We have recently installed a central heating system into our new house. We have put in all the pipework and are now at the point where we need a gas fitter to come out and commission the work. However, few people are prepared to come out and do this. Is it because the job wont cost alot or is it because Corgi fitters aren't allowed to touch a 'DIYers' work? If this is the case then why are boilers, radiators etc sold in B+Q? Can anyone recommend a gas fitter that will do this job in the Leeds area?
DIY Central Heating
- Thread starter cenmlj
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did you do all the gas pipework as well?
B
billy bob
You will find it hard to get a Corgi engineer to put his name to someone elses work, I wouldn't
Central heating is controlled by part L of the building regulations, and so has to conform. What lots of people don't know is that if you are putting it in yourself, you need to inform the building control department and they will issue a certificate when it is done. You can then use this document to prove to the commissioning guy that it's ok, and he can then commission it without any come-backs.
Corgi people, or any other "competent person" are allowed to certify only their own work, so they can't say yours is ok.
Corgi people, or any other "competent person" are allowed to certify only their own work, so they can't say yours is ok.
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yes this is a real shame, this site is called diy not? apart from the gas work the idear should be to help and encourage people to say do the rads and all the water pipes, and help and advise, especially on a more basic combi system, looking at some post I can tell some of the replies are from pro fitters, and yes they dont want you doing it, its a shame
Darren
Darren
B
billy bob
Don't blame us pros,
It was the manufacturers who brought out the benchmark scheme, it was the Government who instructed the HSE to implement a governing body for gas ( Corgi ) and it is the HSE who make the regulations, NOT US
We merely inform you of what the regulations allow you as a DIY'er to do and not to do, that is all we do tell you what is legal and what is not, what you do at the end of the day is up to you, but you most certainaly are not competent to do the DIY work that you are doing because if you were you would not need to ask questions
It was the manufacturers who brought out the benchmark scheme, it was the Government who instructed the HSE to implement a governing body for gas ( Corgi ) and it is the HSE who make the regulations, NOT US
We merely inform you of what the regulations allow you as a DIY'er to do and not to do, that is all we do tell you what is legal and what is not, what you do at the end of the day is up to you, but you most certainaly are not competent to do the DIY work that you are doing because if you were you would not need to ask questions
You want a CORGI registered engineer to commission your DIY installed boiler.
I would be happy to carry out the commissioning work required (provided you lived within my work area) provided the installation was carried out to fully meet the current regulations, I was aware of the work BEFORE commencement, so that I could give you guidance that you might need.
I would also want to see the certificate of conformance that would be issued by the building control dept at your local town hall. This would be issued following your application to them, which incidently is a legal requirement. This paperwork will in all probability be requested by a purchasers solicitors involved in any future house sale.
Yes I am a pro and as has been said above it is NOT a case of being against you it is a case of us following the law. I can self certify my own gas, oil and unvented cylinder installations (by way of CORGI, OFTEC and CITB qualifications respectively) I do NOT have the LEGAL right to certify the work of others - nor do any other professionals.
Alan
I would be happy to carry out the commissioning work required (provided you lived within my work area) provided the installation was carried out to fully meet the current regulations, I was aware of the work BEFORE commencement, so that I could give you guidance that you might need.
I would also want to see the certificate of conformance that would be issued by the building control dept at your local town hall. This would be issued following your application to them, which incidently is a legal requirement. This paperwork will in all probability be requested by a purchasers solicitors involved in any future house sale.
Yes I am a pro and as has been said above it is NOT a case of being against you it is a case of us following the law. I can self certify my own gas, oil and unvented cylinder installations (by way of CORGI, OFTEC and CITB qualifications respectively) I do NOT have the LEGAL right to certify the work of others - nor do any other professionals.
Alan
To commission your boiler, it is best to contact the manufacturer, they will refer you to a local engineer in your area.
Those guys specialise in servicing that particular brand and will normally commission the boiler for a fixed price (£60+VAT in my area). However they will usually deal with the commissioning only, and will not do any plumbing work.
