BG condemn and disconnect boiler - advice appreciated (Thorn Apollo 15/30B)

[muggles]

Hi, I had assumed that it was the case seal but just checked and the engineer said that it was the seal around the glass that you look through to see the pilot light. She (the engineer) showed my mother that it was not working by putting a match by the glass. Apparently the flame on the match increased and then went out?

Thanks for your help

Ah now that makes a difference as that seal is obsolete. A good local independent would have simply made a new one to fit out of an appropriate material, but BG don't allow their engineers to do such things - just one reason why your money is better off being in your bank ready to pay a local engineer as required, than it is in BG's bank

 

[FiremanT]

Which seal?, case seal (could have sworn grey)?, sight glass seal?, pipe seal?
Your man gets 15 quid before tax to put a lead through. I'd almost guarantee at full heat input the boiler will fail emissions test and be categorised at least 'at risk'.

As per 112. BG will do the "generic service" (poke 'n go) and then should do a "proper" service before AR'ing. When I did a few weeks, it was a severe pain if it "failed" and a major financial disincentive to doing it properly.

In any case there is no actual requirement to FGA that boiler

 

[Razor900]

I'm sure that BG guys do sometimes ID boilers that have years left in them.

Do we really believe that independents don't??

 

[ollski]

As per 112. BG will do the "generic service" (poke 'n go) and then should do a "proper" service before AR'ing. When I did a few weeks, it was a severe pain if it "failed" and a major financial disincentive to doing it properly.

In any case there is no actual requirement to FGA that boiler

They will always fail emissions at full rate though which is why they are all rated down to pass emissions. I've no love for bg and can't understand how the shambles of a business still keep some good engineers, but I don't think you can slate them for correctly following gas safe regs.

 

[heatservice]

Sad thing is many older people believe BG are still a British state owned business but like British Airways they are just part of a multinational private company and yet both carry the Union Flag as part of their livery.

 

[opps]

They will always fail emissions at full rate though which is why they are all rated down to pass emissions. I've no love for bg and can't understand how the shambles of a business still keep some good engineers, but I don't think you can slate them for correctly following gas safe regs.

A client of mine had a combi-boiler with a functioning but "non standard" flue. He had the BG "insurance". Every time he called them out to fix the boiler, the engineer would condemn it (based on nothing other than a visual inspection of the flue). He would have to get them to phone their manager to confirm that (as per the notes on their system) the repairs should indeed be carried out and that an advisory "your flue looks a bit dodgy" note should be left on the casing of the boiler.

Another client had their insurance for over a year. The first time that they called BG was when the ball cock on the header tank froze. Engineer turned up and refused to use the loft ladder, stating that he wasn't allowed to use it to access the loft unless they fitted balustrades and a handrail in the loft.

 

[FiremanT]

I'm sure that BG guys do sometimes ID boilers that have years left in them.

Do we really believe that independents don't??

I, for one, never would.

 

[45yearsagasman]

Now if he'd have said 'bent the thermocouple tip into the biggest pilot flame they could manage to get out of it'.....different story

Never had to do that either, because I understood the pilot burners, unlike many privateers who's jaw dropped when they saw a pilot injector removed and the assembly cleaned correctly. I could go on, but I'm bored now with BG knocker threads.

 

[opps]

but I'm bored now with BG knocker threads.

I have no dog in this fight but, as a decorator who works in numerous houses, I get the impression (based upon what customers tell me) that BG take the insurance premiums and are then keen to suggest that that home owner pays them to fit a new boiler at prices that are often far in excess of the market rates.

Granted there are rogue independents but a firm owned by a company as large as Centrica should have policies in place to ensure that customers are not mislead or over charged- unfortunately that is not how large companies become large companies.

I welcome the BG bashing as much as the bashing of AAA Dodgy Gas Ltd. For the record, I know some BG engineers and trust them implicitly. I trust them more than the company ethos though.

 

[lemon_1]

BG have to pay for marketing, legal department, security staff, cleaners, managers, middle men, call centres, accountants, administrators, erc, etc.. and I havent even got to the gas engineers yet.

Therefore, to cover all these costs they will rightly charge more than double compared to your your local one man band.

Lawyers (et al) need paying!

 

[opps]

BG have to pay for marketing, legal department, security staff, cleaners, managers, middle men, call centres, accountants, administrators, erc, etc.. and I havent even got to the gas engineers yet.

Therefore, to cover all these costs they will rightly charge more than double compared to your your local one man band.

Lawyers (et al) need paying!

Valid points but economies of scales mean that their overheads per engineer are probably lower than most other smaller firms and lower than a one man band who has to advertise locally and answer the phone himself.

Sorry, I don't buy into the "won't someone think of the ̶c̶h̶i̶l̶d̶r̶e̶n̶ multinational organisation" sympathy, with the greatest of respect, I think yours may well be misguided.

 

[gas112]

not forgetting BG also get the boilers for cost plus a minimal payment on top and i do mean minimal as in a few quid

 

[Combicert]

Seal gone.

Part not immediately available

Spilling POC.

Correct call by british gas, them’s the regs.


If i had to wait a few days for a part to arrive in this instance you’d have to cap it...

Shame they ‘cocked up’ - you do wonder about installer incentives though.

 

[heatservice]

BG have to pay for marketing, legal department, security staff, cleaners, managers, middle men, call centres, accountants, administrators, erc, etc.. and I havent even got to the gas engineers yet.

Therefore, to cover all these costs they will rightly charge more than double compared to your your local one man band.

Lawyers (et al) need paying!

How come Tesco's are cheaper than my corner shop then?

 

[lemon_1]

How come Tesco's are cheaper than my corner shop then?

Because they sell produce and buy in bulk.

Service industries are different. A gas engineer working at BG doesn't even get half what they make on an install.

When it comes to doing a service... One man band will always be cheaper because much less overheads. When it comes to goods.. the big company will be cheaper because they buy in bulk.

If you are providing a service and goods, then it's a bit more complicated... But in the gas industry the labor cost is much more expensive than the actual goods.