Can a Homeowner install His Own Gas Boiler?

[Tim Court]

Interesting discussion ongoing on Pistonheads Forum, Home and DIY section. There are some muppets here but also some very knowledgeable people who have gone through the regs with a fine toothcomb and assert that provided you are not doing it for profit/reward or for someone else, then technically no laws are being broken.

Personally back in the 80's I went to a plumbers merchant, bought all the kit and installed my own gas based central heating and hot water system, and in the 90's I did another refurb with underfloor heating and oil based system.
Due to current regs I wouldn't dream of touching the gas side of things but it seems that many people on there, especially those doing major refurbs, self builds etc wont pay the additional costs and assert they do a better job, often citing poor workmanship and exorbitant quotes as an excuse to crack on...
Test equipment can be hired and certification not actually required. Even notifiable work can be worked around without actually breaking the law.
It has also been noted that major incidents are always caused by outside incidents or prosecution of a professional rather than a DIYer.
Would love to see your views...

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Yes but you won’t be able to sell your house or have home insurance

 

[Tim Court]

That's what I thought but a few said "well, it's my forever home so do I care" - "problem for my kids when I snuff it" etc...
Insurance companies rarely ask for boiler installation certificates but I guess they would have a problem with a claim if it was boiler related...

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Yep they have disclaimers

 

[Gasmk1]

Surely this covers it What’s being done about illegal gas work? - https://registeredgasengineer.co.uk/technical/whats-being-done-about-illegal-gas-work/

 

[WC1]

But the installer mag story is all about "work" ie for profit not diy doing it for themselves. Imo if its not for profit its not "work" and therefore no gas safe regs are broken.
Installer mag is written by those who have an interest in making sure installers are qualified (and have paid their subs!!!)

Another thread here

Leaking boiler isolation valve

I've read and used some valuable info. over the years on here so thanks for that. However I need some more direct info. if possible. I have an old but reliable Worcester/Bosch 2.4i combi boiler, but recently I've noticed a leak from the central heating flow isolation valve. I've tried Fernox...

www.plumbersforums.net

 

[Gasmk1]

Gas safety check – who can do it? - https://www.hse.gov.uk/gas/landlords/safetycheckswhocan.htm paragraph 4 I think

 

[WC1]

1. Im no lawyer
2. Hse is only concerned with the workplace.
3. Gisur are regulations enabled by the health and safety at work act.
and so gisur can only relate to the workplace.
So gisur cannot be broken by a person in their own home.
4. The hse document above cannot apply to a person in their own home.
Imo
Ps anyone doing any unqualified gas work is very stupid and risks killing themselves, their family and possibly neighbors by explosion or poisoning. (But i dont think they are breaking the law)

 

[Ric2013]

Can a non-qualified person notify the installation via Building Control? If so, then it might all be above board. After all, someone will be checking the main safety issues (you may argue that checking someone else's work will be done more thoroughly than someone checking his own).

The issue in my mind would still remain though... you'd need to use the specialist skills of an installer at some point to convince BC it's set up correctly as you'd struggle to prove competence other than by having formal gas qualifications and it may prove challenging to find someone who is both meticulous and skilled AND willing to get involved in this.

While the OP [edit - the people the OP is referring to] has my sympathy (I first started considering taking up this trade after 3 separate RGIs failed to correct a basic fault on my heating system and I eventually worked it out by myself), I think he'd do better to find a genuinely good installer in this instance.

 

[Chuck]

AFAIK, in England and Wales all gas boiler replacements and installations need to be registered at the Local Authority to meet with Building Regulations and it is illegal to install a boiler or a heating appliance into a property without a building regs certificate.

In order to issue a BR certificate the local authority will require a Gas Safe registered engineer to inspect and sign off the installation. If it doesn't pass the inspection the home owner must either pay for remedial work or the gas supply to the property is isolated. The council can/will enforce the building regs by entering the property and remove the boiler, all at the property owner's expense.

Edit: Not all Gas Safe engineers will undertake retrospective boiler certification because of the liability issues but Gas Safe can provide a list of people who do. Such inspections are not cheap, several hundred pounds.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

You don’t need to be qualified to install anything in your own home only because a problem when you want to sell or put an insurance claim in, gas safe is non mandatory if it’s joe public in his own home

Plumbsure Threaded Gas fire Fitting kit | DIY at B&Q - https://www.diy.com/departments/plumbsure-threaded-gas-fire-fitting-kit/184660_BQ.prd

 

[Last Plumber]

There are many people out there who are more than competent in installing their own boiler but are not qualified.
There are gas safe registered engineers out there who I would deem incompetent yet they are qualified.
A lot comes down to the aforementioned amongst other things. One of the main things a gas safe engineer has in his or her favour is that they have supposedly proved competence in doing the job prior to doing it. A bit like the mechanic who replaced the brakes on your van. You can replace your own brakes and the brake police won't come knocking....Unless you injure or kill someone because your brakes failed.

