G3 certification query

[Sard]

Hi all,

I'm having my unvented cylinder and boiler relocated to the loft and I understand that G3 certification is mandatory therefore I booked the work in with a reputable local company that had an engineer with G3 certification. However the two engineers that turned up and undertaking the work are not G3. They seem competent and work is tidy but I'm concerned about work being done on the unvented cylinder. I will speak to them but could it be that the certified engineer will turn up later to verify the installation and is this acceptable? So far there's been no mention of anyone turning up to check the work on the cylinder.

 

[durhamplumber]

You need G3 to install unvented as far as I know.

 

[muggles]

They could just send their qualified chap round to commission it. Make sure you get a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate out of them

 

[Madrab]

Quite simply, it's a legal requirement to install/commission an unvented HW cylinder installation.

The engineer must hold a G3 or UVHW qualification and it must be signed off and a certificate supplied, ask for these before payment is released. Only way you can be confident that it should be installed correctly.

 

[Sard]

Hi all, thank you for the help. So I asked one of the engineers and he said he definitely had the unvented certification but it wasn't listed on his card. He said he had it for over 5 years, which I find odd that it wasn't listed then. He said something about his gas safe listing falling under the company he works for and therefore not being up to date? Does this make any sense? Also no other engineer came round to commission the boiler or cylinder. It was just the two that had been onsite for the two days. On the Gas Safe Register, the director is listed as the only one having Unvented certification but definitely did not work on this job.

Also with regards to the Building Regulations Compliance Certificate, is this something the Plumbers provide directly to me or do they notify the local authority and I receive it in the post after?

I've just received the invoice, but waiting to confirm the above before I reply.

 

[muggles]

If he's had it for over five years then he's most probably out of date - we have to re-take our qualifications every five years to maintain them. The BRCC will be provided to you by Building Control (or Gas Safe) once the installers have notified them of completion

 

[ianmcd]

G3 might or might not show on his Gas safe card, it is a voluntary thing, but if you are G3 you have to renew every 5 years, so a bit suspicious, he should have a seperate card showing his G3, when registered with building control they send you a certificate, but as yours was only relocated and not a new installation that is different, I would call your local building control for advice before paying, my own thoughts are you dont need a new cert , but I am in Scotland and we have different regs

 

[Sard]

Thank you. I will call the council now to confirm. I suspect the previous plumber did not notify the council, but I will dig deeper on that one.

 

[ianmcd]

Thank you. I will call the council now to confirm. I suspect the previous plumber did not notify the council, but I will dig deeper on that one.

when you first install one you are supposed to notify BC and they are supposed to inspect once complete, but no one ever does if i am honest

 

[Madrab]

Yep, check with building control in your LA, so many of these unvented systems are installed/maintained by uncertified workers and it's just plain dangerous.

Any G3/UVHW certified installer will have his own ticket and certificate for that discipline, regardless of whether he falls under his company's GSR. If they can't show you it then he's not qualified and if it was me then I'd want to get onto his boss/company.

 

[Sard]

Hi, sorry for the delay. I've been trying to get to the bottom of this. So firstly, the company have said they will forward the engineers certificates to me. I guess it wouldn't matter if they aren't listed on gas Safe as having the unvented registration so long as I've seen their certificates?

Regarding the building control notification, they are saying that as they weren't the original fitters, they don't need to notify? To me that sounds odd as the relocation to the loft was pretty much a fresh install in terms of work required. Secondly, I got my old certificate from Gas Safe and just wanted to check this is the correct notification for an unvented cylinder?

 

[ianmcd]

Nope that is notification of your boiler not your unvented, that doesnt come from Gas safe

 

[Sard]

Nope that is notification of your boiler not your unvented, that doesnt come from Gas safe

Oh, I'm so confused now!

The council are telling me the following:

"I’ve just checked your property history and we have a record for “Install a gas-fired boiler” ref no. CP/xxxxxx/GASAFE"

Doesn't specifically mention an unvented cylinder either? Could that mean the cylinder wasn't registered and the plumber just notified about the boiler?

Sorry, this is a bit new to me.

 

[ianmcd]

the correct way to install an unvented is your G3 engineeth applies for a warrant from building control before any work commences, once work is complete, building control check the installation and isssue the certificate, it has nothing to do with gas safe, you can have unvented with electric heating or oil heating it sounds as if yours was never done in the first place, which to be honest is the norm unless it is a new build, most I see installed were never notified, doesnt make it right, just the way it is