Boiler installation nightmare - advice

[bwerd1]

All advice appreciated. I've made a number of bad decisions & trying to stop the flow.

I used a small plumbing company (one man band but supplies all trades) that had installed two bathrooms for me previously with satisfactory results.

Therefore, I had a combi boiler installed last week (replacing unvented potterton suprima 50) where he replaced radiators & introduced a heating engineer for the boiler & revised pipework.

Mostly paid in cash on completion but I did pay the heating engineers employer for the goods (boiler etc) & he has used his employers details to register the installation & warranty.

I had a number of growing concerns so arranged for independent inspection by another heating engineer & he has issue a Do not use certificate for a number of reasons:
- PRV not terminated (not pipework installed & currently located directly above live switch)
- Flue not correctly installed (not 300mm from window) & not sealed on inside (packed with paper towels)
- Live electrical connection exposed.
- Boiler pipework surrounds live switches. Switches should be moved away from pipework / underneath boiler.

There are additional issued (e.g. dripping pipework x 2), poor electrical work & kitchen wall burned badly from soldering.

On advice of independent engineer, he advised to call Gas Safe informally & they advised to contact the installers employer. This has been done & they are not interested in rectifying. Silence is deafening from plumbing company & installer.

Independent engineer advised to log formally with Gas Safe and that has been done online today. I have taken lots of photos as evidence.

I have since learned from searching the forum (I think) that if his employer did not given him permission & he does not have his own licence, it looks like this might be classed as an illegal install?

Apart from waiting for Gas Safe to get in contact, what should I do if he turns up? It seems doubtful this will happen but want to be prepared. Do I refuse entry if he doesn't have his own licence?

The only plus point is I have a high level of confidence in the independent engineer, who I think will rectify the issues, even if I have to pay for this. Obviously, his current advice is to let Gas Safe do their job & log the issues. I'm not sure how quickly they respond to this type of complaint. In the meantime, we have no heating or hot water but better than something worse going wrong.

I'd really appreciate any advice. Its very stressful & its confusing (to me) what is covered by gas safe & what is not.

Thanks

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Turn up at his place of employment and ask to see the boss might not you anywhere but may if he’s decent

 

[bwerd1]

Thanks for the reply. I have had contact with his employer / boss via telephone & current position is ‘it’s nothing to do with them’. Hence, independent engineer advised formal gas safe route as next step, given engineer and / or employer (reasonably sized local EPC company - not just boilers) are not taking any action to rectify. I’m guessing but if his employer are not taking any responsibility & he has no licence to operate as individual, he would only make his position worse to attempt to resolve himself.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Has he registered it yet ? / paperwork to prove this

 

[bwerd1]

Has he registered it yet ? / paperwork to prove this

Boiler paperwork (written in pen) for boiler is using his employers name, address & gas number.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

I would email or written letter them then as it’s there install stating one of your employees installed a boiler and the install has been classed as dangerous and your getting gas safe evolved as your not happy as there liable for the install you either want all the faults correcting or a full refund

 

[bwerd1]

Thank you.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Forgot to add send them the independents engineers report as well

 

[Scott_D]

Its a confusing story and for me it sounds fishy.
Often a cheap job is that way for a reason and alarm bells should have been ringing at the situation
You paid a plumber cash who has got a gas engineer in to do the boiler part of the job?
You paid gas engineers employer for boiler and the boiler has been fitted in their name?
Has it been classed as At risk or Immedialty dangerous?

 

[bwerd1]

Its a confusing story and for me it sounds fishy.
Often a cheap job is that way for a reason and alarm bells should have been ringing at the situation
You paid a plumber cash who has got a gas engineer in to do the boiler part of the job?
You paid gas engineers employer for boiler and the boiler has been fitted in their name?
Has it been classed as At risk or Immedialty dangerous?

Yes - both and no argument it is 100% fishy from start to end. As I said, massive mistake has been made. ID (box no 2 ticked) & AR (box no 1 ticked) on danger do not use warning notice. Sticker applied to boiler, gas turned off & fuse removed from socket. Presumably for exposed electrical wire & no pipe work at all from PRV (short copper pipe 5cm unde boiler). Not sure if boiler pipe work around / over switches counts as AR but is mentioned on warning notice, as is flue <300mm from window & not sealed on inside of property.

Sorry, if it’s confusing. I accept its more than likely I have to pay to rectify. I’m just trying to follow the advice of the independent heating engineer who asked to report to gas safe before needing to engage him to rectify ( on the assumption this is treated as an illegal install & should not have been logged against the installers company).

This also the route advised informally via telephone call with Gas Safe. Contact his employer as install is logged against them. If they don’t accept responsibility, log formally with gas safe.

His employer is aware of the works as he got the boiler through his employers account and we paid his employer directly for the boiler. That’s our only point of contact with the company apart from the install paperwork being logged using their details / gas safe 6 digit number.

I just don’t know how long gas safe take to come out to inspect so we can move forward, irrespective of the cost. That’s the least of my worries at the moment.