Can I light the Pilot flame on my WAU?

[Mikefromlondon]

How difficult is it to relight the pilot on a warm air unit? is it something the tenants can do themselves or do I have to send a qualified registered RGI each time she runs out of bloody gas credit and the meter shuts it down! bloody pain!

Can she be taught how to light it up? obviously before her, there were other tenants who had a standard gas meter, and never ran out of credit, so there never was a case of having to constantly light it up, but this new tenant keeps running out of credit and phones me now that the WAU has stopped working! crazy!

I am not sure if she can or is allowed to light it up, although I have done that myself whenever there was a need in the past, it is pushing a knob on the Honeywell gas control valve and lighting the flame with a long neck lighter and holding the knob in for about 10-15 seconds until it stays lit, and then put the front cover back on, it is a J&S J25-32 Mk1

 

[Dan Robinson]

As long as it is out purely from not topping up then yes she can do it.

Although it might take some time depending on the length of the gas supply and the pilot tubes.

I would of thought a legal eagle smarta7se landlord like you would know that. Obviously not that competent then?

 

[Mikefromlondon]

LOL! " your comments! yes one previous tenant had a bad credit history, so he was not allowed a regular gas and electric meters, and was given the pre-payment meters, this was years ago around 2000, and I remember teaching him how to relight the pilot! and how he should clean the dust filters, etc etc, but he was a man and generally speaking men are less scared of handling these kind of things (boilers and heating systems ) but a lady tenant is scared and nervous....obviously she is scared in case she might blow herself up! and is less confident! rightly so! She used to have her fella do it for her, now he is no longer living with her!

But I told her that it is quite safe otherwise, but I was not sure from any latest changes in the Law regarding this issue.

if she phones me again to come and light it up again, then I will have to charge her bfor my time and petrol!

 

[Dan Robinson]

As a general, and not all encompassing rule, gas work requires tools. If she can light the pilot light without using any hand tools then it is perfectly OK.

There is probably a sticker on the unit detailing how to do it.

HOWEVER. If the pilot is going out for any other reason, and it being a WAU then she has every right to be worried.

 

[Mikefromlondon]

As a general, and not all encompassing rule, gas work requires tools. If she can light the pilot light without using any hand tools then it is perfectly OK.

There is probably a sticker on the unit detailing how to do it.

HOWEVER. If the pilot is going out for any other reason, and it being a WAU then she has every right to be worried.

Yup, it did about 5 years ago, started to go off regularly, and it was also due for a service, and a safety record, so the guy charged me around 200 quid for that and had replaced the Honeywell control and a new thermocuple. this sorted the problem.

 

[Agile]

Its about time I got called to repair a WAU!

Mike will like this!

Landlady was panicking and allowed a dodgy agent to find tenant. Turned out she was on the social and the agent was pocketing the rent but not passing it on to the landlady.

Being a solicitor specialising in bad tenants she took over the social security payments from the Council!

Silly tenant called me to ask if I could come and change the times on her boiler timeclock. Thats a very simple mechanical one with segments. I replied that i would have to charge £55 if I came over to do it for her. She replied "OK" but I dont think she meant that I was to come!

Tony

 

[Mikefromlondon]

Its about time I got called to repair a WAU!

Mike will like this!

Landlady was panicking and allowed a dodgy agent to find tenant. Turned out she was on the social and the agent was pocketing the rent but not passing it on to the landlady.

Being a solicitor specialising in bad tenants she took over the social security payments from the Council!

Silly tenant called me to ask if I could come and change the times on her boiler timeclock. Thats a very simple mechanical one with segments. I replied that i would have to charge £55 if I came over to do it for her. She replied "OK" but I dont think she meant that I was to come!

Tony

LOL! I guess she was expecting you to provide over the phone instructions for free!

Didn't know you were a WA specialist I could have asked you to sort mine out when my regular guy didn't want to know it any more, as he said it wasn't worth repairing it and that I should go for a wet system.

I might be interested in someone qualified in upgrading to a later more efficient WAU...even if it is a few years old! You might come across a good one where the owners have gone for a wet system, so keep that in mind and let me know if you are interested.

 

[Agile]

I took the WAU assessment because I was aware that there were very few RGIs with it but in spite of that I have had virtually no new calls to them.

Most are seriously outdated and a wet system is far better but usually difficult and expensive to fit.

Most can still be repaired in J&S as they are very good on spares. Most that I have seen have been in very poor condition and the owners dont want them repaired properly and just bodged to keep going.

Tony

 

[algas]

Mike i've had the same problem with dumb tenants who think that the landlord should be there to wipe their ar%e I do it once show them how to light pilots/ re set boilers after that its chargable

 

[Agile]

Its a Biasi 24S with a very simple time clock.

We keep them in stock and I had to replace the grey plastic slide switch a couple of weeks ago and showed her and set the clock as she wanted it.

Now she has changed her mind about the times and expects me to come out free.

I think the fact that she lives on benefits has a lot to do with her expectations!

 

[Mikefromlondon]

I took the WAU assessment because I was aware that there were very few RGIs with it but in spite of that I have had virtually no new calls to them.

Most are seriously outdated and a wet system is far better but usually difficult and expensive to fit.

Most can still be repaired in J&S as they are very good on spares. Most that I have seen have been in very poor condition and the owners dont want them repaired properly and just bodged to keep going.

Tony

Nice to know someone on here can come handy to service a WAU in future!
I will keep in touch then.

That depends if you cover Harlow Area.