So this only works it you have your boiler all connected, your pipework all tested & flushed etc...
Those guys specialise in servicing that particular brand and will normally commission the boiler for a fixed price (£60+VAT in my area). However they will usually deal with the commissioning only, and will not do any plumbing work.
So this only works it you have your boiler all connected, your pipework all tested & flushed etc...
Just a technicallity but,when I had my central heating put in, my Corgi plumber (sorry heating engineer) had an apprentice/mate helping him. He was not qualified (studying day release) but did a lot of the wet plumbing.
I guess that this is probably a similar situation for most of you old lags.
How could my plumber then issue me the certificates for my boiler, when, "by law", he can only certify his own work?
I guess that this is probably a similar situation for most of you old lags.
How could my plumber then issue me the certificates for my boiler, when, "by law", he can only certify his own work?
Hello fellow heating system DIY installers!
Us oil boiler guys are having the same conversations (See Heating Mafia thread). Boy this is complicated!
As I understand it, the process for a DIYer to install a boiler would be:
1) Contact your local OFTEC/CORGI engineer and discuss that you intend to install your own boiler and would like them to certifiy it and take advice.
2) Contact your local buildings control department and inform them that you intend to install your own boiler and take their advice.
3) Install the boiler to building controls & OFTEC regs.
4) Get a Boiler engineer to commission the boiler (only).
5) Obtain the Certificate of Conformance from Buildings Control Dept.
6) Get OFTEC/CORGI engineer to certify the installation.
7) Have a well earned cup to tea.
Have I got the order of events right/missed anything out?
Cheers,
PaulMcC
PS From reading various threads about this subject I think there is a single certificate from the Building control dept but I seen it called
Certificate of Regularisation
Certificate of Compliance
Certificate of Conformance
Which one is correct?
get a
Certificate of Confirmance for the installation
Us oil boiler guys are having the same conversations (See Heating Mafia thread). Boy this is complicated!
As I understand it, the process for a DIYer to install a boiler would be:
1) Contact your local OFTEC/CORGI engineer and discuss that you intend to install your own boiler and would like them to certifiy it and take advice.
2) Contact your local buildings control department and inform them that you intend to install your own boiler and take their advice.
3) Install the boiler to building controls & OFTEC regs.
4) Get a Boiler engineer to commission the boiler (only).
5) Obtain the Certificate of Conformance from Buildings Control Dept.
6) Get OFTEC/CORGI engineer to certify the installation.
7) Have a well earned cup to tea.
Have I got the order of events right/missed anything out?
Cheers,
PaulMcC
PS From reading various threads about this subject I think there is a single certificate from the Building control dept but I seen it called
Certificate of Regularisation
Certificate of Compliance
Certificate of Conformance
Which one is correct?
get a
Certificate of Confirmance for the installation
Swap 4 & 5 and I would be happy to comission boiler. 6 is irelevent building control have done that and they are the only people who can.
penrymmj do you like splitting hairs?? Provided the work is carried out by a registered company and in your case under the control of the 'competent person' that person can self certify.
Remember we DO NOT make the rules. We are expected to comply. Failure to do so can result in presecution and fines.
Alan
penrymmj do you like splitting hairs?? Provided the work is carried out by a registered company and in your case under the control of the 'competent person' that person can self certify.
Remember we DO NOT make the rules. We are expected to comply. Failure to do so can result in presecution and fines.
Alan
darren7 wrote:
Dear darren7,
Oh, really? So could you explain why we spend so much time providing information as to how to fix things that go wrong and what things need doing so that an installation will comply with the regulations (which, though you may not believe it, none of the contributors here had a hand in writing), instead of replying "nah, nah, na na nahh; not going to tell ya".
Your inference is unjust, and smacks of a spoilt child throwing a tantrum just because he can't have his way. If you want to fit a combi system go ahead, you can, just get a certificate from the building control office. If it complies to the regulations and relevant BS specs, you'll get one.
If you pick any subject in plumbing, and search the forum, you will find loads of posts giving advice.
