Gas safe entry

[loneswimmer]

Hi,
Hoping that someone can offer me some advice on how to get gas safe qualified.

Despite having no formal qualifications in plumbing, I am quite competent with all pipework skills and electrics. I work sometimes with a gas safe mate of mine on boiler replacements and pretty much know how to do most of it. I would just like to get qualified in my own name.

I have looked in the Internet but all I can find are “training providers” who would want me to spend a lot of
money to prove I can solder a joint or bend an offset. I don’t need that, just a quick, cheap, and legitimate route to get certified.

Any helpful advice would be much appreciated.

 

[Dotty]

The legitimate route is neither quick nor cheap for a very good reason.

Go talk to your local college. And start working on a portfolio of jobs you've assisted with.

 

[Riley]

There's a lot more involved than just throwing a boiler on a wall and piping it. As Croppie says your best route is a college course as you will learn the finer points to ensure you work safely and competently.

 

[loneswimmer]

Thanks for the replies chaps. Riley, can you give me some examples of what you mean by "there's a lot more involved" just so I know if I am aware of these already things or not?

Just to be clear I want to do this 100% legit and properly but just don't want to spend time and money being taught to do things I can already do, hope you understand! Thanks.

 

[Dsp]

You will have to go through things you already know, yes you can solder a joint but can you do it to textbook standard everytine and you say you can bend an offset but can you work out how much pipe will be used for the bend radius you have used?? And can you bed without throating the pipe?? And hav e you looks at gas calculations?? Most of the course is theory and maths behind it not just the practical side of actual plumbing, you say you have assisted a fitter but without realising is your friend has already looked at the install and calculated what size gas main and distance and difficulty of the pipes route to see if it will be within gas calculations for the size of appliance but won't have to sit measure and Calculate it fully unless it's tight, you will get shown how to make a fitting schedule for a job and not just turn up with 20 of everything and you are shown how to secure and route pipework correctly and yes there is loads more to look into e.g building regulations, heat calculations , u-factors of insulation, vent sizing, so in short to do it legitimately there is a lot more to it than a few joints and an exam you need the full technical back ground first

 

[Riley]

With no formal qualification you will be required to put together a portfolio of evidence to support your competency and experience. You will be expected to demonstrate various skills and calculations such as pipe sizing and purging as well. You will also need to demonstrate working on a number of appliances servicing, installing and fault finding. Basically you may already know how to do things but you need to demonstrate these skills and that you are in fact working safely and inline with regs. Don't look at it as wasting time and money look at it as learning to do things properly. Your first ACS is quite an eye opener where people think they know it all but in fact know very little

 

[Tjdservices]

Legislation is a real eye opener as well, I thought it'd be an easy transfer from plumbing but as has been said already it's things like ventilation, unsafe situations and standards

 

[Click]

Just to be clear I want to do this 100% legit and properly but just don't want to spend time and money being taught to do things I can already do, hope you understand! Thanks.

You think a gas safe course is about soldering and bending pipes, and you know everything because you assisted your mate on a few installs? If youre ready to have this confidence of yours obliterated, buy a Viper book and go through it. Make sure you sit down and hold your jaw.

 

[Daniel Hall]

crikey why not give him another ear full. He's looking for advice not to be told 'oh you can bend pipe and you think you know it all.' It's about 4 grand+ mate. I had mine for nowt off my boss after I finished my plumbing apperticeship and still had to prove I could solder and bend pipe. It's rubbish but it's what they ask for. The instructor done it textbook but the way he came across he had probably never had his hands dirty in his life. It shouldn't be so pricey because most of the ones that struggle get dragged through and pass it anyway. Shouldnt use the price to defer Cowboys. Should make it that the people who can't pass the course don't get dragged through it just to make money

 

[loneswimmer]

Thanks for the helpful replies, Riley in particular. I have no doubt in my abilities on the practical side, but the theory not so much, so I’ll look into that.

I have to ask “Click” – why the vitriolic reply? Did I ever claim “to know it all”? Having read a few of your other comments on this forum, I note one was asking a question which you replied to yourself saying that you had not read the manual correctly!

 

[bwi]

Hi, I am in a similar position - I have been plumbing for years now and run a successful bathroom business but I am wanting to get trained as gas engineer as my knees are giving up the ghost from spending years tiling floors, plumbing etc.

I am looking for a fast-track style, distance learning course. Does anyone know of good providers?

Thanks,

Ben

 

[finkbat]

Afraid that the fast track courses no longer exist. All new-entrants must have completed an approved training course prior to attending their ACS. In-house, or online entry routes are not permitted any more. Full information in the entry route can be found in IGEM/IG/1 available from the IGEM website.

You're looking at spending a reasonable amount of time in a training centre, and providing a portfolio of evidence showing that you have on-job work experience.

 

[bwi]

Thanks for your reply fink bat - I'll look into it

 

[kris]

Thanks for the helpful replies, Riley in particular. I have no doubt in my abilities on the practical side, but the theory not so much, so I’ll look into that.

I have to ask “Click” – why the vitriolic reply? Did I ever claim “to know it all”? Having read a few of your other comments on this forum, I note one was asking a question which you replied to yourself saying that you had not read the manual correctly!

I'm not having a go but previously u said u know most of it and questioned when someone wrote there's more to it, it's easy to fit a boiler but understanding how the boiler works electronically and combustion, also know all the gas regs so that the instalation is legal, even bathroom fitting , it's simple to fit a bathroom but making sure all the pipework n drainage is as per building regs, I've been doing this 20 years and I'm still learning so there's never a point when we know everything , so start from scratch , take your time and try not to brag when your really just a plumbers mate and I do hope you get fully qualified,