Really dodgy gas men
Discussion
This was just not what I needed.
Background is this. Elderly mum is I'll in hospital and asked me to get her regular gas men in to fix her central heating.
So they turn up.
Can't turn water off to the house and suggest I get the water authority in to do it.
It's an old CH system and they say the have never seen a pump like this before. The get a load of pumps ou of the van.
Leaving the CH system water circuit open. Ie some pipes disconnected the leave arranging to come back in a week with the parts.
I go to lock up to leave and notice the boiler is on at full tilt with no or little water in the system.
I call them to come back. They just tell me to turn the boiler off. I had tried that and it didn't work.
I call British Gas emergency. They tell me how to turn off the gas main and a man comes round to check it is all safe.
I call friend of friend with CH Company who sends chaps out.
The pump is apparently very common. They had one in the van. I am told that if the boiler had been left on there could have been an explosion. There is a fault with the boiler which the original guys should have spotted.
So, how do I proceed? I want to make maximum trouble for these cowboys. If it had been my elderly mum left in that house. God knows what would have happened.
Background is this. Elderly mum is I'll in hospital and asked me to get her regular gas men in to fix her central heating.
So they turn up.
Can't turn water off to the house and suggest I get the water authority in to do it.
It's an old CH system and they say the have never seen a pump like this before. The get a load of pumps ou of the van.
Leaving the CH system water circuit open. Ie some pipes disconnected the leave arranging to come back in a week with the parts.
I go to lock up to leave and notice the boiler is on at full tilt with no or little water in the system.
I call them to come back. They just tell me to turn the boiler off. I had tried that and it didn't work.
I call British Gas emergency. They tell me how to turn off the gas main and a man comes round to check it is all safe.
I call friend of friend with CH Company who sends chaps out.
The pump is apparently very common. They had one in the van. I am told that if the boiler had been left on there could have been an explosion. There is a fault with the boiler which the original guys should have spotted.
So, how do I proceed? I want to make maximum trouble for these cowboys. If it had been my elderly mum left in that house. God knows what would have happened.
personally, i would phone them up, explain the situation, say that you are not expecting them to ocme back round and nor do you want them to and then hit every trading standards authority that you can fid of relevance. call the local paper, the websites like rate my tradesman etc etc
as i said, there is no point getting them back to tidy up or whatever, you know they are crooks and poor tradesman so the last thing you want is them back in the house. i appreciate you will have to spend more getting it fixed but the best thing you can do is use someone who knows what they are doing and hammer these guys hard using the most appropriate means.
having had too many bad experiences, i just use peopel from the federation of master builders or that sort of organisation, you pay more but unless you can get a personal recommendation you trust, its a pretty safe option.
as i said, there is no point getting them back to tidy up or whatever, you know they are crooks and poor tradesman so the last thing you want is them back in the house. i appreciate you will have to spend more getting it fixed but the best thing you can do is use someone who knows what they are doing and hammer these guys hard using the most appropriate means.
having had too many bad experiences, i just use peopel from the federation of master builders or that sort of organisation, you pay more but unless you can get a personal recommendation you trust, its a pretty safe option.
I am having a really stressful time at the mo so haven't called them as I know I'd just get all sweary and shouty with them.
I use FMB guys, and British Gas for my boiler. It pays to pay a little more,
but this isn't my house. These fellas have been around ages and worked for mum with no probs in the past.
Naturally I will not be paying their bill if they dare to send one. So we reckon Trading Standards?
The fellas I've got in seem fine. Run by a bloke I know whose a nice guy, member of a big charity that I get involved with now and then, in my drinking circle etc etc.
I use FMB guys, and British Gas for my boiler. It pays to pay a little more,
but this isn't my house. These fellas have been around ages and worked for mum with no probs in the past.
Naturally I will not be paying their bill if they dare to send one. So we reckon Trading Standards?
The fellas I've got in seem fine. Run by a bloke I know whose a nice guy, member of a big charity that I get involved with now and then, in my drinking circle etc etc.
Speak to these people:
http://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/
Part of their remit is to randomly spot check work carried out by registered engineers. I bet if you phone them up they'll come round and inspect the work.
If they lose their Gas safe registration they cannot work on gas any more, or if it transpires they have been working on gas without it, they will be in serious trouble.
ETA: There is a link to a form to nominate your work for inspection:
http://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/help/free_gas_saf...
http://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/
Part of their remit is to randomly spot check work carried out by registered engineers. I bet if you phone them up they'll come round and inspect the work.
If they lose their Gas safe registration they cannot work on gas any more, or if it transpires they have been working on gas without it, they will be in serious trouble.
ETA: There is a link to a form to nominate your work for inspection:
http://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/help/free_gas_saf...
Edited by blinkythefish on Friday 15th July 11:19
blinkythefish said:
Speak to these people:
http://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/
Part of their remit is to randomly spot check work carried out by registered engineers. I bet if you phone them up they'll come round and inspect the work.
If they lose their Gas safe registration they cannot work on gas any more, or if it transpires they have been working on gas without it, they will be in serious trouble.
ETA: There is a link to a form to nominate your work for inspection:
http://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/help/free_gas_saf...
DO this, gas safe will be very interested.http://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/
Part of their remit is to randomly spot check work carried out by registered engineers. I bet if you phone them up they'll come round and inspect the work.
If they lose their Gas safe registration they cannot work on gas any more, or if it transpires they have been working on gas without it, they will be in serious trouble.
ETA: There is a link to a form to nominate your work for inspection:
http://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/help/free_gas_saf...
Edited by blinkythefish on Friday 15th July 11:19
If someone has been out to look at it and it's been left in a dangerous condition:"It could have blown up", then under the HSE rules they should have filled in a RIDDOR form and sent it to the HSE. If they haven't it is not good at all. People like this will continue to get away with it if they aren't reported to the people who enforce. Gas Safe are not really the people to talk to unless these people have contravened the REGISTRATION rules.
First off, get a report from the company that made the system safe.
Present it to the dodgy gas men for their version of events.
This dangerous fault they should have spotted, by the sounds of it they didn't really investigate the boiler too well as they would have noticed it was still turned on! So they may not have spotted this fault at first glance.
I'm not defending the dodgy guys, they should have isolated the boiler.
But hear their version of events, as it could be a rival company exaggerating things in an attempt to cause trouble for them.
Present it to the dodgy gas men for their version of events.
This dangerous fault they should have spotted, by the sounds of it they didn't really investigate the boiler too well as they would have noticed it was still turned on! So they may not have spotted this fault at first glance.
I'm not defending the dodgy guys, they should have isolated the boiler.
But hear their version of events, as it could be a rival company exaggerating things in an attempt to cause trouble for them.
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