Can i service my own boiler if am not gas safe registered

[mutley racers]

Well, this seems to be a hard question to answer.

From the regs, it seems that i can, as long as i am not accepting any kind of payment for it.

It is when you start getting paid, that its illegal.

Also, i read that you have to be competent.

How do you define competent?

So, am i allowed legally to service my own boiler?

Regards

Mutley

 

[Resolute]

If you service your own boiler then as I understand it your fine providing you are competent. However as there is no definition of competence then you may end up having to defend your actions in court.

I stress this is how I understand it, and I maybe wrong! One of the Gas Safe guys will probably have more info.

I would say that you should ask yourself if you really feel your competent though (no dig at you as I don't know your skills etc) but is it worth possibly endangering yourself or family?

 

[justalex81]

no you definately can't! you must be gas safe registered whether it's your own home or not!

 

[mikegas]

As far as im aware you can service as many boilers as you want without being gsr as long as your competent and not being paid

 

[Gray0689]

Under regs you are correct if competent and doing for no financial reward you can work on gas BUT
There lies the problem who can say your competent
If you got acs and tickets to work on the appliance but don't have gas safe then IMO you can if not then no
BUT if you work on it and something goes wrong it won't matter you will be held responsible either way and most probably prosecuted
Your choice I know what mine would be

 

[justalex81]

You can work on gas if you have the relevant qualifications. you dont have to be gsr if youre not profiting from it. but you must be qualified!

 

[Resolute]

You can work on gas if you have the relevant qualifications. you dont have to be gsr if youre not profiting from it. but you must be qualified!

According to regs you don't have to be qualified, just competent - as there is no definition of competency that is where the problem lies!

Don't get me wrong, I don't think you should be touching gas without having the relevant training - I'm just stating what the regs state!

 

[quality]

The ACS as we know it, is a competence based assesment procedure for candidates to complete to prove competence
Hence if you have your ACS you have proved competent

 

[Resolute]

The ACS as we know it, is a competence based assesment procedure for candidates to complete to prove competence
Hence if you have your ACS you have proved competent

Yes the ACS could be used to prove competence but the regs don't say that. They just say you have to be competent - its up to you how you prove you are competent.

 

[Steve @ TheHeatingHub]

The law is an bum.

Just leave it alone mate.

 

[secret squirrel]

Yes the ACS could be used to prove competence but the regs don't say that. They just say you have to be competent - its up to you how you prove you are competent.

OR does the court have to prove your incompetent thats a whole lot harder to prove....

 

[Irish]

Well if you're not gsr I'm guessing you don't have the tools to properly service the boiler, so in the long run you'd be better getting a gsr engineer to do it

 

[Destroyer2813]

Is it really worth trying to save 50-70 quid for the sake of you or your familys saftey and how do u know that if you take it apart and find something how wi;ll u know if its right or wrong or if its a new condensing boiler do u have a combustion analyser to test the flue gases

 

[Mr leaky]

destroyer hit it on the head with what he said just dont mess with it fork out the money and have it done propper

 

[dontknowitall]

destroyer hit it on the head with what he said just dont mess with it fork out the money and have it done propper

If your house is due for demolition then perhaps this could be a way of saving some money?

 

[Rob Sale]

Regs are soon to be changed from what i have been told to close this loophole of non Gas safe registered people tinkering on appliances.

 

[tamz]

ACS is the easiest way to prove competence but there are many ways usually a combination of some of this.

Qualifications, for example, an appropriate academic qualification, work experience. manufacturers’ training courses, recognised industry vocational training courses.
Knowledge of appropriate standards and codes of practice such as IGE/UP/1, A, B, and relevant BS
Knowledge of appropriate sections of applicable legislation including GSIUR GA HSWA
Knowledge of performance, behaviour and limitations of equipment, commissioning processes, maintenance requirements of equipment.

So, am i allowed legally to service my own boiler?

Yes and no.

 

[Howsie]

Do you own a FGA?

 

[stevetheplumber]

fga £500 yearly calibration £140 versus boiler service £60 yearly financialy it doesnt add up

 

[Dannypipe]

In court (if you ended up there for lets say poisoning someone with CO or causing an explosion) then the barrister would ask if you have an ACS accreditation to show that you have trained formally with gas appliances.

You wouldn't have the relevant qualifications, and therefore you would probably get in deep doo doos.

We retrain/qualify every five years for a reason. Plus we don't re-calibrate our combustion analysers every 12 months because we like wasting money. We do it because we're trained professionals who will generally provide a good service.

Do you even have a U gauge? Do you know how to adjust a gas valve that may have drifted? Can you check a gas rate? Do you have a combustion anyliser? Do you have any formal training in gas appliances?

If the answer to any of these questions is no, then please, please don't touch a boiler. If not for your sake, then for your families.

It will cost you around £100 for a service, maybe less depending on where you live.

Check here:Gas Safe Register | Ensure your gas engineer is registered.

and find someone trained and 'competent'.

