Where does the plumbing stop and the gas engineering start???

[Aqua Mechanica]

Just a quick question, all in the title really.

Obviously as a plumber, I can install all the rads and flow & return pipework for a heating system bt how near to the boiler can I actually get? Am I right in saying the only things I'm not allowed to touch are the gas pipe and the boiler itself?

After all, I did a combi jig at college all those years ago?

(For the record, I'd do the gas but its so expensive and I have no one to work or train with. I've actually decided to do an Honours Degree in Building Services Engineering [Mechanical] instead as it's far easier to achieve!!!)

But honestly, where does the Plumber stop and the Gas Technician start?

Cheers

Ben Wood
Bexleyheath Plumber

 

[fuzzy]

If you look at tech bulletin 014 it states that to check on work completed by a non registered person you would be expected to expose pipework if it is buried in concrete screed,, lift floorboards, climb through roofspaces etc,so its a lot more than a cursory check and more than what most customers would call reasonably practicable, especially if you''re whipping up their newly tiled floor.

It also mentions (to my chagrin as fuzzy will be chewing my bum) "No person shalllcarryout anywork in relation to a gas fitting unless they are competent to do so" and "the HSE defines competence as a combination of both training and experience.Therefore anyone who does work ona gas fitting must be competent to do so, whether or not they are required to register with gas safe register"

It seems to me the HSE doesnt know who or what it wants doing as far as defining who may work with gas fittings based on its own definitions. One day it may actually define once and for all who is allowed to do what in what circumstances!, clearly

I was thinking of an exsisting installation as opposed to work by non qualified, so would agree with you there.

can i confirm that i have no intention of chewing oldplumbers a*se

 

[fuzzy]

actually, thinking about it - its rather remiss that the law changed that you can't do your own electrics in your own home, but you can still do gas... least with electrics you dont generally blow the street up!

about time they brought the gas up to date too.

you cannot do gas in your own home unless you are competent

 

[HoodedClaw]

you cannot do gas in your own home unless you are competent

Thats correct, and the definition 'at the moment' of deciding that is based on if there are any problems after or not. Not based on qualifications/gas safe/building regs..

Totally wrong as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Reg Man]

Everyone would tend to agree. There are people doing gas work in their homes without any regulation and they may face the consequence if it goes wrong. As trades people though, we do the bulk of the gas work and therfore have to accept the regulations involved. Its the old thing about civil rights and freedom, no such thing as a perfect world. To give you an example: I am fully qualified competent gas fitter but work in management of a business and do not work on the tools and have no registration. My boiler breaks down so I replace it. I am not registered but totaly qualified and competent to do so. Change the regulations and say no one can do the work unless your registered with GSR (Gas Safe Register). I still have a problem though because I can not certificate the work for Part L compliance unless I register with a cometent person scheme or go directly to building control; who are unlikely to sign off the work unless I am registered with GSR. Thought I would throw that one in. What do you think? PS: I know that almost all DIY work is done by people not competent. At least the part L makes it more difficult. Trouble is this Part L certification seems a little weak when it comes to enforcing and it does not necessarily directly involve gas work.

 

[fuzzy]

Thats correct, and the definition 'at the moment' of deciding that is based on if there are any problems after or not. Not based on qualifications/gas safe/building regs..

Totally wrong as far as I'm concerned.

No we've been over this recently, the definition of competent isnt 'if something goes wrong afterwards' as many would have you believe, its KUTE, Knowledge, Understanding, Training and Experience

 

[fuzzy]

Everyone would tend to agree. There are people doing gas work in their homes without any regulation and they may face the consequence if it goes wrong. As trades people though, we do the bulk of the gas work and therfore have to accept the regulations involved. Its the old thing about civil rights and freedom, no such thing as a perfect world. To give you an example: I am fully qualified competent gas fitter but work in management of a business and do not work on the tools and have no registration. My boiler breaks down so I replace it. I am not registered but totaly qualified and competent to do so. Change the regulations and say no one can do the work unless your registered with GSR (Gas Safe Register). I still have a problem though because I can not certificate the work for Part L compliance unless I register with a cometent person scheme or go directly to building control; who are unlikely to sign off the work unless I am registered with GSR. Thought I would throw that one in. What do you think? PS: I know that almost all DIY work is done by people not competent. At least the part L makes it more difficult. Trouble is this Part L certification seems a little weak when it comes to enforcing and it does not necessarily directly involve gas work.

