Moonlighting Gas Fitter

[Robster_1981]

Hi all!

I had a condensing boiler fitted a few years ago and now need it re-locating. A friend of a friend is a British Gas engineer and ‘does foreigners’. Will this be covered by gas safe?

If not, I’d rather go elsewhere to get all the certs. I’m having it moved from the garage to inside the house, and it’s pretty much in exactly the same place, just on the other side of the wall (if that makes sense) all the pipes are pretty easily accessed in the under floor void, and the gas pipe runs along an external wall and only needs to be extended about 300mm. Am I asking a bit much for that to come in at around £500?

 

[Gasguru]

It depends if he's registered in his own right...and it sounds like he isn't.
Other can correct me but AFAIR sometime ago BG stopped their direct employed workforce from being registered other than under BG to prevent foreigners.

 

[Madrab]

All you need to do is ask to see his Gas safe ID and will it be certified (gas safe certificate) any reasonable engineer shouldn't have an issue with being asked that.

 

[muggles]

Am I asking a bit much for that to come in at around £500?

Depends where you are in the country, as labour charges vary, but yes your expectations are likely to be inaccurate. Sounds like a day's labour, pipework, some new flue bits (if available for your boiler) etc etc. Pay peanuts, get a monkey. And no, your friend's friend is not likely to have his own registration, although you can of course ask as Madrab has advised

 

[Robster_1981]

That’s great, thanks for the replies. I’m an electrician by trade, so I appreciate the importance of certificates etc. There is minimal pipework to do, and access is very good. I’d also be willing to drill all the holes etc, so yeah a days labour, plus a flue kit.

 

[Robster_1981]

Oh, I’m in Manchester by the way

 

[hard-work]

Looks simple enough. As the work is in your own home, you can do it yourself if you feel confident enough. You sound so. You could get an inspection (landlord' cert) and service to check the soundness, flue gasses etc.

All within the law as you are not doing the work for gain and responsible to have it checked.

 

[Robster_1981]

Looks simple enough. As the work is in your own home, you can do it yourself if you feel confident enough. You sound so. You could get an inspection (landlord' cert) and service to check the soundness, flue gasses etc.

All within the law as you are not doing the work for gain and responsible to have it checked.

Thanks mate, much appreciated! I didn’t think that was possible!

 

[hard-work]

You need to be competent to do any gas work. If you do it for gain (i.e., charge money) you need to be registered with Gassafe, but still be competent. That is the difference. That is the law. Competence is the result of your work.

You are a competent electrician, and know how to fit conduit which is similar to pipe, general building work associated with cable laying - drilling holes, fixings, etc. The electrical side is child's play for you. If you get a service after you move it, the guy will test for gas soundness and the combustion side. That means you are also responsible.

 

[Robster_1981]

You need to be competent to do any gas work. If you do it for gain (i.e., charge money) you need to be registered with Gassafe, but still be competent. Competent is the result. That is the difference. That is the law.

You are a competent electrician, and know how to fit conduit which is similar to pipe. The electrical side is child's play for you. If you get a service after you move it, the guy will test for gas soundness and the combustion side. That means you are also responsible.

What a refreshing post! This was my feeling to begin with, but the whole ‘law’ thing scared me tbh. I’ve RTFM and it’s exactly how I thought. By no means am I down playing it, but like you say, competence is the key. I know what makes a good job, and I’ll probably get myself a gas water gauge. My Dad was a pipe fitter, and he’ll be helping me too

 

[hard-work]

You are set.

 

[hard-work]

The word competent, arises in many descriptions in trade fields. It does not mean a certificate.

There are thousands of retired gas engineers who can freely work on gas without Gassafe registration. Once they charge money they need registration.

 

[Notch7]

That’s great, thanks for the replies. I’m an electrician by trade, so I appreciate the importance of certificates etc. There is minimal pipework to do, and access is very good. I’d also be willing to drill all the holes etc, so yeah a days labour, plus a flue kit.

As you are an electrician, Im surprised you dont know a good plumber....you just need one that wants a days worth of electrics done

 

[Robster_1981]

As you are an electrician, Im surprised you dont know a good plumber....you just need one that wants a days worth if electrics done

I work in maintenance, so we’re all penned in a factory on shifts and don’t get out much haha!
I’d swap it in a heartbeat to be a domestic spark out on my own, but as you’ve guessed, I don’t have many contacts, so I’d be starting with a massive handicap

 

[Madrab]

Can I recommend that you get a Gas Safe registered engineer to do the work, just to ensure the safety of you and yours. That way it will be confirmed from the get go that it is gas tight, running correctly, not spilling POC's into the living space and certified as OK.