sat my ccn1 reassessment and failed need some advice

[Craig O'Neil]

hi all i sat my ccn1 and failed cause my brain went blank at the paper with tick the box that shows poor combustion im looking in here to see if anyone can help me to understand this properly

 

[kirkgas]

I can't help cause I don't understand what you are asking!!!!!!

 

[Craig O'Neil]

I failed on the poor combustion paper as I could rember what poor combustion is
what signs are

 

[Craig O'Neil]

I couldn't not could

 

[mountainman]

I failed on the poor combustion paper as I could rember what poor combustion is
what signs are

He is seeking the yellow flame of enlightenment.

 

[LPC]

You've been gas safe for 5 years and you don't know what the signs of incomplete combustion are?

 

[dancinplumba]

Brain still blank

 

[Craig O'Neil]

I was only fitting boilers wasn't servicing or repairing them so realy that doesn't come in to I'm only ask for bit of advice and to find an easy way to remember it so dont need comment like that ok

 

[kirkgas]

Craig a gas engineer doing re-assessment who doesn't know the signs of incomplete combustion is always going to get pelters from other gas engineers, and because you,only fit boilers and don't service them isn't the best excuse, get your head back into the notes on combustion, as a start,
And just to clarify, the only thing you failed on was the wee bit where you couldn't identify incomplete combustion? The reason I ask ( although it is quite important) is most candidates don't fail on one thing, they either get classed as "not yet competent" meaning they are perhaps a bit ropes or a bit slow and don't finish, fail is usually down to doing something quite dangerous like cutting a pipe without turning off the gas, or fail because of not reaching a high enough standard over a few of the tasks, as I say incomplete combustion is very important but very basic, if a guy knew everything else and only missed that he would be sent for a cup of coffee to clear his head, and would prob come back and be able to explain himself and finish.
As it a visual inspection you struggled with?
What would you comment on complete and incomplete combustion,

 

[Craig O'Neil]

The part a failed on was in the paper part of the test where ask to tick what one show incomplete combustion and my head went blank was just on asking for bit advise on it

 

[LPC]

I was only fitting boilers wasn't servicing or repairing them so realy that doesn't come in to I'm only ask for bit of advice and to find an easy way to remember it so dont need comment like that ok

Ooooooh right, you don't know Day 1 ACS training stuff like the signs of incomplete combustion, but it's ok, you're only fitting boilers!

To be fair though, I meet some engineers in the merchants who are so thick they can hardly string a sentence together. It genuinely amazes me that the news isn't full of people being killed left right and centre by incompetent engineers.

 

[Craig O'Neil]

Probly no look incompetent gas engineer but. My nerves went that why a for got what it was so please stop bombarding me was. Narcky comments

 

[Dotty]

Probably the same sort of people that don't read the forum rules!

 

[Craig O'Neil]

That's true.

 

[RPG 80]

Craig id suggest you do a refresher/revision course that covers the subject matter, to refresh your memory and exam technique before you resit

 

[BLOD]

this link might remind you of some of it, but as RPG suggested get some refresher training

BBC - GCSE Bitesize: Combustion

Even if your only fitting boilers shouldnt you still be doing a visual check of any other appliances they may have ?
(signs of incomplete combustion being one of the things youre looking for)

 

[Craig O'Neil]

Fitted fully heating to house with no other appliances. Thank you for ur help

 

[SafeGasInstall]

I am sorry but you are better off now as you will sit down and you will learn it all and will go back and you WILL pass it ! Don't stress your self just go and take two weeks of refresh and drink lots of coffee and read read read and pls come back and tell us you have passed it .

 

[Inverness]

Hi my first day at college this week doing a pre apprentice in plumbing. we were shown the signs of bad combustion in any gas boilers and cookers. What creates poor combustion is a Orange/yellow flame with black stuity smoke, this is caused by a lack of oxygen. To have you system run efficiently your flame needs to get the right balance of oxygen for a clean blue flame.
im I on the right path?

 

[Inverness]

tx 504 Roth torch??

 

[REDSAW]

who have you been working for.

is it b.g?

 

[deandive]

who have you been working for.

is it b.g?

I think a little bit of wee just came out

 

[julesverne]

i just cant get stoichiometric mix out of my head now.

 

[mountainman]

i just cant get stoichiometric mix out of my head now.

That's easy for you to say.

 

[julesverne]

i spelt it right first time aswell i checked just to make sure

 

[bigcheese]

who have you been working for.

is it b.g?

