Got a new boiler at long last,just need a bit of help !

[snakeybeaveruk]

Well after loads of problem with my baxi back boiler it has gone,i have installed new rads,done all new pipework myself with speedfit and have just hung the boiler.
Just have a few questions:
I went for a worcester bosh 30cdi which i was told would do 9 rads no problem and from the spec it does look powerful,so why on their website does it say it would be ideal in a small 1 bed flat ???

I now just have to find somebody to do the gas which is around 5M away from the new boiler and setup/test it.

Please forgive me if i should not be asking on here,but it really is hard to find somebody in this area,so if anybody is around the Shropshire area or knows anyboy please ley me know as im getting no luck in the yellow pages and its now snowing !

many thanks and happy new year !
Robert

 

[Paul Barker]

Well someone should be obliging who lives near. If not I have a valve amplifier to collect from Nottingham are you much further?

I can't see how to pm on this forum is it not possible?

Anyhow the guy from notts is willing to meet me half way so not a big insentive for me to do your job, but if noone else steps in it's possible.

 

[snakeybeaveruk]

Thanks for your kind reply but i think notts is a good way out from you,its about 2 hours away i think.
I guess you must like your music with a valve amp,im into home cinema and have a THX system that sounds great.
Many Thanks
robert

 

[DP]

I cannot understand the facination of self sourcing/ fitting of gas appliances.

Went to see an 80 year old lady today. She/ her family had sourced a LFE gas fire from B in the Q. I was invited to go see her with a view to see/ give her a price to fit the fire. Took the old fire out and looked at the opening to see if the new fire would fit. Gave her a price to fit the fire. She liked the price.

Did a soundness test. Existing failed ST. Fixed leak in the kitchen.

Chiseled opening so fire could fit. Fitted fire, carried out all relevant tests and commissioned fire.

Now showed the old dear how to turn the fire on. She has no strength in her hands. She can hardly turn the control to ignite the pilot and then hold the control in for 10 seconds. Dread to think how she is going to manage.

If they had not been so keen to source the gas fire themselves, a RGI would have suggested a fire that would have been more age friendly.

Back to the boiler. Fails to see how any boiler would 'do' 9 rads if these rads were 2000mm long, 750 high and double panel double convectors. I suspect Paul is lucky that he has been turned down. Can visualise a gas line being provided, hooked up to the boiler and boiler started. Nothing happens. Who fixes the defect. Certainly not the provider of gas line. Who does GWN. Who fills the Benchmark logbook.

 

[snakeybeaveruk]

All im asking is if somebody can point me in the right direction to have a gas line fitted.

The facination as you put it is cost,i had a quote for a full system from Mullins and British gas,both close to 5 grand,after xmas i do not have that sort of cash.

I got the rads and boiler from a pal which did not cost me a thing,he will call on me someday to return the favour,favours for favours is a great way to work !

So over the xmas holiday i fitted all the rads,new pipework and have just hung the boiler,i think i am doing the right thing to try and get somebody now to sort the gas and correct any mistakes that i might have made.

So why is it not possible for somebody to check my work and then only when they are happy with it all give it the ok ? or would you want to unplug every speed fit joint and check is pushed in all the way in and also has the insert in ?

A man could also kill himself fixing his own car but nobody kicks off about that !
Im just doing a bit of DIY and trying to get the job right/safe by getting a pro in to finish it off.


many thanks

Robert

 

[ArtfulBodger]

You haven't done anything wrong and I'm sure you will find someone to connect it all up for you.

 

[Paul Barker]

All us gas fitters in our local area have horror stories to tell about where we've just been asked to "commission".

Mostly I have been forced to turn down such requests because it just is too much of a dent in our professional standards to be involved in any way with the substandard work, even though from a gas safetry point of view it is in order.

We all prefer to buy the right thing fit everything and walk away with pride in a good job well done.

The trouble is that people are getting ripped off left right and centre by some installers so bnq invite them with open arms, and they go flocking at a rate of nots, and who can blame them. In all other areas of life I go buy at best price, I use bnq I use ebay, actually I get my heated towel rails for customers from ebay. I get best deal on boilers and rads from merchants. Id on't deal in fires because they are inherantly dangerous but I will fit them if you buy them but only if they spill absolutely nothing, I don't even allow the odd whiff. I don't have one at home, I think all gas appliances should be roomsealed and all cookers should have extractor hoods to outside and permanent ventilation into the room.

