5 minute service

[kris]

Hi guys this topic has probably been done but ive got to get your views,
Last week on my dinner break i had to nip to a friends flat which is owned by a large housing association and during my visit an engineer arrived for the boilers annual service, ( obviously they have maintenance contract for said housing) what i saw was simply just laziness and disgraceful , The engineer walked past me into the kitchen not really noticing me with the position i was sitting and i can HONESTLY say within 5 minutes he'd took out his analyser ran the hot tap for 15-20 seconds and that was IT, Because the chair i was sitting in i could see most of what he was doing as kitchen door was slightly opened, The engineer in question farted about with his tool case ( tidying it up i presumed) and that was him finished not even taking the boiler case off, I couldnt believe it , But what i did found brilliant is when he came out of the kitchen to tell my friend he was done after his huge service he had to pass me face to face and all my work gear is well labeled with the gassafe logos and my details and i noticed his eyes as i said hello to him passing having a glance at the logo, This guys hole demeanor changed trying to go back to the kitchen, now hed just told my friend he was done and everything was ok, my friend signed a piece of paper and i dont know if when he saw my clothing i was there to observe his service but he certainly went a pale colour, he walked back into kitchen then straight back out you could see he was flustered, he muttered il have to renew CO detector then 5 mins later off he went, now i realise these guys are doing this type of job day in day out and that it would feel repetitive but what a disgrace , its guys like this that give us all a bad name sometimes, I made a joke on a post the other day about an analyser service just a bit of humour but its astonishing to see it first hand, I would say 15 mins and that was that , Unbelievable guys

 

[kris]

By the way it was a valliant condensing combi, about 4-5 years old.

 

[jtsplumbing]

Probably a contractor working on a price per service, has to do at least 10/12 a day to make it pay, see this on the job sites all the time £17 for a service and CP12, My son is a mechanic and does MOT testing, the Gov. set a time for each mot, I think its 1 hr. per Mot, So why cant GS to something along these lines, laying down a min time per service, then it would cut out this sort of practice that puts life's at risk.

 

[Leo21]

At five years Vaillants are supposed to have a new burner door gasket. But tbh other than that they don't take a long time to service. Analyser, inlet pressure, empty trap and general look at the condition. Oh and check flue routing and intergrity, but if it's one of yours that doesn't take long either.

 

[kris]

At five years Vaillants are supposed to have a new burner door gasket. But tbh other than that they don't take a long time to service. Analyser, inlet pressure, empty trap and general look at the condition. Oh and check flue routing and intergrity, but if it's one of yours that doesn't take long either.

I realise theres not much to do leo but i mean the guy couldve cleaned the trap checked the flue etc Nothing was done he never even left the boiler on to heat up 15 -20 seconds and that was his fga test. I dont even think he gave it enough time to achieve a true reading. I was just taken back with the corner cutting it gives us guys a bad name.

 

[IDCHAPPY]

A gas test alone is 5 ish minutes.

 

[Leo21]

I realise theres not much to do leo but i mean the guy couldve cleaned the trap checked the flue etc Nothing was done he never even left the boiler on to heat up 15 -20 seconds and that was his fga test. I dont even think he gave it enough time to achieve a true reading. I was just taken back with the corner cutting it gives us guys a bad name.

Didnt mean to disagree, five minutes is disgusting.

 

[Leo21]

A gas test alone is 5 ish minutes.

A tightness test isn't a requirement on a service.

 

[kris]

I know you didnt leo but your right its disguting. I usualy do a quick gas test every time i work on a gas appliance even a service as im the last person there. I do believe that come time there will be a lot of changes implemented on things such as benchmark commisioning and service procedures and detailed documentation. Slowly but surely gassafe are making the nescasary changes.

 

[Millsy 82]

A tightness test isn't a requirement on a service.

It's not but most housing associations require a full gas safety inspection including a tt. They are not worried how long it takes the people and the companies they work for are not bothered either. As once both have that cp12 with that engineers name on it they are covered and if something goes bang it's the engineer who will be in trouble and they will just get rid. Also housing associations would rather they do a poor job as when the boiler is written off due to poor servicing then it will fall back on to the company to replace. (Or at least that's how it works for the one I do a lot of work for)

It's disgraceful it shouldn't go on but it does. It usually takes me 25-30 mins but I know lads on my company do them in 10-15 not taking cases off etc.