any gas installation engineers out there?

[capnthommo]

hi folks

i need a gas safe engineer to install my LPG pipework etc. can anybody recommend someone in the south northants/north bucks area? come on people, who have you used, who is good, are you an engineer, are you free after 20th july 2011?

getting fed up with sandwiches, salads and take-aways and to be honest i suspect the weather is a tad warm for stove-top casseroles!

i begin to crave roasted things, pies, baked spuds. HELLLP!

cheers

nigel

[Laurie Booth]

You don't need a gas safe engineer, to fit your stove.

[blackrose]

You don't need a gas safe engineer, to fit your stove.

 

As I understand it that depends on whether your boat will be your home. If so then apparently you do, but I stand to be corrected.

 

However, I did the gas intallation on my boat myself. It's just plumbing and any competent person with a bit of common sense who can read and understand the regs (whether BSS or RCD) and can calculate the correct pipe sizing using the Calor tables can do it. My BSS inspector went over and tested my system last summer and told me it was a good installation.

Edited June 27, 2011 by blackrose

[Iain_S]

As I understand it that depends on whether your boat will be your home. If so then apparently you do, but I stand to be corrected.

 

My understanding is that for commercial, hire or liveaboard, the installer has to be a "competent person". If the installer gets paid, he also has to be GasSafe registered.

 

Iain

[blackrose]

My understanding is that for commercial, hire or liveaboard, the installer has to be a "competent person". If the installer gets paid, he also has to be GasSafe registered.

 

Iain

 

But are land-bound homeowners allowed to mess about with their gas systems even if they're competent? I thought not and assumed it would be the same for boats which functioned as someone's home (although the whole residential/non-residential mooring thing often makes boats a grey area).

Edited June 27, 2011 by blackrose

[Iain_S]

But are land-bound homeowners allowed to mess about with their gas systems even if they're competent? I thought not and assumed it would be the same for boats which functioned as someone's home (although the whole residential/non-residential mooring thing often makes boats a grey area).

 

AIUI, the same applies, i.e., a "competent person" can do the work, so long as they are not paid.

 

Iain

[capnthommo]

Hmmmm.

think i will have to have a chat with my mate. bearing in mind the estimate i just got back i think it's going to need to be a DIY job. won't say how much but more than the cooker cost new - significantly more. wonder why; gold plated pipe maybe? they suggest minimum of £200 for parts alone.

thanks for the discussion though, it's suggested other possibilities.

cheers

nigel

[capnthommo]

just to let you people know. i'm all sorted now - arranged with an engineer to install at a reasonable price etc.

cheers

nigel

[Smelly]

just to let you people know. i'm all sorted now - arranged with an engineer to install at a reasonable price etc.

cheers

nigel

 

The question of gas engineers comes up quite often and it'd be useful to know who it is...

[boots]

One point, make sure they are a BSS aware Gas-Safe engineer - we had some work done, by a gas safe engineer - from a Gas perspective it was fine, but was pulled up from a BSS point of view...in the end, redid it myself

 

martin

[capnthommo]

The question of gas engineers comes up quite often and it'd be useful to know who it is...

okay, it's ovation boat services. based in Leicestershire, but mobile and BSS examiner too. he comes up with a quick google.

when i spoke to him he seemed like a guy who actually wants to do business, rather than the other one i tried who seemed like they really didn't want to be bothered with all these tiresome boaters calling wanting work done.

anyhow, there you go. i'm planning the roast/baked/multi pan/grilled (yes, all of those) dinner as i sit here. my dreams are haunted by the food i have been missing. sorry, must go and dowse myself in cold water

cheers all

nigel

gods, it's good to be back online!

[WotEver]

One point, make sure they are a BSS aware Gas-Safe engineer - we had some work done, by a gas safe engineer - from a Gas perspective it was fine, but was pulled up from a BSS point of view...

I had exactly the same thing happen. And my gas safe guy works for a boat hire company!

 

Tony

[MtB]

One point, make sure they are a BSS aware Gas-Safe engineer - we had some work done, by a gas safe engineer - from a Gas perspective it was fine, but was pulled up from a BSS point of view...in the end, redid it myself

 

martin

 

Unfortunately finding a Gas Safe Registered installer is only half the story. The vast majority of Gas Safe Registered installers are neither competent nor qualified to install LPG anywhere, let alone in a boat.

 

Few members of the public realise it but there is a hierarchy to Gas safe Registration. The basic exam ("Core Gas Safety") qualifies a person to be Gas Safe Registered but they are still not qualified to actually install anything. Once they have Core Gas Safety they may proceed to take exams for any or all of the different classes of gas appliance e.g. cookers, boilers, tumble dryers, warm air units, meters etc using natural gas.