BUT this is a place I come to chill out, call me sad if you like,m and if someone here needs helping out and I have the means to do so then I treat it differently to if I got a phone call request for the same thing locally.

This is what I play with for fun. Look for the Paul Barker's 212's picture....

http://homepage.mac.com/scress1958/Diary/PhotoAlbum29.html

There is nothing inside a boiler that frightens me, the voltages I deal with for fun!

 

[ChrisRoberts]

Very prity paul. I always charge the same to connect a gas supply and commision a system as I would if I was fitting the whole boiler. As a cosequence of this I don't do to many.

 

[Agile]

I think in all your enthusiam for these amplifiers with KT66 output valves ( or the later EL34s ) , you have missed the fact that the rads and boiler "did not cost him a thing".

It now appears that this is NOT a condensing boiler as required under the building regulations and that its second hand and may have a fault anyway.

Its a real wasps nest for a professional to fit a second hand gas appliance and when it does not meet the current Building Regulations that could result in fines or imprisionment for contravening the Regs.

It could be that he will have difficulty in getting anyone CORGI registered to become involved.

Tony

 

[Paul Barker]

Sorry I hadn't followed the full story, I just nip in here from time to time.

The amp in Notts is a Chinease made push pull 300b amp, the valves in my scratch build stuff are old transmitters out of Ark Royal also used by hm gov in the bunkers.

There are some big Russian valves size and shape of rugby balls in my loft awaiting me to pluck up the courage to build with them, it'll takle accessories that would fit a third bedroom in a modern house to make them work.

Yes I'm in this thing a bit deap.

Gas boilers are just a momentary interruption.

Havben't there been a lot of boiler breakdown last week? I think they all waited 'till after the holss on cost grounds. I'd rather have my work spread out, and not have to be an absent father for a week.

 

[snakeybeaveruk]

At this rate i can see why the DIY man has to end up doing it himself !
I can understand to a point but it just seems so hard to get 15feet of gas line fitted.
Everything in the system is brand new,the boiler is a bosh 30cdi,i never said any of it was second hand,i said it cost me nothing,i owe a friend who has a pumbing supply shop a favour which he will call in some day.
I think it cost his company around £1500 with the 9 rads and all the pipework i had.
So i have had a crap xmas with no heat,spent all my time doing all the pipework and now the boiler is up it all looks great and i think i have done a pretty neat job,but its still cold in here........................
So do i now rip it all out because not a man on the planet will fit the gas line or do i just go and buy a can of gas detection spray and do it myself !
I might just take some pics so you guys can see what a great job i have done !
many thanks
robert

 

[solo]

If your friend has a plumbing supply shop, does he not also have customers who could carry out the work for you?

 

[Tinitus]

HI

dont get to disheartened you will get someone in you area to connect up and commision boiler , some one who is a bit flexible if i was a bit nearer i would do it, i know what it is like to be short of money and it is good to hear you want it checking i see some really dangerous diy . It sounds like you have done your best and hope you soon get it up and running .
rgards paul

 

[Agile]

I am glad to hear that its all brand new!

That does not alter the fact that it does not meet the current Building Regulations because its NOT a condensing boiler.

CORGI registrations costs up to £3000 and some work studying and few RGIs will want to risk their registration getting involved with a system which contravenes the Building Regulations and could end up giving them daily fines until the infringement is corrected.

Its an odd quirk of the regulations that we are not allowed to complete an installation unless we hung the boiler on the wall, fitted the flue and ran the gas pipe. Yet if you did all these then we could still come and do a gas safety check but the boiler would remain uncertified ! Its intended to prevent the unregistered fitting boilers and having them "sorted" by unscruplous RGIs.

Tony

 

[Tinitus]

snakeybeaveruk came on this site for help not for a lecture?!

Agile - are you a policeman? Haha. Give the guy a break, he wants help, and there are RGI's, not necessarily unscrupulous, that would be willing to help - I call it having a heart. I agree there are regulations, a lot of these are unworkable though, as I see it there are two options either the bloke will get fed up and do it himself, which could be potentially dangerous OR an RGI can check it out and commision it to make sure it is safe. I know which one makes the most sense to me.

Hope you get it sorted snakeybeaveruk.

Regards
Paul