Visual on other unserviced appliances

[amy]

Hi,
I have tagged along with a few engineers with different views on to what extent we check other appliances in a property,,ie
We have serviced a boiler only, we know there is a fire in the house and a cooker. To what extent do we check the fire and cooker, is a simple visual ok, do we light and visual on flame picture,or do we follow reg 26-9 which means we are going to be there another hour or so.
Thankyou, AMY.

 

[CMairiD]

Unsafe Sits and TB 012 cover this:

No gas work/interruption of supply: location, flueing, ventilation, signs of distress, stability.

Following temporary interruption of supply: same as above + flame picture.

As a landlord in social housing, I take the following view on tenant own appliances at annual safety inspection/service:

• Tenant own cookers & portable space heaters: get the no gas work route, will have defects noted on CP12, NCS/AR/ID as appropriate.
• Tenant own gas fires: they are connected to the landlord's flue and the landlord has a duty to ensure that a flue they have provided for tenants use is safe. So that's at least flue flow, spillage, visual on flue condition and catchment area from a landlord's perspective. From an engineers view, to check catchment and visual on a flue route, you're going to have to take the fire out which means you've wandered into 26.9. So for tenant own fires, our engineers complete everything on the CP12 but for 'appliance serviced' which is marked as 'no'.

Never worked in the private sector, but I suspect if a customer called me for a service and would only pay to have the boiler serviced (not the fire or cooker), I'd do the no gas route and write on safety record: 'advised customer to have gas fire and cooker safety checked'.

 

[amy]

Thx for the advice, given me lots to think about there, AMY.

 

[Puddle]

I can not see how following reg 26-9 is going to have you at the property for another hour or so, checking other appliances, most refers to the actual appliance you are working on, which should be allowed for anyway

When working on a appliance or servicing ,some people walk into the property and go straight to the appliance in question, carry out works and leave, if they come across another gas appliance, they will do a visual check and if any red flags are raised ,will take further, with the approval of the responsible party.
The first thing I do when I walk in a property is check/ask what other gas appliances there are and carry out a visual check, if there are any red flags or issues, these are raised before I do any work.
If becomes an issue, I can walk out and post paperwork through letter box
Likewise I always carry out a tightness test, I believe good practice and again to cover myself, if an issue is raised again, this is sorted before any other works carried out.
Do not carry out works then do other appliance visual checks or tightness checks( if and when you do) as if problem, could end up leaving with no payment
At the end of the day, getting legally technical, even if we wanted to, we have no right to go into people’s properties and physically operating their appliances without their permission, using energy that is charged to them, unless we have concern about there safe operation and this is achieved by a visual inspection (even then it is a legal gray area, some would say the visual red flags ,should be brought to the attention of the responsible party before continuing physical inspection and if denied ,paperwork raised)
If you think about it if you were expected to check every appliance in the property fully, every time some work was done on one of the appliances, which is not practical anyway, even if you wanted to, there would also be a rule/it would be acceptable, that no gas inspection would be required until a year after that work had been done, as appliances only have to be inspected fully once a year (If rented property)

As a foot note ,if you are just starting out, do not think the every person is interested in the safe operation of their appliances and will be happy you pointing out a fault or finding a fault that could save their lives while checking a appliance they have not given your permition to work on.

I have been to do some work on a boiler in the past, checked, other appliances, found old dfe fire in front room, which was now bedroom for children ,chimney blocked up to stop draft, along with ventilation to outside and still being used
When I capped off, all hell broke loss, tenants going to kill me, land lord going to sue the shirt off my back and agents not using me again because I am a trouble maker

So do checks and make sure done first as said, otherwise I would have put £100 worth of parts in the boiler and do not think I would have been paid somehow
🙁

 

[ferret]

Unsafe Sits and TB 012 cover this:

No gas work/interruption of supply: location, flueing, ventilation, signs of distress, stability.

Following temporary interruption of supply: same as above + flame picture.

As a landlord in social housing, I take the following view on tenant own appliances at annual safety inspection/service:

• Tenant own cookers & portable space heaters: get the no gas work route, will have defects noted on CP12, NCS/AR/ID as appropriate.
• Tenant own gas fires: they are connected to the landlord's flue and the landlord has a duty to ensure that a flue they have provided for tenants use is safe. So that's at least flue flow, spillage, visual on flue condition and catchment area from a landlord's perspective. From an engineers view, to check catchment and visual on a flue route, you're going to have to take the fire out which means you've wandered into 26.9. So for tenant own fires, our engineers complete everything on the CP12 but for 'appliance serviced' which is marked as 'no'.

Never worked in the private sector, but I suspect if a customer called me for a service and would only pay to have the boiler serviced (not the fire or cooker), I'd do the no gas route and write on safety record: 'advised customer to have gas fire and cooker safety checked'.

Ditto:🙂

 

[GrahamM]

Good advice there puddle. A lot of engineers leave the tightness test till after the service and then the alarm bells ring. "Was that drop there before I started the work?" You have just spent 30 mins doing a service when there are more pressing matters to contend with.
Also, as you have said, it's good practice to have a little butchers round at other potential minefields before the tool box is opened.

 

[ghost]

Excellent advice from Puddle there. Always check for any faults before you open the toy box.

 

[buckley plumb]

good advise .i now ask the customer to show me the appliances working before i touch them .been stung too many times with the phrase it worked before you touched it.some people phone you for a service when there appliance breaks and expect you to fix it in price or even worse blame it on you.there is always going to be that one time the boiler is working fine and when you touch it it does not-i serviced a glow worm ultimate a year ago and when removing the pcb to get to burner rh screw and then putting back together the boiler would not work ,it needed a new pcb and after speking to an engineer that worked on these alot he said the pcbs were a pig for dry soldered joints if moved .the customer thought the ompany i worked for at the time should replace the pcb free ,what do you do? there is always that chance dreading it happening now i work for myself.anyone got any views on this .If i took my car to the garage and the bolt snapped say taking the wheel off i would be charged for that .

ant😕

 

[REDSAW]

seems a good idea to metoget the custard to sign a disclaimer for any faults arising during ,inspection'. servicing before you start.