Gas Foundation Books?

[macka09]

Hi all,

Can anyone recommend which Gas Safety Manual is the best one to buy to prepare for an ACS assessment please?
One which covers all areas of domestic gas works. Also maybe a plumbers level 2 or 3 book please.
Reason for asking is a change in career

 

[Mike Jackson]

Just use the one your training college provides.

 

[macka09]

I may not have to pay for a foundation course if a manual tells me what I need to know. I can now gain hands on experience with a Gas Safe registered engineer who's a friend of mine you see.

 

[Killy Bing]

Good luck!!
that foundation course teaches you the bits your gsr won't remember or practice.

Without that you wont be passing the acs.

 

[macka09]

Surely the purpose of the manuals that are given out are to cover all aspects of the course and assessments??????

 

[Killy Bing]

Are you able to learn 100% from what a text says and also interpret it the correct way?
if you interpret it wrong, walk in and get something simple wrong, you won't be happy when they politely say come back when you have more experience.

first time round you really need to do the training, once you have more experience you can afford to skip some of the appliance training but not much.

You can buy and read a mechanics manual, does that mean you can repair an engine straight away?

 

[macka09]

I completely understand what your saying and agree entirely, I just thought that with the correct manuals and the help and experience I will gain from my friend I would be ok. It seems that most training centres are money focused as the difference in prices I'm getting from one centre to the next is a joke

 

[Killy Bing]

Call it investment, use a reputable training centre.
no point having a driving licence if you don't know how to drive is it

i recently did my lpg assessments first time without the training as it's what i have mainly done on the jobsite but struggled to pass and i only just about did, since then i went back and sat the training and understood the little bits i struggled on.

much happier now!

Its the little bits that catch you out, why didn't your gsr tell you?
Most likely he doesn't even realise he is doing it or checking that part,

Training centres are a business, they charge as any other business charges, what they want!

 

[snowhead]

Yes ACS is open book.
Yes you get use of the books during the practical.

But do you realise you have to obtain 100% in both the Regs / theory and practical assessments?

And yes I know you get a couple of attempts at any questions you get wrong, but you still have to know where to find the answers and some of them aren't in the obvious place in the books.

I've just renewed my Commercial ACS, for the 4th time.

I wouldn't consider not doing the refresher training beforehand

 

[Mike Jackson]

I've been gas registered since Corgi first started and work with gas most days but I still always do the refresher training before retaking my ACS assessments. It refreshes me on the more obscure bits and brings me up to date on the bits that have changed in the previous 5 years.

 

[tamz]

You can learn anything with a read at a book or two and watching a few videos.

I hear there is good money in this
Year Book of Surgery | 0090-3671 | Elsevier
[video=youtube;6PvuJZCCljo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PvuJZCCljo[/video]

 

[kirkgas]

I may not have to pay for a foundation course if a manual tells me what I need to know. I can now gain hands on experience with a Gas Safe registered engineer who's a friend of mine you see.

you will NOT learn enough by reading a book to get you through the theory side of the gas assessment, you are being disrespectful to those who work in the gas industry, you think you can work alongside a gas engineer and read a book and pass your exams? Not going to happen, and I'm not sure how a training centre will feel if you ask for assessment only as you have read a book and worked with someone, I don't think you will be allowed to sit the exam without completing a formal course ( and there is a reason for making students do the theory side as well)
If you insist on going down this route check with training providers to guarantee you can sit the exam before you do the portfolio with the gas guy, or you might be wasting your time,
All training books contain the same info it's all about the presentation of the info that different people find easier to use, your gas guy will have a book so ask to see theirs and see what you think

 

[macka09]

I agree with everything you've all said. I will be contacting the training centre Monday about prices for the foundation course. One more thing, would you recommend doing a plumbing also, and if so, before or after the gas????/

 

[PlumbBobBob]

most definitely do plumbing as well preferably before the gas. you will understand it much easier imho.

 

[macka09]

most definitely do plumbing as well preferably before the gas. you will understand it much easier imho.

Has anybody on these forums actually gone through one of the plumbing or gas courses and gained employment doing so? Although it's fast track compared to an NVQ , you still takes weeks of building a portfolio! Really don't wanna splash ££££ if it doesn't help me long term, for someone my age companies don't just take you on and let you learn with them you see!

