Calor bottle amnesty, this month only.

[BruceinSanity]

Maybe page 8 of this HSE doc will help quieten the argument http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg143.pdf

 

Basically a 13Kg cylinder is probably over the limits

But I've never yet seen either a Calor delivery driver or a member of boatyard staff do anything other than manual handle the cylinders.

[Geo]

But I've never yet seen either a Calor delivery driver or a member of boatyard staff do anything other than manual handle the cylinders.

 

I think you will have seen them using a special trolley shaped to fit the cylinders. I have seen them use a hoist to drop them off the truck.

Having already read that I am assuming the Calor suppliers I have used over the decades (Athy obviously has different experience) are looking after their staff by taking the "it is handling we as employers can avoid so we won't do it".

 

With regard to Mike T and craning aboard that to me is a service I would expect to pay for just as I expect to pay Halfords if I opt for them fitting a lamp bulb.

 

Or Halfords charging you £X to fit a new battery

[Jerra]

 

I think you will have seen them using a special trolley shaped to fit the cylinders. I have seen them use a hoist to drop them off the truck.

 

Or Halfords charging you £X to fit a new battery

Never tried Halfords for batteries but when I bought a new Headlight bulb the other week they offered to fit it (about a 1 minute job) for £7.

[dor]

When I had an Audi A6 I asked them to fit a new wiper blade while it was in for a service. They tried to charge me for half an hours labour (£35). They did agree to knock it off when I explained how I felt about being ripped off for a 30 second job and what it would to to their chances of any further business.

 

As for the marina fitting the cylinder, how does that square with a non-gassafe person who is not the owner messing about with the gas system? I have had a marina put the cylinder in the gas locker for me (after a major operation), but they wouldn't connect it up. Probably quite rightly as far as their liability insurance goes.

[alan_fincher]

As a paying customer I expect good customer service for my money, not a litany of excuses. Whatever method they use to install a bottle of gas in one of their own boats would obviously work when installing one in somebody else's. I'm awaiting Mr. Rose's reply with interest.

I'm genuinely surprised that if you exchange a Calor cylinder at a boatyard that you expect the seller to swap it into your gas locker for you. If you have conveniently arranged for that to happen every time for 10 years of boat ownership I take my hat off to your negotiating skills.

 

Certainly not the norm I would say, and if I were to ask as a favour, I would not be surprised to be refused, (or charged extra?).

 

No doubt "Mr Rose" can speak for himself, if he has not already, but i note many hire fleets have gas bottle arrangements not in the bow that potentially tricky bottle removal and replacement far easier than in many of the front end arrangements on private boats.

 

I am not sure if "Mr Roses" boats fall into that category or not though.

 

If you have no actual Calor spanner on the boat, I hope you have something you could press into service if you actually started smelling gas in your gas locker!

[Mike Todd]

Never tried Halfords for batteries but when I bought a new Headlight bulb the other week they offered to fit it (about a 1 minute job) for £7.

It's not the time you are paying for so much as the knowledge.

[mayalld]

It's not the time you are paying for so much as the knowledge.

 

Oh really?!?

 

Like the spotty oik who fitted mine upside down?

[Athy]

 

Oh really?!?

 

Like the spotty oik who fitted mine upside down?

Not your gas bottle, I hope.

I'm genuinely surprised that if you exchange a Calor cylinder at a boatyard that you expect the seller to swap it into your gas locker for you. If you have conveniently arranged for that to happen every time for 10 years of boat ownership I take my hat off to your negotiating skills.

 

 

Please don't. It is a fine hat and should be left in situ.

 

I haven't "conveniently arranged" it, I just ask them to put a new bottle in and they do. I'm surprised that this is viewed as unusual in any way. That's why I was surprised when Rose's declined to do so.

Edited September 12, 2016 by Athy

[Lmcgrath87]

Big ones can be exchanged for littler ones (mostly).

 

That would be ideal as we only have one canister the right size at the moment, running into winter it would be good to have two on the boat.

[Guest]

Perhaps we should agree that we have had different experiences. I can't remember ever putting a gas cylinder in our boat - at least not the current one, which was launched 10 years ago. In fact we don't even own a gas key/ spanner/ whatever it may be called. Last year's bottle was put in by Cropredy Marina, who seemed to expect to do the job properly rather than doing half a job.

 

I still await Mr. Rose's explanation with interest.

I have certainly bought gas bottles where kind staff have been good enough to drop them in for me. I would never demand that service for free though, just as I wouldn't expect a chandlers to fit a battery for free, or the coal man to shovel coal onto the fire for me.

Edited September 12, 2016 by Guest

[BruceinSanity]

 

As for the marina fitting the cylinder, how does that square with a non-gassafe person who is not the owner messing about with the gas system? I have had a marina put the cylinder in the gas locker for me (after a major operation), but they wouldn't connect it up. Probably quite rightly as far as their liability insurance goes.

No worries, it's on the HP side in a drained locker.

