FLUX in new system install - how to get rid

[tamz]

You dont do much 8 or 10mm work then?
A mate I know uses his pinky too, must admit I much prefer a nice fine flux brush.

Just smear it around the pipe. No need to do the fitting. Brushes are just not my thing.
Painting flux on a joint while doing it or to cool it does my nut in. I once sacked a guy for that.

 

[Halesowen1]

so something like this, but without the metal?
View attachment 4460

The ones I use are all plastic so no rotting away.

 

[Halesowen1]

in this day and age you need to do a risk assessment before you do this in case the heat causes toxic fumes, you also need a hot work permit to heat the pipe with a blow lamp

You also need to do a risk assessment when you get your drill out to drill the lid, I hope you are also putting your goggles on too when drilling the lid.
Does soldering using the flux cause toxic fumes too and does it also need a hot work permit??

 

[kirkgas]

You also need to do a risk assessment when you get your drill out to drill the lid, I hope you are also putting your goggles on too when drilling the lid.
Does soldering using the flux cause toxic fumes too and does it also need a hot work permit??

see you are learning the rules,
risk assessment on drilling the lid is: use hand drill as it is safer, goggles AND gloves, a vice to hold the lid (i know risk assessment on the heavy vice)
read safety list for flux and it says suitable to use on copper pipe for soldering, so no risk assessment required as it is fit for purpose, its heating the lid that is risky as we dont know the type of plastic the lid is made of, and again safety first, do all soldering outside and take pipework sections back in and fit with compression fittings (no joke this appeared in an amendment to the EAGA contract when a couples house got burned to the ground when getting their new free heating)

 

[AWheating]

im bloody fed up of hot work permits, i soldered 3 fittings inside a house today. took me a few mins, it took me 20mins to get the hot works signed off. 🙁

 

[kirkgas]

im bloody fed up of hot work permits, i soldered 3 fittings inside a house today. took me a few mins, it took me 20mins to get the hot works signed off. 🙁

and obviously you also included a 1hr wait time/inspection after the last fitting was soldered

 

[tamz]

You also need to do a risk assessment when you get your drill out to drill the lid, I hope you are also putting your goggles on too when drilling the lid.
Does soldering using the flux cause toxic fumes too and does it also need a hot work permit??

If everyone did an honest risk assessment while sitting having a coffee at 7 in the morning we would just go back to bed.

Getting from the house to the van in the snow
Risk....... trips and falls
Severity...Minor to fatal
Control.....Back to bed!

 

[tamz]

and obviously you also included a 1hr wait time/inspection after the last fitting was soldered

2hrs on my insurance!

 

[AWheating]

well sort of 🙂 , i had to fit the svp which took about 40-50mins after i had soldered. I do always walk thought at the end of the day to make sure i have not left any tools lying around.

Its a wonderful excuse to pack up your tools early....... i cant do it tonight as i have to wait an hour after soldering, but the site closes in half an hour!

 

[Halesowen1]

see you are learning the rules,
risk assessment on drilling the lid is: use hand drill as it is safer, goggles AND gloves, a vice to hold the lid (i know risk assessment on the heavy vice)
read safety list for flux and it says suitable to use on copper pipe for soldering, so no risk assessment required as it is fit for purpose, its heating the lid that is risky as we dont know the type of plastic the lid is made of, and again safety first, do all soldering outside and take pipework sections back in and fit with compression fittings (no joke this appeared in an amendment to the EAGA contract when a couples house got burned to the ground when getting their new free heating)

That ammendment was for all loft work, nobody working on once known as Warmfront scheme is allowed to solder in a loft, it must all be push fit or compression, EAGA were once the main contractors.
I know all about these rules as I inspect Warmfront (EAGA) work 2 days a week.

 

[AWheating]

If everyone did an honest risk assessment while sitting having a coffee at 7 in the morning we would just go back to bed.

Getting from the house to the van in the snow
Risk....... trips and falls
Severity...Minor to fatal
Control.....Back to bed!

my old firm had a risk assessment for driving in the winter, which basically said if you felt it was unsafe to drive you could stay at home and you would still get paided........ of course non of the employees got to see that one.

 

[Halesowen1]

A good little tip to help with this, I always have a water spray bottle in my solder tray, give every fitting a spray and a clean once soldered, plus handy with those little fires due to hidden paper under floorbaords etc.

 

[AWheating]

I know all about these rules as I inspect Warmfront (EAGA) work 2 days a week.

i wished you had inspected the eaga install that was done at my mothers house, i spent two days refitting and repairing the damage.

 

[Halesowen1]

Why didnt you fit her system in the first place?

 

[tamz]

Why didnt you fit her system in the first place?

