Passed ACS today. Which appliances do you take?

[mike_s]

I passed cookers, fires, boilers, combustion analysers (cpa-1) and then decided to do water heaters aswell at the end.
I'm 22 and been working in the industry in my dads business for 6 years and this covers all the appliances I have came accross with him. Maybe I'll add warm air units if I come across them in the future. I could even do gas tumble dryers but these are even rarer. Very likely I'll add unvented hot water over the next year too.

Just wondering which appliances/specialist subjects you have taken and which you think are worth it? Anyone gain an increase in work after adding another ticket to their card?

 

[mrlennie]

Was it expensive much? Where did you do I'm thinking about it...

 

[mike_s]

Southport college. ACS cost me 1100 altogether for ccn1 + appliances, I did a gas nvq there to set me up for it though.

 

[mrlennie]

Hard to do an NVQ when I work for myself lol. Well it will be a while I'll get my plumbing established first,
Thanks for the reply mate.

 

[mike_s]

it's just me and my dad and whilst this course was mondays and tuesdays for 34 weeks, we just started our bigger jobs on the wednesdays. Other people working for themselves managed to fit it in too, would be hard to do for the first time without being in college for a while first. You could even do a on site based nvq where you just go to college one day a week but that's 2 years. However these are ACS aligned so you do not need to do your ACS aswell to get Gas Safe.
There are other ways of doing it but it takes time and effort and you will need to build a portfolio, so college is probably your best bet. Good luck anyway.

 

[mrlennie]

So anyone can go in and their ACS without an NVQ3 in gas?

 

[mike_s]

yes, you just need an nvq level 2 in gas, not plumbing! I have both plumbing and gas nvq's, the gas is much more valuable to me. The gas only took 34 weeks and is open to anyone, I was the only one in my class who worked in the industry, the others were taxi drivers, unemployed etc.

 

[mrlennie]

re he he heeely....So I guess that will be my first step NVQ2 in gas thanks alot been a great help! Nearest college is 111 miles away....

 

[Rodreguez]

re he he heeely....So I guess that will be my first step NVQ2 in gas thanks alot been a great help! Nearest college is 111 miles away....

i got my nvq 3 in plumbing and gas and when i took my acs was told by the assesor i only need nvq 2. my nvq 2 was plumbing it was level 3 that incorporated gas.

 

[mrlennie]

Interesting

 

[mike_s]

I'm amazed of how many people go for the nvq 2 and 3 in plumbing and don't know all you need is the nvq 2 in gas and ACS to get on the Gas Safe Register. My course was 34 weeks, 2 days a week, I'd definitely reccomend it if you can fit it in.
Or you could go for an ACS aligned nvq, which usually take 2 years, one day a week, and you don't even need your ACS that way, I asked Gas Safe myself.
Can't say it simpler than that.

 

[mrlennie]

Yes there is alot of info flying about.

I spoke to the college this morning and said that CCN1 is about a week long..Can I not just go for that? I don't have an NVQ2 in gas.

 

[mike_s]

To get Gas Safe I needed me completed nvq portfolio. Maybe you can build the portfolio without going to college but I'm not sure how you would do this. You'll have to enquire, and let us know.

 

[mrlennie]

Yeah as far as i remember when I last checked it out you need to find a gas safe installer and basically do a small apprentiship ive tried everyone noones got anything going. How the hell are you supposed to build up a portfolio by yourself???

 

[mike_s]

Yeah as far as i remember when I last checked it out you need to find a gas safe installer and basically do a small apprentiship ive tried everyone noones got anything going. How the hell are you supposed to build up a portfolio by yourself???

I'd just get back to college if you can, the course I did, I was the only one in the class who had ever worked in the industry. most of the others were unemployed or with part times jobs. One was a self employed kitchen fitter and another a builder. We all passed.