 

[basildog]

I agree with everything you've all said. I will be contacting the training centre Monday about prices for the foundation course. One more thing, would you recommend doing a plumbing also, and if so, before or after the gas????/

I guess it would depend what you are using your gas qualifications for ?
I cannot see how you could be a gas service man or installer without being able to plumb ?
But if you were all paperwork ie inspecting of some kind maybe meters or safety certificates then perhaps it could work but a long shot I would think ?
You can do all the courses you like but in the real world you will always find a problem even guys with experience or the good ones are never afraid to ask when they are stuck ?
Better to tell a customer you will have to look into a problem than to blindly carry on ?

 

[macka09]

I guess it would depend what you are using your gas qualifications for ?
I cannot see how you could be a gas service man or installer without being able to plumb ?
But if you were all paperwork ie inspecting of some kind maybe meters or safety certificates then perhaps it could work but a long shot I would think ?
You can do all the courses you like but in the real world you will always find a problem even guys with experience or the good ones are never afraid to ask when they are stuck ?
Better to tell a customer you will have to look into a problem than to blindly carry on ?

I would never try to mess with something if I didn't know what I was doing whether I had 30 years experience or 30 weeks. I fitted a basin and a radiator yesterday and I also fitted my own kitchen sink and bathroom suite a couple of weeks ago. I know I have the skills or brains to do the plumbing competently, but would need to know the regs. I'm not asking for a quick way into a job for the sake I it , it's a career I wanna do and an willing to learn. I am going to contact several companies tomorrow to see what they think of these fast track courses

 

[kirkgas]

Has anybody on these forums actually gone through one of the plumbing or gas courses and gained employment doing so? Although it's fast track compared to an NVQ , you still takes weeks of building a portfolio! Really don't wanna splash ££££ if it doesn't help me long term, for someone my age companies don't just take you on and let you learn with them you see!

I've taught about 40+people on bpec gas foundation and about 30 or so got jobs, the ones who didn't get a job didn't want one in gas for various reasons

 

[kirkgas]

I guess it would depend what you are using your gas qualifications for ?
I cannot see how you could be a gas service man or installer without being able to plumb ?
But if you were all paperwork ie inspecting of some kind maybe meters or safety certificates then perhaps it could work but a long shot I would think ?
You can do all the courses you like but in the real world you will always find a problem even guys with experience or the good ones are never afraid to ask when they are stuck ?
Better to tell a customer you will have to look into a problem than to blindly carry on ?

I don't agree that you can't service gas boilers if you don't know plumbing, there are loads of people who make plenty servicing boilers without knowing anything about plumbing, repairs are a different kettle of fish as a lot of heating problems are plumbing related, but purely servicing is all about gas

 

[basildog]

I don't agree that you can't service gas boilers if you don't know plumbing, there are loads of people who make plenty servicing boilers without knowing anything about plumbing, repairs are a different kettle of fish as a lot of heating problems are plumbing related, but purely servicing is all about gas

I would have thought that beomes a real pain for a Boss and customer as would mean sending out another guy to complete any works ?
Yes I guess if just a simple service and all straight forward it is ok ?
This whole naming of people is all the more confusing these days as everyone wants some wonderful title ?
Seems lots call themselves engineers others heating speacialists and others plumbers ?
Surely an engineer is someone with letters behond there name ie with a degree in a speacialist field ?
Structual engineer , design engineer , aeronautical engineer ?
Even the bin man is a recycling operative or some such nonsense ?
I struggle to see that a guy with a level 3 qualification can call himself an engineer ?
Surely you would need to progress further up the ladder ?

 

[kirkgas]

I would have thought that beomes a real pain for a Boss and customer as would mean sending out another guy to complete any works ?
Yes I guess if just a simple service and all straight forward it is ok ?
This whole naming of people is all the more confusing these days as everyone wants some wonderful title ?
Seems lots call themselves engineers others heating speacialists and others plumbers ?
Surely an engineer is someone with letters behond there name ie with a degree in a speacialist field ?
Structual engineer , design engineer , aeronautical engineer ?
Even the bin man is a recycling operative or some such nonsense ?
I struggle to see that a guy with a level 3 qualification can call himself an engineer ?
Surely you would need to progress further up the ladder ?

I agree that someone who can do both has an advantage, but there are loads of firms who only do servicing and there are plenty doing that type of work without plumbing experience or quals,
I work as an assessor and trainer now, I can do audits etc, but if anyone asks what I do for a living I always say I'm a plumber, because it am and I'm proud of serving my time, I don't do much plumbing now but it doesn't alter the fact I'm a plumber, who wants to be an engineer? It's just a name, I would rather be a plumber

 

[macka09]

Would any of you say that an NVQ LEVEL 2 in plumbing and heating would be more beneficial to gain employment within the industry?