DIY Installations

[brokenspanner]

Help!
I've had more answers locally than hot dinners. Can I legally install my own LPG C/H provided that the commissioning is carried out by a Corgi installer?
I'm beginning to look more grey than my age dictates with this one.
Thanks in advance.

 

[nickso]

you are not allowed to do anything that is described as working on a gas appliance/pipework by corgi or the HSE. even if it is commisioned by a corgi engineer its still not allowed.

you can do all the plumbing to the rads though

 

[brokenspanner]

Which raises the subject of competance. As I read the regs if you're not being paid you do not need to be CORGI registered, only competant. My complaint is that the regs seem more to be designed to confuse than inform. (Well John prescot was in charge!)
This sort of legislation is what keeps lawyers driving big cars, why can't a government that's upto it's ears in lawyers draft regs in understandable English? Or is that too much to ask I wonder?

 

[doitall]

Unfortuneately nickso that is not correct.

I would not advise it especially LPG, and an RGI cannot commission someone elses work, but DIY gas is not illegal provided the doer is competent.

Get a corgy with an LPG ticket to install the boiler and gas

 

[Sider]

I thought diy gas is legal as long as your competant.
Read this on a few other forums.
If this is the case why would you need a corgi guy anyway ?

 

[brokenspanner]

Thanks Doitall,
But to qualify further. In your opinion can I hang the boiler and connect the various WATER pipes myself? The annoying thing from my point of view is that I have installed heating in the past and worked on gas installations for major companies before CORGI came in so I believe that I have a track record of competence.

 

[nickso]

there are plenty of rgi's that i wouldnt class as competent.

the weekend warrior with his b+q vouchers and and a couple of screwdrivers is very far away from competent.

i realise that my interpretation of the rules in this case is probably wrong.

however in my eyes it doesnt really matter how competent the original poster thinks he is....he shouldnt be doing what i think he is going to do anyway. and thats not meant to cause offence to you brokenspanner

 

[Sider]

After you hang the boiler be sure to carry out a tightness test to be sure it wont fall off the wall.

 

[doitall]

Your either competent or not only you know that until something goes wrong.

You do not need to be Corgy registered to DIY or to work for free

 

[oilman]

You can do what you like, cos no one is going to do anything unless it goes BOOOMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[brokenspanner]

Hi nicso.
I don't intend doing anything yet. As a pensioner I cannot afford to pay to have the full job done for me, but as I live in timber house, I don't mean timber framed, I mean all timber, and wish to maintain my insurance cover I wish to know where I can tread and and where I can't. Hence my inquiries and the various answers mirror what the locals tell me. Basically the regs are a mess!

 

[doitall]

After you hang the boiler be sure to carry out a tightness test to be sure it wont fall off the wall.

Comments like that assumes that all diyers are brain dead, I can assure you there's some very skilled guys out there doing diy work with far more skills than it takes to hang a boiler on the wall.

As nickso just said, we have all seen some very dodgy RGI work, and I know quite a few that I wouldn't let anywhere near a length of pipe.

For example I had an agency plumber fit a range of 5 toilets, they leaked because he didn't realise he had to solvent weld the waste pipe

 

[sime10]

So thats why we do a tighness test so the boiler wont fall off the wall


I wondered why we had to go through that everytime we do a gas job on any appliance or pipework I will remember that one


I did a tightness test on a gas fire it dropped but the boiler was still on the wall

Leave it go home early finish

 

[nickso]

how many times have you been to a house and found some really dodgy stuff and you just know the householder has done it......or fat bloke from the pub came round to do it for him.

ive lost count of the cookers/hobs installed by diyers that ive ID'd

i really dont care if they blow themselves up but they usually end up taking nextdoor with them or they move out and some other poor soul gets it

 

[Sider]

Doitall wrote.

I can assure you there's some very skilled guys out there doing diy work with far more skills than it takes to hang a boiler on the wall.

Like me.