Switched to smart meters, fitter gave me a warning about boiler not being to regs and dangerous.

MeteredOut

CRNeo said:

MeteredOut said:

OP, if you can you post a sanitised picture of what the engineer said/what you signed, that might help.

I once had a boiler serviced and it had a fault and the engineer declared it unsafe to use. From memory, a bit of glass that sat in front of the pilot light was cracked.

He had to isolate the boiler from the gas and put a red "do not use" sticker over it until a spare part was sourced and fitted (the boiler was old so the part was not readily available).

I'm surprised if your engineer deemed your installation dangerous, he would still left it connected.

I can get a sanitised copy but the form literally states and the engineer has circled "The appliance/installation has been classified as At Risk, turned off and labelled "Danger Do Not Use"

The form is headed "Danger - Do Not Use Gas Safety Warning Notice" but the engineer only showed me the bottom of the form where I signed it and said that it was "just an advisory and that it's obviously been like that for years and is fine"

However the engineer did not turn off, or label anything. He literally told me that it was "fine to use"

That's crazy. He literally (as in the literal sense of the word, not the way it is literally used nowadays) contradicted himself.

"Sign this thing that says do not use, but go ahead and use it".

Can you contact him for clarification? Although, I guess he could move into !!!!!!-covering mode and just reiterate you should not use it.

CRNeo

MeteredOut said:

CRNeo said:

MeteredOut said:

OP, if you can you post a sanitised picture of what the engineer said/what you signed, that might help.

I once had a boiler serviced and it had a fault and the engineer declared it unsafe to use. From memory, a bit of glass that sat in front of the pilot light was cracked.

He had to isolate the boiler from the gas and put a red "do not use" sticker over it until a spare part was sourced and fitted (the boiler was old so the part was not readily available).

I'm surprised if your engineer deemed your installation dangerous, he would still left it connected.

I can get a sanitised copy but the form literally states and the engineer has circled "The appliance/installation has been classified as At Risk, turned off and labelled "Danger Do Not Use"

The form is headed "Danger - Do Not Use Gas Safety Warning Notice" but the engineer only showed me the bottom of the form where I signed it and said that it was "just an advisory and that it's obviously been like that for years and is fine"

However the engineer did not turn off, or label anything. He literally told me that it was "fine to use"

That's crazy. He literally (as in the literal sense of the word, not the way it is literally used nowadays) contradicted himself.

"Sign this thing that says do not use, but go ahead and use it".

Can you contact him for clarification? Although, I guess he could move into !!!!!!-covering mode and just reiterate you should not use it.

This is my worry now it's a my word against his and I signed a form stupidly not reading it fully but then if a pre-booked guy turns up from EON is 100% legit, fits everything as planned and just says... this pipe is technically out of spec on todays regs so I just need to make you aware of that but "don't worry it's fine" but sign this just so I can say I've told you.

At no point did he mention "DO NOT USE THIS" or put any notice or warning anywhere on any of my equipment to that effect... but that's exactly what the form states AND says it's an offence to use said equipment.

It's stressing me out now and I'm really !!!!!! off tbh.

I guess maybe contacting EON customer services/complaints might be an option.

And/or just getting a local gas safe engineer out to check... I literally had the boiler service done only in June... the report on that states "Flue condition and location: pass"

badmemory

Never have british gas to service your boiler as they condemn them as a hobby.  I believe they don't do it as often now as their bonus has been reduced.

Swipe

Personally I'd just switch to another supplier and ignore it.

Lorian

Maybe post a picture of the flue too. Showing the drain as well. 

MultiFuelBurner

Never sign anything you don't read first.

matelodave

MFB has the answer.

Never ever sign stuff that you haven't carefully read or dont fully understand the meaning or the implications of what it means to sign it.

EssexHebridean

I think the OP’s comments make clear that they realise that they shouldn’t have signed without reading first - we are sometimes put into a position where we have little choice though - and anyway, what about a situation where this engineer visits someone who cannot read and does this to them? Unacceptable - the paperwork should either say what the engineer claims, or should be provided to be read by or to the customer prior to them signing it. Yes the “read it first” advice is sound but this is not the OP’s fault, and trying to suggest that they are entirely to blame isn’t particularly fair. I can certainly understand why they are anxious.

OP - is there anything in the paperwork to say that the engineer who came out was actually from Eon rather than their appointed installer? Is there anything to say that they are a Gas Safe registered installer (I doubt it)? If it were me I’d contact the engineer who did the last service and explain that you have been issued the notice, and that you’d appreciate them just popping by when they are in he area and running an eye over the flue arrangement again just to confirm all is fine. If the notice you’ve signed hasn’t been issued by a gas safe engineer though I suspect when it comes down to it it’s not going to hold any water. For your own peace of mind though, having things checked over again by someone qualified to do so would be reassuring. 

I would also complain to Eon specifically about the contradiction in what was said verbally/what the form says and the fact that you were not given the form to read before signing/told that you should read it. That if nothing else might flag up a staff training issue. 

markin

I would guess if you hadn't signed it he would have had to cut the supply off to cover his back.

SAC2334

markin said:

I would guess if you hadn't signed it he would have had to cut the supply off to cover his back.

I don t think a meter fitter has the power to do that.They are not registered Gas Safe or up to the standard of electricity regs neither  trained who defintely can shut the gas supply off by law , but a meter fitter won t be anywhere near that level . When I was on the job and found unsafe gas or electric meters I shut off control valve in gas leaks and phoned Cadent /Nat Grid who took over . I did the usual and opened doors and made sure no one swithed electricity switches, and evacuated building on the rare occasion I found a house full of gas