Boiler Breakdown Engineer Wanted Coventry Area

[SPC]

Hi all, im new too this forum so go easy on me. Basically im a gas safe registered installer (with about 3 years experience) but i mainly do new central heating installations or general plumbing / bathrooms etc. now i obviously know the basic's when it comes to boilers but recently ive been having some customers with more in depth problems where im not 100% sure on the problem and dont want too get involved in mis-diagnosing and fitting wrong parts so i aviod the job. Whereas if a boiler technician went in or maybe even someone with a few more years experience behind them would be more confident at resolving the issue. So basically if there are any local boiler engineers id be more than happy to pass your number on rather than saying id rather not get involved and thats that. im primarily based in Nuneaton but obviously branch out to coventry, bedworth, hinkley ,rugby and maybe even leicester at a push. Dont get me wrong theres not massive amounts of work but a few little bits and bobs here and there. it all helps. So anyone interested post up and well take it from there.

Steve

 

[SafeGasInstall]

that is very nice of you SPC

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

that is very good of you steve but after a few months on here you will be able to sort them out your self

 

[SPC]

It would just be nice too know a few people with similar trades in the area to bounce a bit of work too either way. ie i chuck them a few break downs they chuck me a bit of install work or if your too busy help out or vice versa. just seems logical to me.

 

[pauls]

spc ou can learn loads from this site always good advice and info given, ive only just started going into the breakdown side of things myself, if im stuck on site i have in the past called the manufacture im still on a steep learning curve

 

[SafeGasInstall]

same here have managed to fix few boilers and central heating systems ,love it to be honest much better experience then putting combis

 

[Bernie2]

I think the problem with repair work seems to be that the faults you meet are never exactly like those described in the manuals fault finding sections. Even if you know the underlying technology few people seem to know a boiler in detail enough to be able to sort out any problem it throws up.

The manufacturer's guys usually have it easy and come with a van full of spares, its then just a case of swapping parts until the boiler works. But you can't do that if you work for yourself it would cost too much and the range of spares required would be fantastic. Perhaps specialising in one make may help, but would you get enough work doing just one make?

I doubt it. So its probably best doing a spread of things

 

[so-solar]

have inbox you mate!

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

spot on there bernie 2 the likes of heatteam(BAXI) have it easy i tend to specialise in most common boilers ,keep lots of spares but would be up the creek with out my experience which was hard to gain, manufacturers do not like giving out information ariston being very guilty of this to name but a few baxi being so big some of there guys dont have a clue but if you get the right guy in technical your ok not that i ring that often,i am only to glad to pass on all my knowledge on this forum as it helps people out some times the manufacturers,and as you rightly say their fault guides are a waste of time,knowing a few of the service engineers at baxi i do know they get a rollocking if they get it wrong on visit one,thats not always justified in my opinion

 

[SPC]

the problem i seem to have is not being able to pin point the problem, ie it could be 1 of 3 things, then i dont want too get into the bother of replacing one of them, it being the wrong thing then the customer doesnt want too pay for the part, as its not fixed the boiler and rightly so really, i cant take the part back if its something like the PCB so were all peed off so i tend to avoid the situation. i suppose its where years of experience come in handy 🙂

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

yes your right experience is a big plus but as wise men say "you only learn by your mistakes" you are afraid of getting it wrong,with i can understand but everyone has to start some were and if you want to fault find you can always ask on here between all of us you will be told the right answer just have faith in yourself SPC

 

[Ivan_Leak]

pretty much in the same boat as yourself SPC, 6 years in the industry just doing installs, lack confidence when i stumble across the breakdowns, different kettle of fish

 

[franky]

Same here bud I've been doing install for a good while and am lacking on breakdowns, but its something I'm trying to get into as I don't like the idea of passing work on to competitors when clients ring up. Was thinking of taking courses like mr combi. Done the vailiant course as thats what I mainly install and I'd now feel confident enough on these, but still a bit of training I'm sure it would be worth while

 

[Blake]

I have 3 GSR guys who pass all there breakdowns to me as they can't do them or just don't have the patience to try. In return I pass any bathroom work there way and if I ever get called out to one of there regular customers and the boiler is beyond repair, I always tell the customer to go back to them for a quote.

It's experience and patience you need to fault find and I've made one or too errors in the past which have come out of my pocket. You learn and try to make sure you don't misdiagnose again.

 

[SPC]

i agree with you bronzino, you need time and patience to diagnose a boiler which alot of the time i dont have, especially with the lack of experience / confidence in the area. I too am looking at going on a course. I was briefly speaking to David Hickey (a local ex british gas engineer) apparently he runs a course up in liverpool on combi boilers, week long course but you have to sit a 2 day course on electronics first before being allowed too do the course, which logically seems to make sense. has anyone been one one of these kind of courses and have and feedback?? The mr combi thing sounds similar.

 

[SPC]

oh and the other thing, i'd have no problem bouncing work off too a "competitor" if i knew they were good at their job, but id rather get it too the point where you have a good working relationship between a few of you and can bounce work between each other as sometimes you just dont have enough hours in the day too see all of the customers you need too.

 

[gasmarc]

i have done numerous courses over the years ,You never stop learning that is something I can guarantee , i went to a boiler breakdown before on a new build where the boiler would only fire for a minute so i put it down to an electronic fault fortunately there was another spare boiler in the flat above so I swapped gas valve and both pcbs over only to have the same fault, went back the next day and taped up the condensation wire and boiler working fine. That was a great learning curve ,lol ,This idea of slinging parts at it is not possible if you are self employed,

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

and talking of conden trap continuity wires if you get the same fault or its in ff on a performa/main/105 he they went through a phase of sticking too long a screw in the bottle but for some strange reason it only shows when the screw starts to corrode

 

[SPC]

I have been on a couple of the Worcester training courses and a biasi one but the type of course im referring to is a week long course on fault finding combi boilers

 

[gasmarc]

a week long course ,how much is that i wonder £600 or more i would say, regardless of the courses you do it is best to have a good understanding of how things work , I repair most boilers and dont usually use a manual and sometimes give the makers a call if i get stuck which i can assure you does happen,There is sometimes no logic to a boiler being faulty and an intermittent fault is the hardest one to diagnose, I have had this a few times and have been given a free boiler for my troubles, I also had a potterton where nearly everything was replaced only for potterton to come out and they could not fix it either but did eventually after 3 weeks and were never sure what the fault was

 

[SPC]

im sure it was in the region of 600 -750 but if it gives you alot of knowledge, we all know knowledge = power so we can take over the gas industry forever!!! joking aside ill be going on the course sooner or later so ill be able to let you guys know if its a worthy course or not

 

[gasmarc]

its not rocket science more brain damage sometimes , a local builder to me had an issue with a boiler with 3 of them standing around this brand new boiler ,i had a quick look and sussed it was a pcb problem and told the guy to get a new board and i would fit it in the morning , this builder was a bit slippery and he went and bought another boiler and installed it which for some strange had the same fault, I gave him a call and asked him if he wanted me to have a look, I moved a plug on the pcb and the boiler worked perfectly,i phoned the guy and he was in the process of buying his third boiler lol

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

that will teach the builder

 

[gasmarc]

happy days there was no problem paying the £100 bill lol happy new yes Gas Man and all

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

you to gasmarc bring on the beer LOL