing should.

It's in their interest, because it provides extra work.

When you realise that boiler manufacturers and installers are having to offer longer and longer warranty periods because the buying public is demanding it you'll also realise what a stultifying stupid remark that is. How can it be in his interest to have to perform a warranty visit on a boiler at his cost three years into the mission?

I'm sure that's right. I fear that Gas Safe traders are effectively placing people in a position where they need to contemplate DIY work, because Gas Safe charges are so incredibly high. I never forget this is a money saving web site. My latest information, first hand, is only a few days old. Someone I know received a quote of £3000 to replace a boiler. I know the boiler can be bought online and delivered free for £1300. All these prices include VAT. So that leaves £1700 for the labour and any consumables. Is it fair and reasonable? Hardly - I'd call it a rip off. Why do I say that? Well, several other people I know have had the same type of boiler replaced and I've been amazed how quickly it's done, in about 4 hours. So it works out at about £400 an hour for labour. Do you earn that? Therefore, I can understand where your boyfriend is coming from, and why Gas Safe traders on here are so keen to push scare stories and other propaganda, to protect their market.

Actually you haven't thought this through at all but are so entrenched that it will take nothing short of a nuclear device to persuade you otherwise so I really can't be bothered to try and explain about the costs of running a business and having the correct but expensive test gear to hand and the expensive periodic calibration certification required for same and the expensive continuous training required to retain your certification to be able to work etc etc etc etc. tbh..

Cheers

ValHaller

keystone wrote: »

.... Ronan Point was the catalyst.

Ronan point 1968
Corgi registration mandatory 1991

southcoastrgi

George_Bray wrote: »

>>because Gas Safe charges are so incredibly high.

As other have suggested, the best compromise solution may be to get it checked and commissioned by a Gas Safe person. If you can find such a person, they might hopefully charge nearer to £250, than £1700 to do the entire job.

charges compaired to what ? A GP, A Solicitor, A Garage owner, A Politician,

I really can't be bothered to run through the things that should be checked before you "sign off" a boiler, why should an RGI sign off a diy install, it costs hundreds & hundreds of ££ a year to be regd along with all the training etc etc, as soon as the RGI puts his name to the install he is liable, what happens if the OP's boyfriend has used a bit of garden hose under the floor for the gas, the RGI can't see that & the house blows up killing the OP, the RGI is now up in court on a manslaughter charge,

some of you people think it's oh so easy, well it's not & you really haven't got a clue,

do i care if you kill yourself or your family because you are so pigheaded & sure it's so easy, well no i couldn't give a toss, it's just one less stupid comment that i feel the need to reply to, so go ahead it's not my funeral

keystone

ValHaller wrote: »

Ronan point 1968
Corgi registration mandatory 1991

Your point being? The Confederation Of Registered Gas Installers was created in 1970 as a direct response to Ronan Point. It was initially a voluntary scheme. So what?.

Cheers

George_Bray

southcoastrgi wrote: »

charges compaired to what ? A GP, A Solicitor, A Garage owner, A Politician,

some of you people think it's oh so easy, well it's not & you really haven't got a clue,

Are you serious? I mean, comparing the work of a GP, solicitor or even a politician, with the work of a gas installer? Most of them wouldn't be charging anywhere near £400 an hour, despite probably doing much better at school, getting more qualifications, better grades, and all the rest of it.

If you find gas work difficult, as you imply above, then perhaps it's similar to how you may have found school work difficult and why you may have gone into your line of work, rather than training to become a doctor, for example.

lemontart

oh dear - I refer those who feel it ok for diy gas to the hse site again. The majority of deaths caused by gas be it going bang or co in the last 5 years alone is down to people thinking it is safe or they are competent to do it them selves.

Those on hse site are those that got caught so to say there are thousands each year that will have found themselves with no gas or boiler when a gas safe installer has visited, or the gas emergency service has been called.

Do not get me started on rentals - a landlord in my area was recently in court over unsafe works involving gas and loss of life.

As for comparing a gas safe installer with a gp - they are similar - years of training, have to be licenced - one mistake and call the undertaker.

ollski

George_Bray wrote: »

Are you serious? I mean, comparing the work of a GP, solicitor or even a politician, with the work of a gas installer? Most of them wouldn't be charging anywhere near £400 an hour, despite probably doing much better at school, getting more qualifications, better grades, and all the rest of it.

If you find gas work difficult, as you imply above, then perhaps it's similar to how you may have found school work difficult and why you may have gone into your line of work, rather than training to become a doctor, for example.

This post has to take the crown for the biggest piece of nonsense to ever appear on this forum. Earnings are based on supply and demand not academic history.

southcoastrgi

George_Bray wrote: »

Are you serious? I mean, comparing the work of a GP, solicitor or even a politician, with the work of a gas installer? Most of them wouldn't be charging anywhere near £400 an hour, despite probably doing much better at school, getting more qualifications, better grades, and all the rest of it.

If you find gas work difficult, as you imply above, then perhaps it's similar to how you may have found school work difficult and why you may have gone into your line of work, rather than training to become a doctor, for example.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

I will reply when I've picked myself up off of the floor

keystone

lemontart wrote: »

- one mistake and call the undertaker.

with one difference. The Doctor gets struck off. The RGI goes to prison.

Cheers