PaulAH and PaulMcC don't seem to have problems, and they pick out every detail, but in the end they will have installed a system which complies with building regs.
By all means darren7, have square wheels on your pram if you want, but I would suggest round ones might make life a little easier.
Dear darren7,
Oh, really? So could you explain why we spend so much time providing information as to how to fix things that go wrong and what things need doing so that an installation will comply with the regulations (which, though you may not believe it, none of the contributors here had a hand in writing), instead of replying "nah, nah, na na nahh; not going to tell ya".
Your inference is unjust, and smacks of a spoilt child throwing a tantrum just because he can't have his way. If you want to fit a combi system go ahead, you can, just get a certificate from the building control office. If it complies to the regulations and relevant BS specs, you'll get one.
If you pick any subject in plumbing, and search the forum, you will find loads of posts giving advice.
PaulAH and PaulMcC don't seem to have problems, and they pick out every detail, but in the end they will have installed a system which complies with building regs.
By all means darren7, have square wheels on your pram if you want, but I would suggest round ones might make life a little easier.
B
billy bob
penrymmj said:
He can do this because the trainee was under his supervision, how else to you expect trainees to learn, they have to have on hands experience to obtain their NVQ3, as long as there work was supervised it is OK
A local plumbers merchant sells stacks of boilers to diy'ers. they always recommend that the system is commissioned and guidence is taken when installing. they always give these people my number and i'm more than happy to do this type of work. my role is giving advice on the installation before and during. then a final test for soundness and commissioning. i always explain to customers that i will only fill in the benchmark as the commissioning engineer and that i will fill in the installer as the customer.
if anything is not to standards with the installation it is rectified before commissioning or my participation stops there. because diy gas work is not illegal and the installation tested and commissioned by a corgi regd engineer the boiler manufacturers cannot void warranties (the boiler is, after all put in as they specify).
should diy gas work be illegal?????????.......................yes, but until they make it so that you cannot buy any gas spares/fittings without your corgi id then i'll keep dong this type of work and giving advice on here.
i actually give advice on here in the hope that corgi will contact me and tell me to stop (weargas is my trading name). i will then put up a fight about making diy illegal, which for some reason they just don't want to do despite everyone in the gas industry wanting it.
my concerns are no more than this;
the amount of dangerous installations that i've been to that have been put in by a "friend" scares the s hit out of me. it's an accident waiting to happen. multiply this by the rest of the towns in england and that's a lot of accidents. it's not usually the combis that are the problem. quite often people are putting combi in and removing a bbu so, as well as a combi "joe from the club" has installed an inset lfe. nearly every one i've come across is not to current standards but most are at risk. they think just because the fire fits into the builders opening and they've managed to connect the gas and light the fire that its working safely. a combi wrongly installed is more than likely just to cost the user more un-necessary expense but a wrongly installed fire????? they could wake up dead!
if anything is not to standards with the installation it is rectified before commissioning or my participation stops there. because diy gas work is not illegal and the installation tested and commissioned by a corgi regd engineer the boiler manufacturers cannot void warranties (the boiler is, after all put in as they specify).
should diy gas work be illegal?????????.......................yes, but until they make it so that you cannot buy any gas spares/fittings without your corgi id then i'll keep dong this type of work and giving advice on here.
i actually give advice on here in the hope that corgi will contact me and tell me to stop (weargas is my trading name). i will then put up a fight about making diy illegal, which for some reason they just don't want to do despite everyone in the gas industry wanting it.
my concerns are no more than this;
the amount of dangerous installations that i've been to that have been put in by a "friend" scares the s hit out of me. it's an accident waiting to happen. multiply this by the rest of the towns in england and that's a lot of accidents. it's not usually the combis that are the problem. quite often people are putting combi in and removing a bbu so, as well as a combi "joe from the club" has installed an inset lfe. nearly every one i've come across is not to current standards but most are at risk. they think just because the fire fits into the builders opening and they've managed to connect the gas and light the fire that its working safely. a combi wrongly installed is more than likely just to cost the user more un-necessary expense but a wrongly installed fire????? they could wake up dead!
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