Gas boiler inspection

[Vipers]

Probably wrong thread, but here we go.

To save me waiting in a queu with British Gas for over 40 minuts (after being passed on by three operators), for what I think is a simple explanation, and before I go complaining to them, can any qualfied Gas Safe registered chappies please tell me what it means, and what should briefly be done to complete this inspection.

On my customer checklist handed to me by the gas engineer it states "Appliance flue & ventilation safe".

What do you have to do to check this.

I am thinking you have to check the flue outside for CO, maybe inside as well.

Just want the bones of it, dont want to go into pages of stuff. Cheers guys.

[scottdm3]

Visual inspection for defects
Check its installed to regulations and Manufacturers instructions eg location, screwed, sealed to fabric of building
Flue integrity with the analyser
Combustion check with the analyser

[Vipers]

scottdm3 said:

Visual inspection for defects
Check its installed to regulations and Manufacturers instructions eg location, screwed, sealed to fabric of building
Flue integrity with the analyser
Combustion check with the analyser

Thank you for that, sort I what I expected. Last visit came in, straight upstairs to fix leak on bathroom radiator, the plug was leaking, bit of PTFE fixed it, downstairs to the halway and handed me the ticked safety check list. Not good I thought.

Sums it up nicely, time to put pen to paper, sorted.

[scottdm3]

Were they there to work on the boiler or just fix the leak?

[Vipers]

scottdm3 said:

Were they there to work on the boiler or just fix the leak?

Just to fix leak on rad. Does that make a difference?

[moles]

Yes it does!. Only a visual inspection needed of appliance which basically means look at it and do sweet fa if a modern appliance. What you were expecting would be done on a service. To fix a leak on a radiator is just that if you called a handyman they would have done the radiator and chipped off a gas qualified person gas a duty of care but in your instance they won’t do anything (other than look at it) so they have not done anything wrong.

Edited by moles on Thursday 5th October 20:41

Edited by moles on Thursday 5th October 20:43

[Vipers]

moles said:

Yes it does!. Only a visual inspection needed of appliance which basically means look at it and do sweet fa if a modern appliance. What you were expecting would be done on a service. To fix a leak on a radiator is just that if you called a handyman they would have done the radiator and chipped off a gas qualified person gas a duty of care but in your instance they won’t do anything (other than look at it) so they have not done anything wrong.

Edited by moles on Thursday 5th October 20:43

But he ticked the YES box after the wording "Appliance flue & ventilation safe".

Which implies to me he has checked it, but he didn't, that can't be right? He didn't even go in the room where the gas appliance was. How can he says it's safe if he hasn't checked.

[anonymous-user]

Gas engineer here, safety checks and a service are 2 different things.

Safety checks are MAINLY visible.

Ventilation would have to be calculated (if open flue or in a compartment etc)

Flue would've been visual inspection and maybe combustion analysis depending on engineer (no requirement too)

Etc etc. Not going to go into great details as the armchair experts of this diy forum will hoover it up and copy and paste it next time someone asks about boilers.

[Vipers]

AlrightYouns said:

Gas engineer here, safety checks and a service are 2 different things.

Safety checks are MAINLY visible.

Ventilation would have to be calculated (if open flue or in a compartment etc)

Flue would've been visual inspection and maybe combustion analysis depending on engineer (no requirement too)

Etc etc. Not going to go into great details as the armchair experts of this diy forum will hoover it up and copy and paste it next time someone asks about boilers.

I understand that but my point is he came in the front door, straight upstairs, fix rad, downstairs gave a check sheet with "Flue & ventilation", ticked YES. At no point did t he stray from the hallway and bathroom.

If he didn't see it, and didn't check it, why tick YES? Tell me this is wrong?

He could have left it blank and be done with it.

[moles]

He ticked the yes box in the context of his visit which was visual inspection only as he was working elsewhere in the property. If he ever had to explain his ticking of the yes box in court he would just say it looked safe as per the requirement of the regs in relation to the visit. (Visual only)

[anonymous-user]

Vipers said:

AlrightYouns said:

Gas engineer here, safety checks and a service are 2 different things.

Safety checks are MAINLY visible.

Ventilation would have to be calculated (if open flue or in a compartment etc)

Flue would've been visual inspection and maybe combustion analysis depending on engineer (no requirement too)

Etc etc. Not going to go into great details as the armchair experts of this diy forum will hoover it up and copy and paste it next time someone asks about boilers.

I understand that but my point is he came in the front door, straight upstairs, fix rad, downstairs gave a check sheet with "Flue & ventilation", ticked YES. At no point did t he stray from the hallway and bathroom.

If he didn't see it, and didn't check it, why tick YES? Tell me this is wrong?

He could have left it blank and be done with it.

To be fair he hasn't done the safety checks properly...
But good luck arguing with British gas, they are well known for being stubborn and putting too many jobs on there engineers resulting in poor performance.

[Vipers]

AlrightYouns said:

To be fair he hasn't done the safety checks properly...
But good luck arguing with British gas, they are well known for being stubborn and putting too many jobs on there engineers resulting in poor performance.

Thanks for that, if I was the engineer and didnt look at an item, bugger if I would tick the YES box.

Anyway thanks for all comments, much appreciated, letter to British Gas in the post tomorrow. My concern is others doing this, or just the one not checking, boiler/flue defective, = CO poisoning.

[Alucidnation]

Ah, good old British Gas.

[anonymous-user]

Vipers said:

AlrightYouns said:

To be fair he hasn't done the safety checks properly...
But good luck arguing with British gas, they are well known for being stubborn and putting too many jobs on there engineers resulting in poor performance.

Thanks for that, if I was the engineer and didnt look at an item, bugger if I would tick the YES box.

Anyway thanks for all comments, much appreciated, letter to British Gas in the post tomorrow. My concern is others doing this, or just the one not checking, boiler/flue defective, = CO poisoning.

I agree with that, personally when you go through all of your initial training to become a gas engineer, you almost take a oath to do the right thing, always use sound judgement and be safe and protect damage to property or loss of life.

Sounds like this guy had too much on and blagged it which is a shame to be honest.

Although from British gas I would expect no less.