Worried can somebody advise ????

[Riley]

Got a phone call from one of the letting agents I work for today saying that one of their landlords has complained about the gas safety i carried out. Landlord reckons he got his own engineer out to fix a problem and this other engineer has basically condemned the boiler saying it is unsafe. Now I'm not concerned about my due diligence and I have paperwork from the day that I was there however I have no idea where this could go or how I prove myself

I know some people are drama queens but this landlord is saying that the flue was basically disconnected and that I obviously haven't looked inside the boiler. I know for fact that I did because I had to dismantle half the kitchen cupboard in order to take the cover off and additionally if the flue was disconnected then my analyser reading should've been crazy.

Can anybody offer me some words of advice as I have never been in this situation before and I'm very worried

thanks


Matt

 

[Gray0689]

Ask to see the EVIDENCE first

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Go no comment until you're sent a full précis of the allegation.

Then respond if you feel it necessary with your evidence.

If, as in sure you have, done what you should then I reckon the LL is trying it in & wanting compo for what he's paid to his engineer.

Which begs the question - why didn't he do the check in the first place?

Fishy

 

[Atouchofgas]

As rocket said Ask for the other engineers details and a full written report of the alleged defects that were found. Then and only then make a comment, for all you know the landlord/tenant could have been messing with the boiler/flue

 

[hammers4spanner]

As above dodgy get the evidence ,
from my experience a lot of engineers are clueless so he has probably broken something and now blaming you .

dont loose no sleep over it mate

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Also, & I don't do gas.

But when you inspect a gas appliance for safety reasons are you confirming its safe at the inspection? What happens if 2 days later there's an issue? Surely it safe or not when you inspect it.

 

[Riley]

Thanks guys appreciated.

It's such a pain. I'm nigh on positive someone has been playing.

 

[Nostrum]

What problem was he sent to fix?

What boiler is it?

 

[Riley]

From memory I believe it's a ferroli And I have no idea what he went to fix it could be anything with one of those

 

[Nostrum]

So this wasn't a fault you picked up on the check which he subsequently sent his own guy round to investigate?

Has he already paid you or received the bill? Perhaps this is his way in getting out of paying the price he was charged, maybe his guy (probably the one who fitted a ferroli!) can do it cheaper?

I wouldn't worry about it, if you know you did the job O.K then tell him to jog on.

 

[Riley]

Thanks mate.

Hate stuff like this. You know you've done things properly because you do it dozens of times a week. But then you doubt yourself. Ferroli should be banned!!!

 

[Millsy 82]

No1 you want the other gas engineers number.

Don't stress about it too much just say you want a report, photocopies of warning notices and photos.

 

[Riley]

Cheers mate

 

[buckley plumb]

Feel for you been there posted on here the other year. I turned off a glowworm compact at my mates house which he rents due to smell of fumes. Landlord said he had gas engineer to fix. Called in to pick nate up one day and paint on boiler casing was all burnt off. So I acted and isolated boiler. His landlord said he was getting police. I was scared stiff. I called gas safe and they said I had acted as an off duty policeman would and there is nothing wrong what u did and to ask landlord for other engineers name and to tell landlord I had contacted them and they will come and check boiker. Never heard another thing don't even think guy who went to it was gas safe registered. A gas cert is like a car mot only says what boiler was like on the day. I have also seen tenners do things to boilers to try and get a new one. On funny customers I initial in marker pen inside boiler as proof been there

 

[Riley]

The pens a good shout mate I might start doing that

 

[buckley plumb]

The pens a good shout mate I might start doing that

And a photo on phone taken with boiler apart

 

[Riley]

It's sad isn't it we shouldn't have to go to these lengths to cover our a55

 

[Ch4 plumbing]

Council jobs we used to put a sticker inside the case and sign/date it, really only proves you've signed the case not carried out any work.

 

[REDSAW]

go take a look

 

[Riley]

Just to update you with this. I have now seen the other engineers report and given him a call. Basically he said that the flue was literally hanging out of the wall being held in place by the outer course of bricks and hanging at 45°. When I was there the flue was fully in the wall and connected as my analyser results would indicate. Something does not add up here but there's no way I'm being made the scapegoat.

 

[hammers4spanner]

If this is for a landlord then i would assume they have a working carbon monoxide alarm?


If this was a case then alarm would go off, i have been to a rental property in the past when a similar incident occurred. No flue in boiler windows frosted over quick sharp , tenants complained of headaches all the time. You would notice this mate don't really miss a flue hanging out the wall !!!!

someone has it in for you maybe trying to grab this agent off you???

 

[Riley]

If I'm honest he can have em I was only really keeping them on out of loyalty as they helped me out when I went solo. I'm just really not sure what the landlord is trying to achieve though

 

[hammers4spanner]

Could be anything really wouldn't trust anyone ,

I was recommended by a friend to look at a boiler on new build for his mate , house was about 3 years old and on servicing it i noticed that the flue was not joined correctly ( ideal boiler) AR'd it went to turn it off and she never allowed. Got her to sign paperwork that she wanted it left on ,few weeks later got a call saying i had endangered her family by leaving her boiler on and wanted compo!!!

Nah love you have signed paperwork saying you want it left on .Found out back through my mate that the boiler had been duff since they moved in and been trying to sue everyone to get new one .

So god knows what the motive is

 

[Riley]

That's my problem. Too trusting. So when something like this crops up it makes you angry and worried in equal measure

 

[LPC]

A gas cert is like a car mot only says what boiler was like on the day. there

The answer. As soon as you leave, who knows what could happen.

 

[oz-plumber]

Hi Riley,

I'll give you some advice, from personal experience ( numerous personal experiences )

It is up to the landlord and plumber to prove allegations against you.
It is not up to you to defend yourself against allegations being made towards you without proof.

Get them to prove the flue was not connected at the time you did your work.
Get them to prove that you were incompetent.
Get the Plumber to prove that all the defects that he found, were caused by you or were not found by you, due to your negligence.

Don't have any further contact with the other team.

Generally, in these situations, the people making the allegations cannot prove what they are claiming.
They are waiting for you to falter or 'cave in' to prove their case.

Keep your chin up!!!!!

 

[Riley]

Cheers Oz it does sound a lot simpler when you put it like that

 

[oz-plumber]

It's as simple as it gets Riley.

'Innocent until proven Guilty'

It is not for you to prove you are innocent - its for them to prove you are guilty.

Just don't do anything that will assist them in proving your guilt.
So just keep your trap shut, your head high and move on.

The more you get involved with the situation, the more you will be assisting them in their proof of your guilt.

Don't second guess yourself, don't assist them.

Just state that 'you stand by your report and when you did the job everything was fine.'
Leave it at that and get them to prove otherwise.

 

[Riley]

As I said, I have called the engineer just to chat it through he seemed a reasonable bloke that is all I'm going to do