Building Regulations & Customers & Some legal questi

I have heard a lot and seen some posts here with regard to the following issues and would like some opinions with regard to this as well as your own experiences. As well as is any of these practices legal and which is best way to approach i have listed 3 i have come across if you know of any more of these would be good to clear them up.

1. Building Regulations Waivers
i.e. basically saying they don’t want to pay and you will not be held responsible for it, I have heard this being used to waiver costs for TRV’s, Power flushing and even running a new gas supply

Things I’ve seen it used on. TRVs, Power flushing, Room Stats, Plug / Fused Spare boiler anything with regard to Part L / P Building regulations

So basically can people say I don’t want to pay and me say well you should but here sign this and ill do what you pay me for not what the building regs require? Anyone do this, do corgi accept this especially on a visit this is new to me or is this just some cowboy consortium in Kent trying to get all the work and ripping RGI even more?


2. Registering a Boiler
I have had over a dozen phone calls (6 Weeks) now form people calling who have had illegal installations or non registered installs or just possible DIY JOBS asking me to register the boiler this is the minimum work required to register it.

So I would need to check the mountings, the gas supply, the electric supply, fit the boiler, flue, commission the appliance, Cross Bond if not there have a quick look around but how the hell do I know I am not going to be called to answer something that gone wrong, I didn’t even think this was legal,

If I do all the Corgi Legal stuff, fixing commising , flue, testing is this legal what am I actually responsible for? Or I s this once again the consortium of cowboys

3. New Boiler Install – Don’t want a pre install power flush
Just use some x300 (they don’t say this they just say cleaning agent) and do that then put the inhibitor in that’s what XX is doing they made me sign saying I didn’t want to pay for it and they are not responsible as I will be getting someone else to do it / will be getting building inspector. Or just don’t bother/


Really what I need to know is any of these practices legal?
Does anyone do it if so what sort of waivers you issue?
Is Kent over run with dodgy polish plumbers and that’s the problem?
How does corgi look over these obviously if I am registering I don’t want to get a call back because it not power flushed or no TRVS and I would never take responsibility for someone else’s work i.e central heating pipe work, bonding etc so how the hell does this minimum boiler registration work with corgi last thing I need is being brandished for assisting illegal installs but there seems a hell a lot of this going about and if I don’t have to force sleeping TRVs Power flush and room stat on people by getting a waver makes me able to compete on a sound ground

I don’t want slagging off I am concerned that these are not legal practices but before digging a lot more thought I’d ask here as some people seem to be doing the first 2 especially seem to be mentioned by a couple of regulars so would be interest to know the legality of this all.

1) I once asked my Corgi inspector advice on the trv issue as the customer had old center valves that would not accomodate trv's. He stated to get them to sign a waiver.

2) Refuse on all counts to do it, unless you remove the boiler from the wall and start again and also flush the system yourself so you know it has been done well enough to honour the boiler warranty.

I NEVER sign off anyone elses work, end of.

3) I never fit a boiler on a new or existing system with the appropriate flush. Thus is always included in my original quote. If they don't like it then they don't use me.

I only compete on quality of installation, never price.

HTH

You need to understand the difference between 'illegal' (ie. against some Law or Regulation) and 'very unwise'.

If you, as a CORGI registrant, work on a gas system in any way at all and at the end sign it off as 'safe' and complying with whatever regs apply, then YOU are ENTIRELY RESPONSIBLE for whatever happens afterwards. Last Man Standing! If, for example, something breaks, the subsequent explosion demolishes the building and/or people get killed, then if it's proved to be wrong installation practice or materials, then YOU go to jail. In other words, signing-off the work was not 'illegal' in itself but you'd be stupid to do it and take the rap!

Other issues, such as flushing (or not!) are usually only (!) related to subsequent warranty call-outs, for example when the boiler fails due to magnetite in the secondary heat exchanger and the manufacturer walks away. Once again, no-one is LEGALLY OBLIGED to clean a system; it's just very dumb not to, especially considering that Manufacturer's Instructions require it! If you are tempted to take on a system with installation faults, the only practical option is to make sure the OWNER signs a disclaimer that you write out, which lists all the points you've noted and clearly states that they are pre-existing problems.

Trouble is that we don't live in an ideal world and once the owner / landlord / whoever realises that a) you've spotted some liabilities and b) are smart enough to avoid them, he'll probably give the work to some other mug who's not as cautious / well-informed as you!

As far as systems not complying with Building Regs are concerned, again - it's not 'illegal' to make such a system. But when the Building Inspector (or a HIPs inspector, surveyor, etc,) spots the fault(s), the ultimate result MIGHT be that the building gets torn down! Depends on the type of fault and whether it's fixable. As things are now with HIPs, the owner might be lumbered with a property that won't sell until the faults are corrected. If it was YOUR fault, then you are legally liable to fix it, or potentially will get sued in a Civil Court.

with the appropriate flush

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did you mean withOUT?

I've just had someone call who is in a similar position - father's friend put the boiler in, and she's moving. Her solicitor asked for the "installation forms". As there are none, she's been asked for a "Regularisation Certificate". New one on me!

I think all that's happening is that the seller gets a Landlord's/Homeowner's Gas Safety Record in these cases. I've never heard of anyone taking a boiler off the wall and replacing it so they can say they installed it.

Stingray13 said:

Is Kent over run with dodgy polish plumbers and that’s the problem?

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It's more about the incompetence of the fat f**** that run the various industry bodies. The Poles should take their jobs.

ChrisR said:

I think all that's happening is that the seller gets a Landlord's/Homeowner's Gas Safety Record in these cases. I've never heard of anyone taking a boiler off the wall and replacing it so they can say they installed it.

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I have never met anyone who did this but if it is essential for the owner to get the boiler officially commissioned and registered, this is a legal way to do it.
Still, you are signing of someone else’s bodge job unless you also redo the pipes and all the rest that you can not be sure off.
Personally, I will not touch it, more trouble than it is worth