Looking for a plumber: CIPHE, Gas Safe or other?

[Pangloss]

I need some central heating work doing. I had a very experience with a plumber referred via family.

Is CIPHE or Gas Safe membership any guide to quality or ethics? or is the sole criterion for membership to pass the exams and pay the fees?

Does anybody have experience with the llists, such as Solilhull's Shipshape maintained by local authority trading standards?

I assume the recommendations in the commercial directories are unreliable, but I would be pleased to to proved wrong.

 

[Boilerman2]

Gas safe Register maintains the list of competent gas engineers, however the morals or ethics are not monitored
CIPHE takes more interest in the ethics and financial standing of their member Companies (the CIPHE engineer would still need to Gas safe Registed though)

Another worthwhile organisation is B&ESA (formally HVCA) all B&ESA members are gegularly inspected by BM Trada to achieve technical & financial competence and offer domestic customers an independant guarantee

 

[Agile]

The reality is that the only way to achieve what you want is by several personal recommendations or your own assessment of their demeanure!

Even with personal reommendations someone would be completely happy with a simple job like fitting a room stat but someone else would be dissatified with a refusal to come out and correct an installation error until after the new year if lodged on the 23rd December.

Its the response to dealing with installation errors which causes the most upset. Together with poor quality and untidy installations.

Tony

 

[compheat]

Gas safe Register maintains the list of competent gas engineers, however the morals or ethics are not monitored
CIPHE takes more interest in the ethics and financial standing of their member Companies (the CIPHE engineer would still need to Gas safe Registed though)

Another worthwhile organisation is B&ESA (formally HVCA) all B&ESA members are gegularly inspected by BM Trada to achieve technical & financial competence and offer domestic customers an independant guarantee

anyone doing Gas as to be Registered,
but it doesn't mean they know anything about plumbing or heating and judging by all the 6 week wonders out there trying to get rich quick I'd go with someone that's taken the time and trouble to join an organisation that's mention above at least that way your sure of them having some type of qualifications that mean something.

 

[transam]

There are of course other reputable organisations to belong to

guild of master craftsman , or checker trade Pontiac owners club !!

 

[Dan Robinson]

The reality is that the only way to achieve what you want is by several personal recommendations or your own assessment of their demeanure!

Tony

Doesn't that contradict what you said in the "how busy" thread?

 

[Agile]

The reality is that the only way to achieve what you want is by several personal recommendations or your own assessment of their demeanure!

Tony

Doesn't that contradict what you said in the "how busy" thread?

References?

I would never give any customer's details to someone else. Nor do I expect any would want to be bothered.

Most of the people wanting references can be quite pushy too. Whilst I can understand their concerns, the question of references is plagued with problems and potentially fraud.

How would a dentist or doctor respond if you asked them for references?

Tony

I dont see anything very contradictory.

A personal recommendation is transmitted orally, like herpes.

But nor do I expect people to compare postings side by side on two monitors! [ Yes folks, thats what some of the forum anoraks use! ]

 

[Dan Robinson]

Actually I have 3

 

[Pangloss]

I have tried cross referencing CIPHE, Gas Safe and Shipshape registered installers. I have found only one in my area who is on all 3 lists.

Perhaps not too surprising. I have personal experience with professional organisations myself.

Thanks for the suggestion about BS&E.

I notice nobody has as yet recommended one of those commercial tradesman reviewing sites. Perhaps I should not be too surprised.

 

[Agile]

Thats because they promote anyone who pays them!

 

[Boilerman2]

In the current climate our margins are squeezed to the limit.
so there is no way I would get involved with any of these commercial so called check a trade parasites!!

 

[oilboffin]

With the CIPHE all the qualifications that the tradesman has are very carefully checked and verified then and only then can you join also OFTEC is a competent persons scheme so most people with these credentials can be trusted but there are exceptions but these schemes don't have control on what you are charged as a guide probably £20-35 pounds per hour is what's called the norm

 

[Agile]

£20-£30 per hour for a six hour job may be fine.

But short jobs like repairs done in an hour or less will be charged at a much higher rate such as about £84 to cover travelling time and costs.

The CIPHE is seen as largely irrelevant by most in the plumbing industry and has a membership mostly close to or past retirement age. Anyone under 50 at their meetings is seen as a "young" one. Much more of a gentleman's club for golf etc.

Whilst they should be a natural to join they struggle to get more than about 3% of plumbers to join.

Tony

 

[Deleted member 63160]

But short jobs like repairs done in an hour or less will be charged at a much higher rate such as about £84 to cover travelling time and costs.

Tony