 

[townfanjon]

Sake !! in the grand scheme of things its not really expensive to get a boiler installed properly

 

[Ric2013]

True. But the problem is even a boiler swapout 'thrown in' is still considerably more expensive than the cost of materials, and for someone with reasonable practical skills but on a basic income, there is no grand scheme of things. I've seen a boiler thrown in (and it was really was thrown in) where the (crap) installers probably charged around £700 a day between two of them (assuming they both did a full day, but I think one was just a labourer really and doubt he worked the full day). Minimum wage is £15,500 p.a. takehome, and if you're paying a mortgage, then the cost of the boiler would be bad enough. I can understand the wish to do it and, quite honestly, not knowing a decent local RGI, it is something that has crossed my own mind on occasion in the past.

I think it could very reasonably be argued that when I took my first car to bits, replaced the chassis (chassis and body, not unitary construction), reassembled the whole thing, rebuilt a front brake cylinder and the master cylinder as well as dismantling, adjusting, and replacing components on critical suspension and steering assemblies, I had more potential to put more people in danger than were I to change my own boiler, especially when the gas installation would be subject to the retrospective certification Chuck has suggested and probably more thorough than an MOT. And how many people have changed a wheel without even having a rough idea how tight the nuts should be (clue: probably not as tight as you think they should be)?

Money for me, luckily, is not quite that tight at present that I can be bothered changing my own boiler and so it's not something I intend to undertake... unless I do decide to work towards becoming an RGI, in which case it would all be good experience, I suppose.

 

[DGT plumbing]

 

[Ric2013]

1.30 into a 25 minute video and he still hasn't said anything meaningful. Any chance of a transcript or summary of key points?

 

[Chuck]

1.30 into a 25 minute video and he still hasn't said anything meaningful. Any chance of a transcript or summary of key points?

Summary: Plumbers are not lawyers.

 

[macrefurbs]

Over the years I have done all of my own plumbing and heating installs!
Why?
1: Absolutely extortionate quotations (everyone thinks they are running a PLC)
2: Lethal Consequences, eg:
I have had several incidences where the so called qualified gas installer, either did not do the job they were trusted and paid to do (British Gas!)

And one even sold me and installed defective equipment that was actually leaking gas.

I guess there are some good guys out there, but finding them is virtually impossible, because you don’t know how good a person is until after the event.

And a guarantee is only as good as the person that gives it!

 

[fourtytwo]

Over the years I have done all of my own plumbing and heating installs!
Why?
1: Absolutely extortionate quotations (everyone thinks they are running a PLC)
2: Lethal Consequences, eg:
I have had several incidences where the so called qualified gas installer, either did not do the job they were trusted and paid to do (British Gas!)

And one even sold me and installed defective equipment that was actually leaking gas.

I guess there are some good guys out there, but finding them is virtually impossible, because you don’t know how good a person is until after the event.

And a guarantee is only as good as the person that gives it!

I agree with you that finding good professional tradesmen is very difficult BUT
Having inherited a house with lethal wiring done by a botcher I can only thank god said botcher did not seemingly consider himself competent to mess with the gas pipework, boiler or fire otherwise this house and it's neighbors may well have been destroyed in one of the awful all to frequent gas explosions that kill and maim many innocent people.

Please consider what you are thinking of before anybody is killed or injured by your activities.

 

[macrefurbs]

I agree with you that finding good professional tradesmen is very difficult BUT
Having inherited a house with lethal wiring done by a botcher I can only thank god said botcher did not seemingly consider himself competent to mess with the gas pipework, boiler or fire otherwise this house and it's neighbors may well have been destroyed in one of the awful all to frequent gas explosions that kill and maim many innocent people.

Please consider what you are thinking of before anybody is killed or injured by your activities.

That's the whole point, I always do, but obviously that cant be said for some of the so called professionals!

 

[SimonG]

It's all sh I ts and giggles until something goes wrong. Then try and prove competency in front of a judge.

Just saying.

 

[Knappers]

I'm a bit lost with this but to confirm it's completely acceptable (legally) to do your own gas or electricals etc.
It is illegal to do it as a job unless your registered with a trade body (recognised by the HSE) as an approved class of individual.
The HASAW act used to cite competence as the requirement for gas work and the guidance notes stated Gas Safe registration as a requirement.
Now the act itself requires registration with a recognised trade body (Gas Safe is the only one).
Again this only covers work (ie for renumeration) not DIY.

I came across an interesting change to baxi manual today. In the front it had a flow chart showing two routes to building control compliance.
One through self certification (ie gas safe registered engineer) and one through building control with an inspection from building control.
However it then states later in the manual that boilers must be installed by Gas Safe engineers, this makes it technically impossible for a boiler to be installed to manufacturers instructions by anyone other than a registered engineer.
Basically building control won't sign it off without atleast an inspection by gas safe engineer and any GS guy signing off boilers is putting his ticket at risk so..... Good luck to anyone trying to get their boiler signed off by BC - you'll need it!