Over the years I've successfully completed quite a number of DIY projects inc plumbing ones (to the extent that I use end-feed solder joints, etc). I've also followed the whole thing about being 'competent' to do gas work and fully appreciate the necessity to complete such work in a safe manner. So what courses and exams would one have to pass to be able to install the typical domestic central heating system?
Getting qualified?
- Thread starter Raffles
- Start date
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For the gas side of things you currently need ACS qualifications, this is subdivided into different categories.
CCN1 is core gas safety
CKR1 is gas cooking appliances
HTR1 is gas fires and wall heaters
WAT1 is gas water heaters
CEN1 is gas central heating
DAH1 is gas ducted air heaters
Then you need to get Corgi/Capita registered.
That all i know
Someone will fill in the blanks.
CCN1 is core gas safety
CKR1 is gas cooking appliances
HTR1 is gas fires and wall heaters
WAT1 is gas water heaters
CEN1 is gas central heating
DAH1 is gas ducted air heaters
Then you need to get Corgi/Capita registered.
That all i know
Someone will fill in the blanks.
The blanks!
You cannot get on an ACS course or take the assessments without documented experience of working in the plumbing industry.
Some of the expensive colleges will offer courses at about £4000 which will overcome some of these problems.
The short answer is that you cannot get gas qualified now based on a little DIY experience. You would normally need two years minimum employed in a relevant job.
To become CORGI registered in your own name, you would also usually need two years with the ACS qualifications working for a gas firm to gain experience.
Tony
You cannot get on an ACS course or take the assessments without documented experience of working in the plumbing industry.
Some of the expensive colleges will offer courses at about £4000 which will overcome some of these problems.
The short answer is that you cannot get gas qualified now based on a little DIY experience. You would normally need two years minimum employed in a relevant job.
To become CORGI registered in your own name, you would also usually need two years with the ACS qualifications working for a gas firm to gain experience.
Tony
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Where does it say that?
What should it cost then?
To the OP:
My old man recently passed his ACS at the age of 53 after 0 years experience plumbing, he was a mechanic for 30 years which gave him a great background in fault finding and diagnostics. He is now employed as a gas service engineer btw.
A background in mechanics or electronics will serve you well. More so than plumbing, saying that it is important to know the effects of bad plumbing on a heating system and the faults that it can throw up.
Have a look at http://www.trustcorgi.com/Qualifications/Documents/2a Facts about ACS.pdf
In amongst the rest of it you'll find
Come April when Capita take over it may become more difficult for applicants with no industry experience to take assessments. I have heard that at present some, less reputable, assessment centres are not that hot on checking up on previous experience. This is one aspect that Capita will be looking into.
Mike
Followed up on some of the info posted above (thanks guys). The sticking point seems to be 'a period of work/training within the industry'. Not really practical when all I want to do is prove that I'm competent to do my own stuff. The supposed reason for all these certifications is safety but that particular obstacle seems to be more about creating a cosy little 'closed shop'. Modern day Masons anyone?!
I must strongly disagree with the last comment!
The whole point of requiring registration of those engaged in gas work is to ensure that anyone who has attained the qualifications can be expected to have a considerable degree of experience and capabilities in working with gas before being let loose on the public.
If you only want to do your own gas work then you dont need to take the assessment although you can still go on the courses.
Consider another profession. If you are to be operated on by a surgeon then you expect/hope that anyone cutting your body open and fiddling inside has a high degree of expertise. The training is very through but still the Treliske Hospital regularly used to appear in the national news with stories of operations gone wrong and patients being sent home with instruments still inside them.
Tony
The whole point of requiring registration of those engaged in gas work is to ensure that anyone who has attained the qualifications can be expected to have a considerable degree of experience and capabilities in working with gas before being let loose on the public.
If you only want to do your own gas work then you dont need to take the assessment although you can still go on the courses.
Consider another profession. If you are to be operated on by a surgeon then you expect/hope that anyone cutting your body open and fiddling inside has a high degree of expertise. The training is very through but still the Treliske Hospital regularly used to appear in the national news with stories of operations gone wrong and patients being sent home with instruments still inside them.
Tony
I totally agree anyone doing work for the public should be suitably qualified. Don't think the surgeon analogy is appropriate - I only want to operate on myself . But it would be good not to be in such a gray area (got to be competent but no definition of competency for DIY). I'm certainly not interested in doing it for others - I might end up with a customer like me!
. But it would be good not to be in such a gray area (got to be competent but no definition of competency for DIY). I'm certainly not interested in doing it for others - I might end up with a customer like me!
The problem with any DIY work is that it doesn't just affect you. It can affect visitors to your property, neighbours, passers by, the next person that lives in your house.
This doesn't just apply to gas work and DIYer working beyond his understanding or capabilities can cause damage or injury to other people.
If the worst happens and you cause injury or damage to another person or property you can find yourself personally liable. Insurance companies love to get out of paying claims so if they can claim that you tackled a job which you were not competent to do they will refuse to pay out.
This can be a bit of a grey area but in relation to gas and electrics there are already ways of assessing competence.
Mike
This doesn't just apply to gas work and DIYer working beyond his understanding or capabilities can cause damage or injury to other people.
If the worst happens and you cause injury or damage to another person or property you can find yourself personally liable. Insurance companies love to get out of paying claims so if they can claim that you tackled a job which you were not competent to do they will refuse to pay out.
This can be a bit of a grey area but in relation to gas and electrics there are already ways of assessing competence.
Mike
The more experience I get the more I realise I need and the more aparant it becomes how much more dangerous I was before the small amount of experience I have, than I ever dreamed. I wouldn't have let me loose in someones house corgi inspectors take a huge gamble.
The idea of experience being a means of securing a closed shop is against the ethos of safety.
There isn't enough experience required to make people safe. They are let loose to practice on the public and hopefully not kill anyone until they have gained sufficient experience the hard way. That is the situation we are now in with the industry. A lot of dangerous people running around fealing all puffed up and invinsible about themselves.
The idea of experience being a means of securing a closed shop is against the ethos of safety.
There isn't enough experience required to make people safe. They are let loose to practice on the public and hopefully not kill anyone until they have gained sufficient experience the hard way. That is the situation we are now in with the industry. A lot of dangerous people running around fealing all puffed up and invinsible about themselves.
GPlumb, how did your dad manage to get on an ACS course with no portfolio of evidence? would you care to post where he did it? i have been involved with a training centre and have seen people coming in to do the course (with some doing quite well considering their littele experience) but their ACS paperwork does not leave the centre to be accredited until their completed portfolio is presented to us, i am not dumbing down my trade but it has been proved that people with no experience can learn and pass the exams but their lack of real knowledge is the dangerous part in the field, and as you say your dad has no gas experience but is now working for a firm doing service work, i'm not having a go at your dad with his experience i'm sure he can adapt well, but he needs guidence from an experienced engineer to see him through the tricky bits
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