Gas safe dont give a monkeys about Part L, they said to my mate when he phoned em it was a corgi thing

 

[Reg Man]

Your right there: Part L Building Regs and GSR are two totaly different things. But building control will not accept a Part L appilcation unless the gas boiler was installed by a GSR registered business. Its a total nonse. This is part of the reason CORGI lost its bid for the review of gas registration. I know loads of people did not like CORGI, but by them running CPS (Competent person schemes) and gas registration it tied the loose end up. Only registered installer could certificate gas boilers for Part L. Therefore DIY could not get in. Les fogg of HSE sorted that one out by favouring Capita for the bid, who have dumped as much as they can to make profit for their share holders. (at our expense)

 

[plumbster3456]

its not a gas pipe until the gas engineer connectys it to the gas pipework

 

[kirkgas]

its not a gas pipe until the gas engineer connectys it to the gas pipework

that is quite correct, and what must he do before he runs gas through it? confirm it is fit for purpose and installed as per BS6891, and IGE/UP1B, which both demand he checks it is installed properly before he first introduces gas to it, how can he confirm that if he cant fully inspect and confirm that alll joints are properly made and appropriately positioned, and the pipe is properly supported, and properly sized for the load

 

[Reg Man]

Under the eye,s of the Law, if a pipe is installed, which is intented to be used to convey gas, it is gaswork; and therefore you must be competent to install it.

 

[plumbster3456]

kirkgas quote**** that is quite correct, and what must he do before he runs gas through it? confirm it is fit for purpose and installed as per BS6891, and IGE/UP1B, which both demand he checks it is installed properly before he first introduces gas to it, how can he confirm that if he cant fully inspect and confirm that alll joints are properly made and appropriately positioned, and the pipe is properly supported, and properly sized for the load ***quote

because obviously you would not be signing off any pipework with out actually seeing it first which could mean you are up stairs pipeing the boiler and your mate who is a plumber is down stairs running a 3/4" pipe or even 1" pipe which then I could connect it to the boiler and then to the meter and test then put floors back down and test again.
Is this still incorrect kirk gas ? you seem to know a lot on regs or should one of us actually phone gas safe and find out the whole truth on this.
I think nearly every one on here who does a lot of heating will at some time allowed a plumber or heating engineer to do this especially if they are busy hanging boiler.
Also how can a apprentice learn gas if the regs are saying he cant touch the gas train? does this mean I broke the rules when my trades man had me doing the gas tightness before and at the end of every job?

 

[Reg Man]

Great Sense Plumbster3456. You must be satisfied the work has been done properly. The best way to ensure that is to install it yourself. Quite right what you say about trainee's. Trainee's can do the gas work if they are under direct supervision of a competent operative.

 

[kirkgas]

because obviously you would not be signing off any pipework with out actually seeing it first which could mean you are up stairs pipeing the boiler and your mate who is a plumber is down stairs running a 3/4" pipe or even 1" pipe which then I could connect it to the boiler and then to the meter and test then put floors back down and test again.
Is this still incorrect kirk gas ? you seem to know a lot on regs or should one of us actually phone gas safe and find out the whole truth on this.
I think nearly every one on here who does a lot of heating will at some time allowed a plumber or heating engineer to do this especially if they are busy hanging boiler.
Also how can a apprentice learn gas if the regs are saying he cant touch the gas train? does this mean I broke the rules when my trades man had me doing the gas tightness before and at the end of every job?[/QU

i have underlined 2 different bits, the first one is against the regs if an unregistered guy fits a pipe on the same job as the gas engineer later connects it, (you say there are loads of guys doing this, i would agree but it doesnt make it right) if i choose to do this i trust my plumber mate that is my choice,
the second point i highlighted is different, as an apprentice should be supervised, i appreciate, as i have been an apprentice and have subsequently trained quite a few, that there are times an apprentice is left alone, thats life and business, but while doing gas work the apprentice MUST be fully supervised, to ensure when the tradesman connectss it he can confirm the pipes and fittings have been fitted properly,
i can't discuss whether your tradesman was right or wrong to yet you do do tightness tests as an apprentice until you tell me whether you were fully supervised on a one to one basis.