No need. Why do people always slate bg?

 

[bigcheese]

You should be looking out for a yellow floppy flame mate. This shows incomplete combustion.

 

[hammers4spanner]

No need. Why do people always slate bg?

rip off crew for a start ,
above the law allowed to leave gas leaks and dangerous appliances and wont get penalised for it
bad slow payers
power flush scam
and a gay uniform

 

[Ermintrude]

rip off crew for a start ,
above the law allowed to leave gas leaks and dangerous appliances and wont get penalised for it
bad slow payers
power flush scam
and a gay uniform

I like uniform, keeps those amorous grannies off!

 

[bigcheese]

rip off crew for a start ,
above the law allowed to leave gas leaks and dangerous appliances and wont get penalised for it
bad slow payers
power flush scam
and a gay uniform

Oh, jealous then. They are so wary about ripping people off because as soon as one of their engineers does, it is straight on Watchdog. Out of 6000 engineers you are always going to get the odd one that tries to scam and sell unwanted products. British Gas are just an easy target. Snickers trousers and a black polo shirt gay....really?

 

[kirkgas]

Bigcheese, there are more than a few BG engineers who sell stuff they shouldn't, it's part of the training, it's been a long time since BG "only" cared about safety, but they aren't really any different from a lot of the large contractors, they are an easy target but its because of the way they are with their customers, they charge way too much for the service they provide and use every trick in the book to get out of paying for repairs, but as I said, it's the nature of the beast that is the large maintenance contract, which is never costed high enough, but the customer is king and the price is being driven down year by year, therefore the quality of the service will deteriorate

 

[Ermintrude]

How many jobs have u got because BG told custard utter tripe and they took it on board but then shopped around?

Favourite was a Vokera combi with vertical flue. BG serviced every of its 5 year life. Engineer went to it to do service emissions too high!!! So he ID appliance, told custard would be 3k to replace as needed a scaffold??? One of our guys went, took off cover and loan behold it was filthy and needed a good clean, £58.00 another one was vertical flue but BG couldn't get clips so needed a new boiler, they installed it and maintained it for old couple!

Bbu are all illegal no matter what condition they in, can't get the parts either.

Ooh you need a spirotec and a flush.... We like to ensure that when your boiler is replaced at least the lads doing install get a nice lump of brass!

 

[REDSAW]

i want to push for the 'BRITISH' bit of the name being revoked as it no longer is within the
'british rail'
'british telecom'
etc regalia that most folk seem to think and call it by its real name.
then we will see how long they last as there strength is only in the name not by quality of its work ethos!.

 

[Ermintrude]

I'm going to buy web domain shiitish-hash.co.uk

 

[DaveTidy]

So what was the original question?

I bet Craig's relieved the heats gone off him now!

Anyway, back to kicking those 7,000 BG engineers, bet there's not a genuine engineer amongst the lot of them......

 

[SafeGasInstall]

I don't think is to do with the heating engineers that work for BG , but with the sells man and supervisors that work for BG , they are the one ripping people off

 

[DaveTidy]

Well, as an ex supervisor with 480 engineers who always pushed my guys to promote the correct advice based on the situation, I think you're using a blanket statement based on your own experience (which may be right in some instances) so you don't need examples to prove me wrong.

Every year I paid an agency to come in and check to ensure our team was as white as we could be and be able to prove it (without being in the van with every engineer).

In my time, I had 3 complaints regarding pushy engineers trying to sell co detectors so gave them to the customers and one contractor who pushed a customer into having her 5 year old baxi solo replaced; it was replaced with another baxi solo so I also waived the bill and asked the contactor not to bother coming back.

One of my guys was on Watchdog, yes Watchdog, as being a BG engineer trying to sell a new boiler which he had cut off. A local plumber came out to say they were ripping them off and reconnected the pipe. The customer was on the tv, next to the BBU (which was on) explaining what a disgrace the BG engineer was. I had visited that property doing a qc visit and seen the copex liner disconnected from the spigot with the other end going into an undersized precast; in the roof the 'y' piece adapter was hanging as the plastic ridge bolts had snapped so what can you say, he got totally slated for doing his job and the idiot who turned it on got praised for putting the customers life at risk.

The engineer lost his confidence of was off sick for ages and considered leaving the trade as he couldn't deal with the injustice.

I've read all the posts about the crap BG staff and I've also worked ouside BG for the last 7 years and seen some great gas people and some some people that should be strung up.