Probably because they are pensioners and entitled to it for free..........even if it means they have 2 rads less than they had because the spare rooms are unoccupied.
What is that one all about?

 

[samh]

Glad I wasn't the only one thinking that Halesowen1

 

[Halesowen1]

Tamz, warmfront scheme only allows a boiler and upto 5 rads. Unless it is a rip out and a new system going back in, then you can fit exactly same amount as originally in the house.
Rads must be main bed room, main living room, hallway and then homeowners choice on other 2.

 

[royston]

My little finger is my flux brush and has been for years. Still fully skinned and hanging in their. Have to make sure its cleaned first though before picking my nose or scratching inside ear lobe !!

 

[samh]

ear lobe? I envy you, on monday I had a bit on my finger and without thinking itched my balls. Dear god that stung!

 

[AWheating]

Why didnt you fit her system in the first place?

why buy flowers when you live next to a grave yard?

 

[Halesowen1]

I was not having a dig AW, but surely you had heard about this EAGA contract? I would not let many of the companies working for WAGA fit me a outside tap let alone a heating system.
There are some good ones out there too but many of these EAGA contractors are a joke.

 

[AWheating]

no offence taken, the way i saw it was atleast i got the boiler and rads and warranty for free and i was unable to work at the time due to illness so thought double bonus. I was quite cheeky with it as there was 4 rad valves dripping so i called them out 4 seperate times, the second time i even had my tools in the living room but i still called the emergency number 🙂

the worst thing they did was pipe the bathroom rad both sides to the flow, i found the inhibitor in the dustbin still full...... the list goes on and on.

 

[Halesowen1]

What was the company called??

 

[tamz]

Tamz, warmfront scheme only allows a boiler and upto 5 rads. Unless it is a rip out and a new system going back in, then you can fit exactly same amount as originally in the house.
Rads must be main bed room, main living room, hallway and then homeowners choice on other 2.

I ask because i know of 4 jobs up this way where the people (pensioners) got their heating (full new systems) through warmfront but were left without heating in the spare bedrooms. I was called in after to refit / reconnect them. The people were told they could only have rads in occupied rooms and if they had the system altered it would invalidate the guarantee. Well with an Ideal they will need the guarantee but whoever comes out to fix it won't be counting rads so that is bollox.
First time i thought maybe the old folks were getting themselves a bit confused but after another i enquired and found this is the case up here.
Stupidity.

 

[tamz]

What was the company called??

Probably Eaga.........now Carillion making just as much of a balls up, probably more, because all the half decent installers have moved on.

 

[bob the plumber]

But you do the same as all of us though, turn on the taps. I have never seen anybody flush out the water pipes. I have only ever done it when installing cold mains, due to pebbles in feeds to new build properties.

if its possible i will always blast the pipes through into a bucket before installing second fix?

 

[Halesowen1]

Eaga are or were the main contractor, it is then fitted by local companies. Just wanted to know the company's name.

 

[Halesowen1]

if its possible i will always blast the pipes through into a bucket before installing second fix?

The way the guy said he flushed out the pipes, I meant we all use the existing supply, I dont know anybody who flushes any other way.

 

[tamz]

Eaga formley Everwarm up this way. Scotland and NE England. 90% direct labour.
Sold out to Carillion who robbed the workers of their share options and are now making an even bigger hash of things.
Everwarm has been reincarnated by a couple of Eaga directors and is back into insulation and Solar.

 

[AWheating]

What was the company called??

they had a lizard on the van but eaga uniforms.

 

[Halesowen1]

The warmfront shceme which was run by EAGA now Carilion is in its last year and is working at about 25% of last year due to no money left in the pot to do any more jobs.
It is being re named from Aprill and will be all about renewables.

 

[AWheating]

that should be fun, give guys who fit poorly installed heating systems some solar panels to fit........ disaster! LOL.

 

[Halesowen1]

they had a lizard on the van but eaga uniforms.

This is IGUANA, they no longer exist as they were the only sub contractors owned by EAGA the main contractors. As they were owned by the big boys they had favourable jobs and inspecting, hence a load of rubbish fitted everywhere, they made all the other companys look bad too as they were all classed as EAGA fitters.
But unfortunately these were a law onto themselves and nobody could tough them, I was not allowed to inspect there work as they were owned by EAGA.
These cowboys were on watchdog and then quickly got rid of all them terrible vans and got rid of most of the fitters. They started back up as Eaga Heat who are still owned by eaga and get all the best jobs.

 

[AWheating]

thats the one, i could not spell it 🙂

 

[tamz]

It is being re named from Aprill and will be all about renewables.

Looks like they have missed the jump on that one as the ex directors at Everwarm and UKFM have already been doing it for 9 months snapping up the contracts.