the point you make about a 2 man heating team is different from checking someones work who you dont know or can be sure what the quality is (not in the eyes of the regs, but we all know real life is different) IF a 2 man team choose to work together to fit a full heating system with the gas guy signing it off, who will get investigated if there was a problem? one way round this is for the gas guy to say he was supervising the plumber doing the gas, but the reality is nobody cares who does what until there is a prob, so if there was a prob the gas guy will lie and say he supervised, but will take the rap as the pipe has a problem and he connected/tested it

 

[plumbster3456]

kirkgas yes of course i am only talking about someone who works with me every day , he is fully qualified and time served plumber. I dont sign off other peoples work as I do not know what there work is like and also the way I look at it if every gas engineer did not sign off unregistered engineers work then there would be more work for me who is registered as home owners would have to contact registered gas engineers if they wanted install signed off.
And your answer to the bit about did my trades man supervise me well he was there but half the time he never even checked the u gauge himself to make sure if i said it was tight that it actually was. to be honest the guy was lazy he had me doing most of the work including running the 22mm pipe that would be used for gas but this has made me a better tradesman as I learned a lot this way I was pipeing boilers in second year under his supervision obviously and well he was sitting down drinking tea

 

[fuzzy]

you can work on gas as a trainee if under direct supervision.

The main reason for monitoring closely signing off of un qaulified gas work is the plumber who does the full job and pays somebody to do the paperwork, thats whats wrong, not a trainee doing ssome copper in front of you

 

[kirkgas]

kirkgas yes of course i am only talking about someone who works with me every day , he is fully qualified and time served plumber.

The bottom line is that this practice is against the regs, as he is unqualified and you are "lying" signing it off as your own work, but at the end of the day it is your choice and as i have said many times there will only be a problem with you doing this when there is a problem with the work, if nothing happens then nobody will know you have done it, if you trust his work and want to take a chance then that is fine, i appreciate that many people will agree with you and do the same just to get the job done quicker

 

[Reg Man]

You supervise the trainee. if it goes txxxs uup you take the wrap.

 

[tamz]

The bottom line is that this practice is against the regs, as he is unqualified and you are "lying" signing it off as your own work, but at the end of the day it is your choice and as i have said many times there will only be a problem with you doing this when there is a problem with the work, if nothing happens then nobody will know you have done it, if you trust his work and want to take a chance then that is fine, i appreciate that many people will agree with you and do the same just to get the job done quicker

Come on Kirk. In the real world this happens all the time. What about the big mobs (like the red vans with a pylon on the side) who have maybe one ticketed guy for every 20 or more fitters. The one with the ticket goes around commisioning and signing off and has never seen any work in progress. Might not be 100% by the rules but it happens every day with the knowledge of the "authorities"

 

[Reg Man]

well said Tamz. Rules are rules. only have too answer to them when your up to your bum,like I am with the missies most days.

 

[tamz]

like I am with the missies most days.

Must be related to mine then

 

[plumbster3456]

Come on Kirk. In the real world this happens all the time. What about the big mobs (like the red vans with a pylon on the side) who have maybe one ticketed guy for every 20 or more fitters. The one with the ticket goes around commisioning and signing off and has never seen any work in progress. Might not be 100% by the rules but it happens every day with the knowledge of the "authorities"

are we talking about f.e.* by any chance
for every 100 guys 80 are polish now lol

 

[plumbster3456]

every big mob in Scotland does this including c.c.* and bail*** (only guys from up here will be able to guess who I am on about) so if they are doing it then why not us?
I will also comment on the commercial gas engineers who would have to be on a big job for 2 years if they were to install every gas pipe in the building this isn't going to happen as most of these jobs have 12 month dead lines

 

[kirkgas]

gentlemen i have already said i know it goes on all over the place, but the question was asked "is it allowed" and i answered no it isn't. the fact that some/lots do it doesn't make it any less incorrect, and is purely down to each persons decision on the risk they take, a 2 man team doing a great job isnt a concern to anyone, and as for the gas guy who works for the big companies who fires round commissioning everyone else's work then they are off their head, the risk they are taking isnt worth what they get paid

 

[kirkgas]

every big mob in Scotland does this including c.c.* and bail*** (only guys from up here will be able to guess who I am on about) so if they are doing it then why not us?
I will also comment on the commercial gas engineers who would have to be on a big job for 2 years if they were to install every gas pipe in the building this isn't going to happen as most of these jobs have 12 month dead lines

i know who you are talking about and could name a few others besides, but it doesnt make it right

 

[fuzzy]

its like saying to an officer who has stopped you for speeding 'well others do it' no defence just because others cheat. wrong is wrong