Being a person who has worked in BG, Transco, for himself, Director in Social Housing and as a gas consultant for small to medium sized heating company's, I can tell you there are some fantastic individuals both inside BG at all levels and not every manager is a dishonest salesman selling boilers to granny's (although some may well be).

People make their own choices as to how they advise their staff and if they don't have the strength of charactor to do it the right way then they should walk.

Jesus, sorry about the length of the email, try not to give examples of how I am wrong, BG do 5 million jobs a year, I'm sure there are many examples but there are also good people in their otherwise the majority would vote with their feet for companies like Homeserve (oh, let's not go there............).

Safegasinstall - not really directed just at your comment mate (i'm ot that punchy).............

 

[Ermintrude]

Engineers couldn't lie straight in bed. They are on commission as well as the rest of them." We are all here to make money"

 

[DaveTidy]

[h=3]Good Leaders Recognise People are Different[/h]Some people come to work to earn money (existence needs) and have no desire either to get on with others (relatedness needs), or earn promotion (growth needs). Others work to meet people and have a personal challenge and sense of achievement ( relatedness needs). Others work to gain experience to get promotion (growth needs). For others it maybe a combination of these.

Surely we're not just "SHOW ME THE MONEEEEEEEY!"

We are all different, but you have to be open minded for a debate.................I'm sure you are really.

 

[Ermintrude]

Yes, every company individual has strong and weak points.

Think the reason BG held with such disrespect is because of how they appear to charge what they like, tell gas safe what to do, be Completely faceless, never respond to a complaint about poor service or that their works are far below par? But they also have some gems!

 

[DaveTidy]

Ermintrude

I think everyone has strong and weak points and we all charge what we like (which helps us, or over values us and leaves us playing 'x' box at home) as we're too expensive. There are a lot of gas company's out there now but BG still maintain their 3 million and grow all the time so the customer's on the whole don't look elsewhere although there are always horror stories that need sorting (as everywhere).

I can't agree or disagree with telling gas safe what to do, wouldn't have thought so as they seem to have enough inteligence as far as I can see (Gas Safe, feel free to chip in as I know you follow the posts!). I know CORGI as it was, was dissected from the old British Gas Technical Services and those guys were like scientists within their field so I think that was a positive for the industry at that time and it has since employed from outside BG and has a good mix from all fields.

The Company does seem faceless, but I think that's a reflection of it's size as all big companies (except Halifax Bank and that guy on the TV so maybe it's not a bad thing).

I used to get 1 complaint per 1,100 jobs on average and once got slated by the local paper when it went to 2 / 1,100.............the headline of the piece went, "British Gas Complaint's Doubled This Winter," so it's all about perception of what data you have.

By the way, we responded within an hour of each complaint which was easy from our end as we didn't have many but I can't answer for other regions who may or not have been sinking?

I guess it's a topic that will keep rearing it's head with them getting a slating and when they do it wrong they should, why not. But I think when you've been there, been lucky enough to receive good training and know there are some good people at all levels (and bad) it's difficult to be put in the w****r bucket with everyone else.

It's a bit like saying a plumber is a gas fitter with his brain's shot out? In reality it's a different trade so a bit unfair but it will always create some angry comments as each guy is as good (or inteligent) as he or she wants to be.

But as you say, they also have some gems.........

 

[Reg Man]

I used to mediate as an independent party in complaints against BG, they always responded well to any recommendations put forward and never argued the point. For the size of the business and the amount of work they do, I think they are good. The down side in every story, is that they had to change to a totally commercially focused business and therefore are all processed driven and quite expensive. Also during their transition they lost most of the experienced people and have become relatively deskilled in comparison to the BG of old.

 

[Reg Man]

One other thought: Think this thread was about failing an ACS because the candidates head went blank on the combustion paper. A bit of refresher training required here, because this subject is rudimentary basics in the gas industry and should come as second nature. Trying not to be to harsh, but its a little bit I've forgotten how to swim or ride a bike.

 

[DaveTidy]

RegMan - can't disagree with the comments, they lost some great people who then set up in competition against them and you're also right about the post!!!

Craig - Generally the college you are attending devise their questions from the revision material they use / sell i.e. the NICEIC Domestic Gas Safety (On Site Guide) Parts one and two.

If you didn't purchase the material then maybe you should as you can refer to it when on site, they are worth the money for all those things you don't see too often and will give you the support you probably need when revising.

Maybe drop the college a line and see what they use?