Oil boiler filled with soot

[numpty1]

It may be different over in Eire and I hope Oftec do get it right there (my sister and much of my Dads' family are in the Boyle area) - but over here it seems that fellas turn up for assessments with no training attached (not Oftecs' fault they are there to assess your knowledge of the regs - with gas you have to build up a portfolio and then be assessed but there's no similar confirmation of hands on experience with Oftec)

its the same in ireland,turn up get your name right, tick a few boxs and away you go.pay them some money and you become a registered technician

 

[casius66]

turn up get your name right, tick a few boxs and away you go.pay them some money and you become a registered technician icon_rolleyes.gif

Then learn on the job at the customers expense...through parts at it until it works and do 30 min "services"...
It's a shame because the only guaranteed way a customer can get a decent oilman is through a personal recommendation, and if they don't know anyone how do they get someone reliable...

 

[numpty1]

It's a shame because the only guaranteed way a customer can get a decent oilman is through a personal recommendation, and if they don't know anyone how do they get someone reliable...

most of my work is cleaning up behind these fools,easy money wait until it goes the same way as gas and becomes compulsory.

 

[casius66]

Yeah it's always satisfying to get a neglected old boiler looking and running well, the surprise on the customers face when the Henry comes out or when you ask where the oil tank is - "the other bloke never looked at the oil tank or used a hoover"
I had a recent one where another engineer rang up as if he was the customer to get me out to sort out a boiler that hadn't been working for 6 weeks!! Turned up to new leaking oil pump, replaced this then photocell to get boiler running, I was fuming at the underhand way I'd been called out...but at least I did the job and got the customer warm...

 

[martineire]

Plenty of lads go on the oftec course with no plumbing background and leave with there blueflame cert to be let loose on the public and they dont have a clue, but if your a plumber you will learn quite a bit if you want to go into that area (boiler service and repair). They do the gas courses aswell (GIS GID and Gas domestic servicing course). They say you have to be a quilified plumber to do theses gas courses (which i am) but if you are not once you do the oftec oil course you can go on and do all the gas courses. Google the word METAC (Midland Energy Training And Assessment Centre) Where they not only assess you but train you first, Look up there website

 

[Agile]

Yeah it's always satisfying to get a neglected old boiler looking and running well, the surprise on the customers face when the Henry comes out or when you ask where the oil tank is - "the other bloke never looked at the oil tank or used a hoover"

I dont find it very satisfying at all to clean out a badly sooted boiler.

Partly because I have this feeling that I am somehow being taken advantage of when others dont want to do the job.

Partly also because our standard charging methods makes it a rather less well paid job.

I do enjoy repairing boilers when everyone else has failed to spot the fault, sometimes their inabilities are quite laughable.

One that comes to mind where the engineer had changed the gas valve TWICE as well as the ignition unit. All because he did not measure the gas pressure at the inlet WHEN it was trying to fire! He did not even find out where the gas meter was located.

It turned out to be a card meter which was letting enough gas past for two rings on the hob!

Tony

 

[Gregory Sabin]

its the same in ireland,turn up get your name right, tick a few boxs and away you go.pay them some money and you become a registered technician

I have found this in England too I had one out with a combi boiler not heating water he spent over two hours but didn't sort it I found out my self it was the Caleffi thermostatic mixer valve that was scaled up in our hard water area i replaced it it now works i wonder if you can descale them with a kettle descaler i tried white vinegar but it didn't work.