 

Then they may take a complex and time-consuming conversion course to learn all the different issues for the same work but with LPG (tank installation, UPSO and OPSO valves etc). Then yet another to fit LPG in caravans, and another in boats. This means any random GSR bod may easily not be actually qualified for the work you are asking them to do, and it is why there are so few boat LPG bods around. Each extra exam costs a few hundred quid, as does the training to take it, all for work in a rapidly diminishing size of market as the specialisation increases. I only did the boat LPG as I was already LPG and I had a boat. It certainly was not a good commercial proposition.

 

So, even the majority of Gas Safe Installers who are LPG are still not competent to work on boats. Some of the worst boat installations I have ever seen have been done by ordinary NG GSR bods employed in good faith by boat owners as they were GSR, and arrogant enough to think that boat gas can't be much different from house gas. Sadly so very wrong. I've seen boats piped up in 15mm rigid copper with joints everywhere and a natural gas flexible connecting the cooker. NOTHING recoverable and ALL having to be replaced. Such a shame for the boater who thought they were doing the right thing getting a GSR bod in.

 

Whoever you use, as to see their ID card. We all carry a GSR ID card. On the back is a list of qualifications we have. Mine shows for example that I am qualified to fit LPG in both boats AND caravans. Amusingly I see I am not qualified to fit natural gas in boats or caravans though, dammit

 

The only regular posters here who are GSR for boats are me, NBMike and Hampsterfan IIRC. Anyone else, put your hand up please!

 

Cheers, Mike

[ridders]

Don't know if i count as a regular poster yet, but i have lpg boats (and i'm a registered bss examiner)

cheers

paul

[WotEver]

Unfortunately finding a Gas Safe Registered installer is only half the story...

My guy was LPG Boats.

 

Tony

[Steve@iwabss-limited.co.uk]

On 29/06/2011 at 13:33, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Unfortunately finding a Gas Safe Registered installer is only half the story. The vast majority of Gas Safe Registered installers are neither competent nor qualified to install LPG anywhere, let alone in a boat.

 

Few members of the public realise it but there is a hierarchy to Gas safe Registration. The basic exam ("Core Gas Safety") qualifies a person to be Gas Safe Registered but they are still not qualified to actually install anything. Once they have Core Gas Safety they may proceed to take exams for any or all of the different classes of gas appliance e.g. cookers, boilers, tumble dryers, warm air units, meters etc using natural gas.

 

Then they may take a complex and time-consuming conversion course to learn all the different issues for the same work but with LPG (tank installation, UPSO and OPSO valves etc). Then yet another to fit LPG in caravans, and another in boats. This means any random GSR bod may easily not be actually qualified for the work you are asking them to do, and it is why there are so few boat LPG bods around. Each extra exam costs a few hundred quid, as does the training to take it, all for work in a rapidly diminishing size of market as the specialisation increases. I only did the boat LPG as I was already LPG and I had a boat. It certainly was not a good commercial proposition.

 

So, even the majority of Gas Safe Installers who are LPG are still not competent to work on boats. Some of the worst boat installations I have ever seen have been done by ordinary NG GSR bods employed in good faith by boat owners as they were GSR, and arrogant enough to think that boat gas can't be much different from house gas. Sadly so very wrong. I've seen boats piped up in 15mm rigid copper with joints everywhere and a natural gas flexible connecting the cooker. NOTHING recoverable and ALL having to be replaced. Such a shame for the boater who thought they were doing the right thing getting a GSR bod in.

 

Whoever you use, as to see their ID card. We all carry a GSR ID card. On the back is a list of qualifications we have. Mine shows for example that I am qualified to fit LPG in both boats AND caravans. Amusingly I see I am not qualified to fit natural gas in boats or caravans though, dammit

 

The only regular posters here who are GSR for boats are me, NBMike and Hampsterfan IIRC. Anyone else, put your hand up please!

 

Cheers, Mike

Just adding to the request for a hands up! I am Gas Safe Registered for LPG installations and repairs on boats (Not caravans or LAV) and a Boat Safety Scheme Examiner too.

 

I don’t post much on here because of some of the ‘clever’ comments you get from ‘educated do Goode’s ’ But I am happy to advise anyone on a Gas or Boat safety issue. 

[Tumshie]

1 hour ago, Steve@iwabss-limited.co.uk said:

Just adding to the request for a hands up!

Out of that list the only one still active here is the one referring to him self as 'Me' ?

 

@NBMike & @hamsterfan haven't posted on the forum in years, not to mention the thread was last active in 2011. 

 

By all means let people know that you do what you do but when it comes to someone searching the forum looking for a plumber this thread is unlikely to come to the top of the pile. 

 

 

Edited May 2, 2019 by Tumshie