C
combo
It's a good job that tenants and customers always have a copy of their MI's to hand then, otherwise there'd be an awful lot of illegal work going on.
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- Thread starter Hobo128
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- gas engineer
C
combo
Why don't they just have a clear regulation i.e Reg ( ? ) You must not work on an appliance without appropriate manufacturers instructions....
E
Ermintrude
R
Ray Stafford
You have to watch out for the unintended consequences.
What would happen to a lot of old appliances? Would the customer have them replaced if the engineer refused to service them? Or would they just leave them, year after year, to deteriorate until lethal?
I suspect the latter.
C
combo
It's just ridiculous ! Its supposed to be a professional technical job i.e you use your skills and experience.....but you might a coal the wrong way round or be a few mm out on the specified spillage point, so you cant do it. Don't get me wrong, if the rule is - walk away without MI's, fine but they should be out making it absolutely clear and enforcing it.
Instead of going round sticking an AR label on appliances you do not have access to MI's to, why not invest in a decent phone, laptop etc and pay a subscription or similar so you can download MIs wherever you find yourself? Some sites provide them for free, some sites you have to register.
Personally, I avoid turning to service an appliance ''blindly''. I ask the customer questions in advance of attending and try and find out if the have the MI? If not, can they give me any more information? Make, Model of appliance? If they can, then I download the MI in advance of attending and familiarise myself with whatever areas I will need to deal with. When at property, I can always just crosscheck any areas on the downloaded MI on my iPhone. If happen to attend and find it's an appliance I have no access to MI, I inform custard the info is relevant, then just look over boiler and make good my exit. I will not feel comfy capping up an old deer just because it is ''bread & butter''.
Personally, I avoid turning to service an appliance ''blindly''. I ask the customer questions in advance of attending and try and find out if the have the MI? If not, can they give me any more information? Make, Model of appliance? If they can, then I download the MI in advance of attending and familiarise myself with whatever areas I will need to deal with. When at property, I can always just crosscheck any areas on the downloaded MI on my iPhone. If happen to attend and find it's an appliance I have no access to MI, I inform custard the info is relevant, then just look over boiler and make good my exit. I will not feel comfy capping up an old deer just because it is ''bread & butter''.
C
combo
I do have a lappy and there's some fires on there ( ill have to try and update ). Im hoping to get back into servicing//CP12's soon ( agency work ) , Im just wondering what these ppl are gonna say if your refusing to service appliances.
E
Ermintrude
you can say that again. They give yu this vague look and think you must be daft. ''You are the Engineer, isn't it? What did you think you were coming here to do without the MI?''
As far as they are concerned, it is your responsibility to have the manual for their appliance.
Sounds strange, but that's how they see it. And I can see their point of view. I have had situations where an old boiler manual could not be located. I had to order one from manufacturer and got it within four days. At least, when I went round to service the boiler, I was in my element
K
kirkgas
The reason you can't have a statement like this is because I can work on firegem visa fire and baxi 401 BBU as two good examples of appliances I know inside out, and have worked on and fitted many 100's of them, therefore I don't need the MI, but I do need MI for other appliances, THE STATEMENT IS ABOUT HAVING OR KNOWING THE RELEVANT INFO, YOU CANNOT GUESS OR SURMISE,
The way the homeowner sees it: If you're Gas Safe (Engineer), then by right, you k ow all about Gas Appliances and have all the relevant information embedded into your brain. And to he honest, I can appreciate their point of view. If you take your car to a mechanic, you do not expect them to tell you your car will be left to one side till they can find the relevant instructions? You rely in the belief that they are knowledgable enough to use whatever means they have to diagnose and repair the car/van.
As the Engineer, it is my opinion that, you have the responsibility to have the relevant MI Manuals at your disposal.
I don't know of any regulation that says you must attend and service a boiler on a particular day because the occupant wants it serviced? Get as much information from the customer, get the manual and familiarise yourself with the appliance, then visit and have a 'walk in the park'.
Besides, even if the occupant tells you they have the manual, I still go on the net, download the manual and familiarise myself with it (I do this if its a boiler I'm not familiar with).
As the Engineer, it is my opinion that, you have the responsibility to have the relevant MI Manuals at your disposal.
I don't know of any regulation that says you must attend and service a boiler on a particular day because the occupant wants it serviced? Get as much information from the customer, get the manual and familiarise yourself with the appliance, then visit and have a 'walk in the park'.
Besides, even if the occupant tells you they have the manual, I still go on the net, download the manual and familiarise myself with it (I do this if its a boiler I'm not familiar with).
K
kirkgas
I don't do many jobs now, but like others have said, I download the MI first, I've now got 1000's from various sources, but if I don't have what I want I go and get it first, but I also email it to the customer so they have it for the next engineer, ok not something I would do for everyone, but any jobs I do now are for family, friends, or their family etc so I don't mind giving them the instructions for later
decrotive fires are the worst items during the seventies and eighties reclaimed fire place were all the rage and everyone who sold them had a bloke who could weld up a sandfilled box to fit the hearth no ffds just a tap and no instructions mostly no plate if you were lucky they had a bp on a sticker
i dont care how good your phone tablet or laptop is village and how many subscriptions you have there never were any mi's so your not going to find them
i dont care how good your phone tablet or laptop is village and how many subscriptions you have there never were any mi's so your not going to find them
C
combo
I was thinking more of when your servicing on social housing and service contracts, we used to get given a list of houses and you didn't know what was in there, till you got in....8-12 a day, not much time for rooting out MI's
Las far as subscriptions for manuals go, I have none, but always find what I want most of the time. As I've said earlier, for those I cannot find, I phone/mail the manufacturer and they either mail me a copy or send one by post.
If it comes to what you say that there's no way I can get the manual, then from my point of view, I'll make my excuses and ask them to get someone else in. I personally do not like turning up on a job 'blindly' then start scratching my head and wondering what precisely to do as no relevant info.
I didn't realise the gas regs were different for social housing contracts 😉
if your turning up without the right info then how do you know what materials you need like burner seals etc...... I know on these contracts your expected to just do a fga reading and visual the cooker and get off. But then you need the instructions for the figures anyway don't you.
Some of us may be on social housing/BG contract work and do not have that luxury of knowing what they are going to until 8am that day.
I come across at least 1 fire a week with no MI's and possibly no identification at all left on the fire.
C
combo
It's just a shame that you can't proceed with a service all because you don't have the instructions to show you the coal layout or the specific spillage point....I just think as a professional person we should be allowed to use our training and experience. There's millions of ppl who take their coals off and hoover them every month in UK - without MI's....but, alas, the gas regs are the gas regs
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