Heatline Monza 24k LPG installation issues!

[Seanantasy]

Hi all, we had an LPG tank installed in August 2012, and shopped around for an LPG boiler, when in local B&Q buying plasterboard came across the Monza 24k which said it was LPG capable. We had a chat with the B&Q plumber who said it was a good low entry level boiler and that it was made by Heatline and they used many parts from the more expensive name brands. So all sounded good and our builder fitted it in. We then tried to get hold of a Gas-Safe registered plumber to attach the boiler to the LPG valve outside and setup the system. But since November 2012 we have been getting nowhere!

We've tried 3 different plumbers in the area and 2 came, had a look, and never came back to us. We've had one plumber now for a few months who has been trying to get hold of Heatline/Glowworm to get information but is getting pushed around from answer machine to answer machine. We tried ouselves by calling Heatline but they will only speak to a Gas-Safe engineer who can provide his details. My fiancé's father had a plumber round for boiler repairs last month and he used to work for Heatline or something and said that the boiler is ok but that Heatline is a nightmare to get hold of, they get their money back through the high tariff calls and expensive parts. He gave us a few numbers we could use to get round the answering machines. But these directed us to Glowworm whom own Heatline but they said they have nothing to do with heatline boilers. This plumber also said that u don't need the LPG conversion kit that you can buy from Heatline for £126 or so, but that all you needs is the minimum and max values to set the valve to to change the boiler setup from mains gas to LPG, and that is it.
Our own plumber confirmed this and also said it is ridiculous to pay £126 for a conversion kit when the boiler is LPG ready but he needs a starting point. A starting value for him to set the pressure to or turn a dial/valve to but that Heatline is being very difficult in providing this information.
Can anyone help?

 

[denso13]

You should have discussed all the options with your installer and let him advise you before you did anything and certainly before you bought a boiler. That doesn't help now but I'm not surprised you're having difficulty getting the boiler connected up, after it was fitted by your builder.

 

[xr4x4]

You should have discussed all the options with your installer and let him advise you before you did anything and certainly before you bought a boiler. That doesn't help now but I'm not surprised you're having difficulty getting the boiler connected up, after it was fitted by your builder.

Ditto

Rock and a hard place comes to mind.

 

[Seanantasy]

Hi Denso13, by installer I presume you meant the person that put in all the plumbing? I bought my house last year and it is over a 100 years old, all the walls and flooring have had to be redone, the house had no insulation whatsoever and the plumbing had to all be redone as well. Our builder/carpenter/engineer redid all the plumbing laid out towards the new bathroom appliances and kitchen appliances. All the piping for the boiler was put ready in the utility room we build. We are very much on a budget and when we spotted the Monza Boiler we took our builder along and he asked the B&Q plumber technical questions regarding the boiler and seemed satisfied. The builder attached the boiler, flushed the system, installed and air-bled all the new rediators and prepared everything except for attaching the gas as he isn't Gas-Registered, though he could do it.

So all we need is a plumber to drill a hole that has already been marked out in line to attach the gas from the stopcock outside to the boiler, and then set the boiler to LPG. A little over an hour job max. Yet 5 months on and still nothing. The house is freezing as obviously the central heating doesn't work with the boiler, and we have no hot water, so we've had an electric shower installed temporarily so we can at least use that until we can have the bath and shower on hot water.... A nightmare really.

 

[mickyg]

yeh just an hours work, come in hook it up turn it on and drive away. I do 8 of them a day

 

[denso13]

A little over an hour job max. Yet 5 months on and still nothing.... A nightmare really.

Quite. Why not just get the builder to do it? He has already broken the law anyway.

 

[Seanantasy]

yeh just an hours work, come in hook it up turn it on and drive away. I do 8 of them a day

It is what we were quoted by 2 different plumbers, after we asked how long it might take. One of the main plumbers in our area said he'd possibly do it the next week but he'd have to check his schedule, and he'd gives us a quote for the work and he'd send one of the lads in his team to install it all. However after 2 weeks we phoned to asked when he might be coming over, and the secretary said she knew nothing of the job and had no record of anyone coming out to our house? So we tried another plumber, he came said the same sort of things, easy job, but 2 weeks later nothing, so we phoned and he said he was rather busy with a few jobs but he'd get in touch as soon as they were done. Phoned again week later and were told again that sorry but he had big job, taking his whole team next 2 weeks to finish and he'd contact us after....4 months later... We contacted another few plumbers and one came again, who has been trying to get in touch with HeatLine/Glowworm for 3 months now and we've called him a few times in those 3 months but he tells us he's getting nowhere.... So...... Now what to do? That's why I'm on here..... U guys are my last hope!