 

[obseen16]

there actually is a definition of "competent" in the gas regs, the definition goes something like - Qualified and a member of the governing body (meaning gas safe). well thats how i read it and thats how my GS inspector interpreted it aswell.

 

[Rob Sale]

An average price is around 60-90 quid but some do charge less for a service.

 

[tamz]

Being a member of gas safe has little to do with being competent. There are some parts of the gas industry which ACS do not cover (above 2 bar) so there are no formal recognised competencies. I think these parts of the industry are a bit more serious than 20mb but there is not enough demand (profit) to offer any. The system is totally flawed in anycase. Anyone with enough cash to spare can be deemed competent.
A fresh faced banker with a few grand to spare could pass his ACS in a few weeks. Does that make him competent? I think not (and neither does he) but pay another few hundred to register and he is legal and having spent his cash he is supposed to know what he is doing without having ever opened a boiler or even screwed one on the wall.
Pass the buck. That is the true definition of competent as far as the HSE are concerned if the brown stuff hit the fan.

Contrary to popular belief, you do not need a FGA to service a boiler (other than band A's) IF you are competent with a big if.

Bit of a rant but i am on the Macallan's tonight.

BTW to the op don't even attempt it unless you are competent :lol:

 

[Dannypipe]

Tamz, I totally respect your opinion....but if the OP was a banker who had spent £4K to get ACS qualified, then I would say, go ahead and service your boiler. I say this because as a new comer he would have had to produce a portfolio of work (time spent with an experienced engineer).

Not ideal I know, but at least trained to some degree.

 

[tamz]

if the OP was a banker who had spent £4K to get ACS qualified, then I would say, go ahead and service your boiler. I say this because as a new comer he would have had to produce a portfolio of work (time spent with an experienced engineer).

I would say he would be better phoning a mate because he wouldn't have a clue how to even get the case off. These courses teach very little.

 

[REDSAW]

put it this way...

if you lived alone in a caravan in the middle of no where, you can do what you like.
if you killed yourself, blew the van up or whatever it would result at the inquest as tough titties.

now do it in a house, in a street, with the missus and kids present or even dammage to next doors fence. your rse would leave a skid mark all the way to the county court and you will be looking to do time.
biggest danger is reading between the lines.imo.
sure, your choice, have fun.

 

[tamz]

tough (edit)jugs.

lol :wink:

 

[Reg Man]

Difficult to believe this debate is still going on, as we have been working under this registration requirement since 1991.

Competence: A person with relevant training, qualification and experience to carry out the nature of work safely. (ACS was introduced to help you proove this) With out it you will have a hard time prooving this in court) Thanks Danny Pipe for your like minded comment.

Gas work: if you are employed of self employed to carry out gas work you must be registered with the approved body (Gas Safe Register). This includes wether you do it for free or get paid for the work.

DIY: Most DIY people will be unable to proove competence (Where's their ACS certificate?) It may be that you are a gas registered engineer for the company you are employed with, but not as an individual; therefore you can do gas work at home because you hold an ACS cert for the work you wish to undertake.

All this information is available within the ACOP document for the gas safety (installation& use) regulations.

 

[Puddle]

Worst comes to worse and something happens ,if you find yourself in court, unlikely you will prove yourself competent probably just that you are incontinent
:ihih:
imho

 

[tamz]

incontinent

You can get pants for that which may hide your shame but i don't think they will impress a judge :lol:

 

[Reg Man]

Constructive advice if you have not got ACS and Gas safe and end up in court. Wear a pin stripe wet suite with bicycle clips.

 

[mutley racers]

Wow guys, such a large response. Awesome. In all these replies i can find what i am looking for. I know it is a touchy subject for all.

I have been Plumbing for just over 3 years now and trained with a gas engineer. I have sat most of my acs exams apart from the practical part as i am still collecting evidence for fires. But i shall finish the practical hopefully this month if i get some free time.

But, to sign up for registration and to buy the FGA is a lot of money, which i will not be able to buy until next year.

I have just moved area to, so am not able to use my old boss's equipment.

Regards

Mutley

 

[bob the plumber]

i wish you, your wife, children and lovely neighbours all the best with your DIY boiler service unless you live in a caravan on your own in the middle of nowhere, in which i would say 'go for it!!!!' the only person you can kill is yourself lol

 

[mikegas]

Wow guys, such a large response. Awesome. In all these replies i can find what i am looking for. I know it is a touchy subject for all.

I have been Plumbing for just over 3 years now and trained with a gas engineer. I have sat most of my acs exams apart from the practical part as i am still collecting evidence for fires. But i shall finish the practical hopefully this month if i get some free time.

But, to sign up for registration and to buy the FGA is a lot of money, which i will not be able to buy until next year.

I have just moved area to, so am not able to use my old boss's equipment.

Regards

Mutley

not competent just yet then mate

 

[REDSAW]

tell you what muttley,

i had the same chat with my assessors when i was doing my acs a couple of weeks before completing it.

casually mention to them that you have just serviced your own boiler(actually i just gas rated my mums and sisters boilers for practice) and see what they say, get a back up assessor before you do mind, if they are as keen as mine.lol.