Fitting Gas Cooker

[DerekM]

OK guys I'm a bit worried about something so some advice would be much appreciated.
My fiance and I bought our first house and we decided we'd like a gas cooker, however the previous owner had an electric cooker so we had to get a gas pipe plumbed in etc. Like I say it's our first house so in order to save alittle cash we got an experienced British Gas engineer to do it on the side. He led a pipe from the boiler on one side of the kitchen, underneath the floor and up the other side and when the oven came we got him back down in order to conect them up. Needless to say we didn't get a certificate for any of this. Now there is a problem with the digital clock on the oven and when we got the manufacturer's engineer to come out he pulled out the oven and said that as the bayonet is not directly behind the oven (it is actually coming from behind the kitchen unit directly next to it), and so unable to shut off quickly, this is against the company's regulations and he won't touch anything on it with a barge pole. All that and we only wanted him to change the digital clock!

Now the bit that has me worried is that if some jobsworth won't change a digital clock because the gas fittings aren't in line with his company's own specific regulations, what would happen if we experienced a major problem with the gas i.e. the house blew up? Seeing as we don't have a certificate for the oven install I'm guessing we'd be up the creek without a paddle in terms of an insurance claim. Regardless of the rights or wrongs of what I've done, is there any way of rectifying this? Bearing in mind the fact that only this week have we got the kitchen actually finished so there is no real chance of tearing up the flooring and starting all over again.

 

[ServiceNumpty]

So you got an engineer to do a homer, without PLI, a gas safe registration, without the relevant documentation filled in. And now you're whingeing about the possibilities. Sould have thought about that before.

 

[DerekM]

That's about the long and short of it.

I realise that sitting on your computer hundreds of miles away makes it easy to catch the forum users bug and come away with smart comments without any chance of confrontation on your views so I'll forgive you on that one, but I was really looking for some advice. You make the notion of someone doing a homer, who has years of experience doing the exact same thing, sound like the world's worst crime. I really don't understand why you're trying to be so pious about this. If you're going to get all high and mighty take some time to consider that more people die from car accidents than gas accidents and so a mechanic's work on a car is just as worthy of strict control but I bet you wouldn't mind a mechanic doing a job on the side for you if all you had to do was drop your drawers.
All I was looking for was was a simple "no, there's nothing you can do without starting all over again" or "yes, actually you can do...."
Not some unneeded comment from a loser with too much time on their hands.
Cheers

 

[cumbriahandyman]

i.e. the house blew up? Seeing as we don't have a certificate for the oven install I'm guessing we'd be up the creek without a paddle in terms of an insurance claim.

The certificate was in the house and got burned to pieces. Get the engineer back to put the pipe in the right place and demand a certificate. Threaten to tell his employer what he did if he does not supply one.

Can't say I blame you for trying to save money, new house is always expensive. There are plenty of corners to cut but with gas, not a good idea.

Good luck...

 

[ServiceNumpty]

 

[45yearsagasman]

It would be simple to extend the cooker supply the small distance and reposition the bayonet behind the cooker.RGI work and quite quick to do.That would satisfy the manufacturers agent.Experienced engineer who did the original install...MY AR*E.

 

[misterdubya]

You make the notion of someone doing a homer, who has years of experience doing the exact same thing, sound like the world's worst crime.

A 'someone' who can't follow the manufacturers fitting instructions?

Years of experience seems to equate to 'slap-dash' in your instance.

Thats why he was so cheap, he does not need to bother with reading silly things like instructions does he, he has had years of experience.

Look what mess his years of experience have left you in.

Mr. W.

 

[DerekM]

OK, point taken I'm really not in the right place for any sort of sympathy on this one and in hindsight it would've been the best option to get someone to do it as an actual job instead of a homer but this situation could have happened even if I had got it done that way. The guy genuinely does have years of experience I didn't just drag him off the street or something. Fair enough I'm not a tradesman but the way you guys are speaking is as if homer=shady job done. If I were a tradesman doing a job cash in hand, tax free (and not overly cheap by the way) for someone who knows who I am I would do it just as professionally as if it were my 9-5. But again I'm not a tradesman so that might be naive.

 

[expertgasman]

Get the engineer back to put the pipe in the right place and demand a certificate. Threaten to tell his employer what he did if he does not supply one.

There is no REQUIREMENT to issue a cert.

You'll NEVER get one on a homer.

 

[ServiceNumpty]

Derek,

No problem, ring round a couple of local RGI's asking them to re-install the gas connection point to the Manf Instructions. You could if you wish pay a bit extra for piece of mind and request a Safety Certificate for the whole gas installation, this would include the cooker, hob, boiler and gas fire. Once the cooker is installed to M.I you could get the manf back to replace the clock.

 

[expertgasman]

in hindsight it would've been the best option to get someone to do it as an actual job instead of a homer but this situation could have happened even if I had got it done that way. The guy genuinely does have years of experience I didn't just drag him off the street or something. Fair enough I'm not a tradesman but the way you guys are speaking is as if homer=shady job done. If I were a tradesman doing a job cash in hand, tax free (and not overly cheap by the way) for someone who knows who I am I would do it just as professionally as if it were my 9-5. But again I'm not a tradesman so that might be naive.[/quote]

With respect, it IS a shady deal. No Tax, No NI, no gas safe registration in his own right, no possibility of certification etc. Would you mind disclosing what he charged you?

 

[misterdubya]

The extra pipework to bring it up to spec. will cost next to nothing. Has the apppliance been registered with Gassafe? Hobs don't need one, but IFAIK built in ovens do.

I always provide a gas safety check (duty of care).

Mr. W.

 

[Stamina]

Hobs and freestanding cookers do not need notification.

 

[namsag]

And you all believe this is a real scenario .
The OP has managed to hit all the bullet points that upset you all on here all the time.
BG, certificate, private job, not fitted to MI`S no tax paid etc etc.

If this happened to youselves with any job done in your house would the first port of call not be the guy who done it and not an internet chat room

 

[Agile]

OK, point taken I'm really not in the right place for any sort of sympathy on this one and in hindsight it would've been the best option to get someone to do it as an actual job instead of a homer but this situation could have happened even if I had got it done that way.

The guy genuinely does have years of experience

Why do you expect to get sympathy when you have knowingly cut corners and ended up with a problem?

How do you explain that someone with years of experience has got it so wrong? The obvious answer is that he was probably just being lazy or really did not know. Some people are still inadequate after doing things for years. Others are spot on immediately after their training.

Why did you not immediately call him back to correct it?

PROVIDING the bayonet connector is easily accessible for disconnection, I dont see any reason why it should not be within the next unit. Perhaps others will comment on this.

Tony