British Gas broke my boiler and expect me to buy a new one?!

[LookAtMyCat]

Sheepshanks said:

That's a fair description and shows an engineer is some way away from the job of fitting and maintaining boilers.

So who specs and designs the heating and hot water systems, within regulation and possibility to the requirements of the job, for this 'gas fitter' to fit?

Just a few screws to hold it on the wall, job done!

Again, I don't think most people really understand what's involved with being a self-employed plumbing and heating engineer. I've been doing it 10 or so years and am still learning all the time. Not to doubt the know-it-all HOWTO aficionados though, i've seen some massively elaborate fk-ups by some massively clever people.

mondeoman said:

Pertinent part .... "Engineers design materials, structures, and systems..."

Yer average gas fitter doesn't do design, and certainly doesn't have the required professional indemnity insurance. (public liability maybe, prof. indemnity is a different kettle of tigers)

Me and every heating engineer I know designs their systems? Who else is going to do it? Again, maybe you're getting gas fitter and engineer mixed up?

Edited by LookAtMyCat on Thursday 21st May 21:58

[Gareth79]

LookAtMyCat said:

Regarding BG; They're on wages so they frankly don't give a st, and will condemn almost anything for any reason in the pursuit of commission on a wildly overpriced new install. And funnily enough, some of the worst work i've ever seen is from BG guys.

I was under the impression (news stories from a while ago?) that they got commission for selling the customer a new boiler so there was some incentive for them to not actually repair it?

Edited by Gareth79 on Thursday 21st May 23:47

[Rickyy]

Gareth79 said:

LookAtMyCat said:

Regarding BG; They're on wages so they frankly don't give a st, and will condemn almost anything for any reason in the pursuit of commission on a wildly overpriced new install. And funnily enough, some of the worst work i've ever seen is from BG guys.

I was under the impression (news stories from a while ago?) that they got commission for selling the customer a new boiler so there was some incentive for them to not actually repair it?

Edited by Gareth79 on Thursday 21st May 23:47

I don't think they are on commission, but they are expected refer x amount of customers to the sales team every month.

[mondeoman]

LookAtMyCat said:

Sheepshanks said:

That's a fair description and shows an engineer is some way away from the job of fitting and maintaining boilers.

So who specs and designs the heating and hot water systems, within regulation and possibility to the requirements of the job, for this 'gas fitter' to fit?

Just a few screws to hold it on the wall, job done!

Again, I don't think most people really understand what's involved with being a self-employed plumbing and heating engineer. I've been doing it 10 or so years and am still learning all the time. Not to doubt the know-it-all HOWTO aficionados though, i've seen some massively elaborate fk-ups by some massively clever people.

mondeoman said:

Pertinent part .... "Engineers design materials, structures, and systems..."

Yer average gas fitter doesn't do design, and certainly doesn't have the required professional indemnity insurance. (public liability maybe, prof. indemnity is a different kettle of tigers)

Me and every heating engineer I know designs their systems? Who else is going to do it? Again, maybe you're getting gas fitter and engineer mixed up?

Edited by LookAtMyCat on Thursday 21st May 21:58

Using look-up tables for radiator, pump, boiler and pipework sizing does not an engineer make.

Creating the look-up tables, now you're talking. No offence meant, but the last few domestic systems I've had installed by "engineers" don't take a lot of "design". 22mm flow and return headers, 15 or 10mm to rads, standard Grundfos pump, 2 port valves, job jobbed. They've never even been balanced properly... (nor "designed" with a view to attempting to minimise or equalise pressure drop / flow rates in branches or across floors)

[Sheepshanks]

mondeoman said:

Using look-up tables for radiator, pump, boiler and pipework sizing does not an engineer make.

Creating the look-up tables, now you're talking. No offence meant, but the last few domestic systems I've had installed by "engineers" don't take a lot of "design". 22mm flow and return headers, 15 or 10mm to rads, standard Grundfos pump, 2 port valves, job jobbed. They've never even been balanced properly... (nor "designed" with a view to attempting to minimise or equalise pressure drop / flow rates in branches or across floors)

Same here. I'm sure central heating fitters vary in their capabilities and the guys that did my daughter's house did a good and neat plumbing job.

However talking to them about sizing the rads to get the return temp low enough to keep the boiler in condensing mode was met with bewildered looks.

[Cyberprog]

dickymint said:

Would that be BT gas engineers ringing you to source parts for their "weekend work" as the customer can't afford the new boiler specced by said engineer?

Lol, no, their coventry (IIRC) office rings. We get a few of the local guys in when they're doing a "foreigner" as it's known round here (moonlighting).