Before you start......practice
Worried about my plumbers competence
- Thread starter achrn
- Start date
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So have I got this right:
1: You definitely needs to be gas safe registered to be paid to do stuff to the gas pipe to the boiler and the boiler itself. It's illegal to do work for paying clients if you're not.
2: You need to be 'competent' to install unvented cylinder legally, but there's not a legal definition of what that actually means.
3: Although there is no explicit course or ticket required to show competence, if you're not registered to do unvented cylinder (is that with gas safe?) then you need to have notified building control in advance of the intention to install the cylinder and they need to do a specific inspection of the install to sign it off at teh end.
4: If teh installer is a registered person, building control don't need to specifically inspect, but I (householder) need to be given a certificate from the register body to say the cylinder is installed properly.
Is that right?
1: You definitely needs to be gas safe registered to be paid to do stuff to the gas pipe to the boiler and the boiler itself. It's illegal to do work for paying clients if you're not.
2: You need to be 'competent' to install unvented cylinder legally, but there's not a legal definition of what that actually means.
3: Although there is no explicit course or ticket required to show competence, if you're not registered to do unvented cylinder (is that with gas safe?) then you need to have notified building control in advance of the intention to install the cylinder and they need to do a specific inspection of the install to sign it off at teh end.
4: If teh installer is a registered person, building control don't need to specifically inspect, but I (householder) need to be given a certificate from the register body to say the cylinder is installed properly.
Is that right?
Had my 'discussion' with the plumber.
He's highly offended - he says he's installed hundreds and no-one has questioned what he's done before. He said it was complete, it was perfectly safe and there was nothing wrong. I listed things I thought wrong in the cupboard - expansion vessel connected wrong, stopcock between cylinder and inlet group, inlet group not connected to a safe discharge point.
Eventually he said he'd change it round as I wanted - I should tell him exactly what I wanted and he'd put the expansion vessel where I wanted.
He then spent some time telling me the combination inlet double valve thing wasn't a pressure discharge valve. He said it didn't need to be on a tundish because it never vented water out. He started fiddling with it while he talked and it suddenly started blasting water out at the back and side walls of the cupboard.
At this point I walked away, and subsequently told the builder that in my opinion this was not a competent plumber.
The plumber won't show me his Gas Safe card. He said he'd give the builder the number later. I've told the builder I want the number.
He's highly offended - he says he's installed hundreds and no-one has questioned what he's done before. He said it was complete, it was perfectly safe and there was nothing wrong. I listed things I thought wrong in the cupboard - expansion vessel connected wrong, stopcock between cylinder and inlet group, inlet group not connected to a safe discharge point.
Eventually he said he'd change it round as I wanted - I should tell him exactly what I wanted and he'd put the expansion vessel where I wanted.
He then spent some time telling me the combination inlet double valve thing wasn't a pressure discharge valve. He said it didn't need to be on a tundish because it never vented water out. He started fiddling with it while he talked and it suddenly started blasting water out at the back and side walls of the cupboard.
At this point I walked away, and subsequently told the builder that in my opinion this was not a competent plumber.
The plumber won't show me his Gas Safe card. He said he'd give the builder the number later. I've told the builder I want the number.
even though i forget to carry my card most of the time I could tell you my gas safe of by heart.
when you get the number you need to check it on the gas safe website. on the website it will show a picture of him. the Reason I am telling you this is its not hard to get any old number of the side of the van.
btw his name not Frank Spencer by any chance
classic having the water blasting out while telling you that it does nothing. tell him you want it installed to the manufacturer's instructions...
when you get the number you need to check it on the gas safe website. on the website it will show a picture of him. the Reason I am telling you this is its not hard to get any old number of the side of the van.
btw his name not Frank Spencer by any chance
classic having the water blasting out while telling you that it does nothing. tell him you want it installed to the manufacturer's instructions...Sponsored Links
Ignoring any other aspect not giving you his gas safe number is very potentially unsafe as its likely he is not registered.