[Athy]

I have certainly bought gas bottles where kind staff have been good enough to drop them in for me. I would never demand that service for free though, just as I wouldn't expect a chandlers to fit a battery for free, or the coal man to shovel coal onto the fire for me.

Nice to see that your sense of humour is intact! Our current (no pun intended) leisure batteries were indeed fitted and connected by the people from whom we bought them, Springwood Haven Marina who specialise in electrical systems. Oh, and you would expect the coal man to tip the coal into your coal house or bunker at home, wouldn't you? It's called "service", and people who provide good service will get my custom.

[Guest]

Nice to see that your sense of humour is intact! Our current (no pun intended) leisure batteries were indeed fitted and connected by the people from whom we bought them, Springwood Haven Marina who specialise in electrical systems. Oh, and you would expect the coal man to tip the coal into your coal house or bunker at home, wouldn't you? It's called "service", and people who provide good service will get my custom.

I think this is where you are mistaken. It is indeed very kind, and beyond the call of duty, when the chandler/supplier fits your gas bottle, battery ec. FOC. I too would tend to take my custom there if possible. To expect somebody to do thus is a different matter altogether (IMHO.)

If in my days as an electrician if I sold you a 13 amp socket, would you expect me to fit it within the price of the item? I might do if you were a good customer and the good will may encourage a bigger job, but it would be a rather poor business model in general. From my experience working self employed, the general public can be huge pi55 takers.

Also in this day and age one has to consider litigation. If they kindly fit a bottle, an explosion occurs, and it turns out that the HP pipes are perished (for example) where would the supplier stand? (Probably at a high altitude.)

I would be interested to see what Calor's policy is on this, when delivered by their own staff. I know that Air Products would never have connected a bottle when we dealt with them, but that was 30 years ago.

 

ps yeas the coal bunker is the point of delivery, just like the doorstep used to be when I was a milk deliverer in my youth. Nobody asked me to pour it on their cornflakes for them, though thinking back I may have done in one or two instances

Edited September 12, 2016 by Guest

[Mike Todd]

I think this is where you are mistaken. It is indeed very kind, and beyond the call of duty, when the chandler/supplier fits your gas bottle, battery ec. FOC. I too would tend to take my custom there if possible. To expect somebody to do thus is a different matter altogether (IMHO.)

If in my days as an electrician if I sold you a 13 amp socket, would you expect me to fit it within the price of the item? I might do if you were a good customer and the good will may encourage a bigger job, but it would be a rather poor business model in general. From my experience working self employed, the general public can be huge pi55 takers.

Also in this day and age one has to consider litigation. If they kindly fit a bottle, an explosion occurs, and it turns out that the HP pipes are perished (for example) where would the supplier stand? (Probably at a high altitude.)

I would be interested to see what Calor's policy is on this, when delivered by their own staff. I know that Air Products would never have connected a bottle when we dealt with them, but that was 30 years ago.

 

ps yeas the coal bunker is the point of delivery, just like the doorstep used to be when I was a milk deliverer in my youth. Nobody asked me to pour it on their cornflakes for them, though thinking back I may have done in one or two instances

If a supplier offers the fitting 'free' then it is costed into the whole retail price. You could equally argue, therefore, that if you are able and willing to do it yourself, why should you have to pay the extra?

 

There is clearly a variation in the price of gas and it would be interesting to know how it correlates to level of service.

[Guest]

If a supplier offers the fitting 'free' then it is costed into the whole retail price. You could equally argue, therefore, that if you are able and willing to do it yourself, why should you have to pay the extra?

 

There is clearly a variation in the price of gas and it would be interesting to know how it correlates to level of service.

As you say, "if."

If they don't offer free fitting, then I don't believe I have a right to expect it within the price of the goods. Very nice if they do of course.

A good point in the variation of price.

[DHutch]

If you take a car to a garage because it needs, for example, a new battery or tyre, you wouldn't expect the fitter to hand you the battery or tyre and tell you to fit it yourself.

We are getting side tracked, but my garage charges £48/hour labour, and the invoice details that under the cost of the part.

 

A tyre place quotes prices including fitting and balancing, but will quote a lower price if asked for supply only price, as will online suppliers. The going rate for changing a tyre over if you supply it is around £20. My local backstreet tyre place will charge £10 each if you do four or more at a time, and will hold the price for me as a regular customer as well as someone who sends other custom to them, but I know that rate is somewhat as a favour and return for my repeat custom over the last 7 years.

 

I expect most marinas would fit a bottle for someone physically unable out of kindness, and I have sometimes been helped to the boat with one, but equally as i am fully able I would not ask for it to be fitted for me, and expect to take the empty to the threshold of the cage and to collect the full one from there.

 

They ate heavy to lift manaually, on the limit as said, and EmilyAnne does.actually have provision for a small crane to do the job. That said, its the 56kg ones my parents use at home (gas cooker no mains) that are the real sod to lift!

 

 

 

Daniel