 

[mickyg]

well maybe just like us everyone you have contacted has realised your total disregard for gas safety and RGIs and thought they would just humour you.

 

[Seanantasy]

A little over an hour job max. Yet 5 months on and still nothing.... A nightmare really.

Quite. Why not just get the builder to do it? He has already broken the law anyway.

Why has he broken the law? According to Brittish Gas anything you do to the water you can do yourself (as long as you dont touch gas) but we didn't we had a builder put the plumbing in. Makes sense while he stripped all the plasterboard and floorboards out and then redid the electrics and plumbing behind them before putting new plasterboard back. We bought a DIY boiler from a DIY merchant and didn't install the boiler ourselves but got the builder to help with that. We haven't, nor has the builder touched anything to do with the gas, In order not to break the law we are wanting a registered plumber to attach the gas.

Are you saying we should have had a building team in to strip our walls, then an electrician to redo the electric wiring, then a plumber to redo the plumbing, then a building team to put new plasterboard back up, then the electrician back to attach the lights and sockets on the walls, then carpenters in to install the kitchen, then plumber back to attach the plumbing to the kitchen units. Then the same back and forth for the bathroom and builders back to built utility room, plumber back to do piping up into the utility room, electrician back to put in wiring for the boiler, builders back to finish the utility walls and door, then plasters in to do plastering, then plumber back to attach the boiler to the plastered walls, then electrician back to attach electrics to boiler, and finally builder back to lay flooring and finishing touches,..... Pffff,... Yes then it would all be Fully Health and Safety and 100% legal and at least £50,000 further!

 

[mickyg]

yes god forbid you actually get the right tradesmen in for the right job. Bet its a proper job
Why are you in the plumbing forum, builders can do everything so go that forum

 

[denso13]

The builder can do the water pipework up to the boiler but cannot connect anything to the boiler or do any of the boiler installation. Like I said, he has already broken the law.

Can I use a plumber to install the appliance and then have the gas work fitted by a Gas Safe registered engineer? No you can't.http://www.hse.gov.uk/gas/landlords/safetycheckswhocan.htm

Is this a wind up?

 

[CBF]

in a word yes

unless your builder is GSR then he has broken the law by fitting the boiler & connecting the flue,

unless he is a reg sparkie he has broken the law by doing the electrics,

there is no such thing as a DIY boiler & as you have found out buy a cheap boiler (that you don't even know is compatable with LPG without a converstion kit) you get a cheap service.

the right trade for the right job & you wouldn't have a problem

 

[Seanantasy]

well maybe just like us everyone you have contacted has realised your total disregard for gas safety and RGIs and thought they would just humour you.

How? Please tell me?

Overlooking the fact that you can DIY the water related plumbing round the house and install kitchen appliances and ba bathroom suite.

Now the LPG tank was installed and plumbed in through the garden to a stopcock outside the house by the LPG gas supplier themselves, however they wouldn't attach it through the wall to the boiler. Our builder has drilled 8 holes in the wall, plugged them and screwed in the boiler. He has put the piping from the kitchen to the boiler and that is it?? No gas pipes have been touched or attached or anything other than the bit done by the LPG suppliers outside. So tell me please what Gas-Safe rules have been broken?

Not that it matters as we haven't touched gas! But our builder is a retired plumber and as such isn't Registered anymore, soooo that is why we need a gas safe registered plumber to do the gas related plumbing work.

 

[Seanantasy]

Ok sorry, wether I have broken the rules/laws or not. This is my first house, I'm just starting off in life, trying to save up to finish building the house but am seriously out of funds, trying to save to get married, and am stuck in a cold house with a boiler I can't get installed.... What do I do now?


Should I take the boiler of the wall, stick it back in the box and disconnect the cold water piping from the kitchen to the utility room. So a plumber can hang it all back again legally and attach the gas from outside?

Back to my original question, has anyone dealt with a Monza 24k before in terms of LPG and what do they advise? Do I ask the plumber to buy the LPG Conversion Kit or isn't it required as most of the plumbers that came here have said? Does anyone know the settings required for LPG in the Monza 24k?

 

[denso13]

You need the advice of a Gas Safe installer who has a ticket for LPG before you do anything else.

From the manual Conversion of this appliance to run on LPG requires a conversion kit. The kit and the conversion operation must be done by the Heatline Service Team, please ring : 0844 736 9042 . Please note that if the appliance requires conversion, the installer should be qualified by Gas Safe Register to install LPG appliances in order to complete the installation and its notification after conversion has been done.

It isn't particularly difficult to do but you need professional advice first.