Even if you dont know his name you could search for reg people close to your postcode and see if anyone like him appears!
Dont pay for any restricted work like gas or boiler until you have the G-S number. You should also get a certificate POSTED to you by gas safe when he notifies. Without that you are not complying with Building Regs!
There is a qualification for G3 unvented installations which we have to take! They should also be notified like boilers although I suspect many are not.
Tony
Even if you dont know his name you could search for reg people close to your postcode and see if anyone like him appears!
Dont pay for any restricted work like gas or boiler until you have the G-S number. You should also get a certificate POSTED to you by gas safe when he notifies. Without that you are not complying with Building Regs!
There is a qualification for G3 unvented installations which we have to take! They should also be notified like boilers although I suspect many are not.
Tony
My thoughts exactly. I said I didn't want to tell him how and where to put each component because I'm not a professional competent person, that's what he is supposed to be. He didn't much like that comment.
I've told the builder I don't consider the plumber to be competent and won't be paying for any more plumbing-related things (he's already had a couple of stage payments) until I'm satisfied all is as it should be. I'm going to pay someone I find to inspect it. I'm pretty ****ed off to be honest - I don't like paying for an install and then paying to find out if the install has been done right at the second attempt when it was obviously not done right at the first attempt.
Regarding Frank Spencer and the blasting water - I agree - if it was on a telly comedy it could be funny. When I'm paying for it and it's in my house, it's a little less amusing.
I will check Gas Safe when I get the number. I'm going to be hassling the builder to get me the number.
Driving at the moment so can't do chapter and verse.
But call Gas Safe. Talk to them and ask for a free inspection.
I genuinely feel for you here. I know my company GS number, but not my personal one. But him not even giving you his company number is VERY suspicious.
But call Gas Safe. Talk to them and ask for a free inspection.
I genuinely feel for you here. I know my company GS number, but not my personal one. But him not even giving you his company number is VERY suspicious.
That stinks! Any Gas Reg person always knows his number. When it costs £1000 to get it you dont forget it quickly. particularly when you have to keep putting it on forms etc.
It sounds as if the builder has a REAL reg person whose number he uses, either with or without the owner's agreement.
It really sounds as if this fellow is not reg.
But as suggested get Gas safe to come and inspect and tell them you suspect the installer is not registered.
Of course that creates a situation where G-S will be surprised that you have people working in your property when you dont even know who they really are!
Tony
Will that trouble them? I haven't done a rigorous ID and competence check on every person the builder has appointed. As it happens, I do know the name of the main electrician and the plumber, but I trusted the builder to appoint competent sub-contractors.
Do the regulations make it an offence for a domestic client to have work done by someone who subcontracts it to an unqualified person? It seems unlikely that they do - I think such things normally let domestic clients get away with being completely clueless all the time.
(And, I note, it has yet to be established that the plumber is unqualified - I feel he is incompetent, but he may be technically qualified)
The onus is on the builder if he appointed them and you are paying the builder.
From the The Gas Safety (Installation && Use Regulations) 1998:
Builder will be in the shlt too.
How the plumber can stand there are tell you straight to your face a safety release valve doesn't need to be connected to anything is beyond me. And that he said it was a pressure discharge valve made me wee a little. What did he think it was? The technical name is"Expansion Relief Valve".
He can argue the location of the expansion vessel. But it still is stoopid there.
From the The Gas Safety (Installation && Use Regulations) 1998:
Builder will be in the shlt too.
How the plumber can stand there are tell you straight to your face a safety release valve doesn't need to be connected to anything is beyond me. And that he said it was a pressure discharge valve made me wee a little. What did he think it was? The technical name is"Expansion Relief Valve".
He can argue the location of the expansion vessel. But it still is stoopid there.
As long as the OP understands how worthless that opinion is likely to be then knock yourself out.
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