I am currently fitting a balanced flue, wall mounted, combination boiler in a kitchen after removing an old type floor boiler which had a conventional flue that went into an external half chimney stack. I know it's illegal to fit the new flue into the existing flue but is it possible to go right through horizontally from the internal kitchen wall through the stack cavity to the outside. Will this comply with the regulations.
It is illegal for someone not CORGI registered to work on a gas appliance.
Bob
No it's not.
Not that silly rubbish again.
It is not illegal for somebody to work on a gas installation provided that they are competent and that they do not do so in the capacity of being an employee or self employed (i.e. for reward), as long as it is not in a property to be let.
Go and take a look at the Statutory Instrument
We have had this discussion in this NG on countless occasions and the law does not support the notion that DIY gas fitting, competently done is illegal.
Even CORGI, who are in effect a trade association empowered by the HSE as a pseudo-regulator do not specifically say that it is.
You could also look at the Gas Safety Committee work on the HSE web site.
.andy
To email, substitute .nospam with .gl
What else would you expect from the CORGI website? Or perhaps you believe they make the laws?
They're lying.
That's talking about installation BUSINESS.
From:
(2) The employer of any person carrying out such work for that employer, every other employer and self-employed person who has control to any extent of such work and every employer and self-employed person who has required such work to be carried out at any place of work under his control shall ensure that paragraph (1) above is complied with in relation to such work.
(3) Without prejudice to the generality of paragraphs (1) and (2) above and subject to paragraph (4) below, no employer shall allow any of his employees to carry out any work in relation to a gas fitting or service pipework and no self-employed person shall carry out any such work, unless the employer or self-employed person, as the case may be, is a member of a class of persons approved for the time being by the Health and Safety Executive for the purposes of this paragraph.
If you're DIYing, you need to be competent to comply with 1), but 3), regarding CORGI registration, doesn't apply.
This comes up on this newsgroup so many times.
It is not illegal for a non-CORGI registered person to work on a gas appliance. The regulations refer to "competent person", not "CORGI registered".
If you are selling services involving fitting gas appliances you are required to be CORGI registered. If you are an enthusiastic DIYer you do not need to be CORGI registered.
PoP
Replying to the email address given by my news reader will result in your own email address being instantly added to my anti-spam database! If you really want to contact me try changing the prefix in the given email address to my newsgroup posting name.....
So what's this all about then?
and they also say...
"According to our figures, there is more than an 81 per cent chance that a significant gas safety defect will be left in gas work carried out by an unregistered installer"
How on earth can they come up with any sort of figure like this... looks like scaremongering to me...
It would also be interesting to know what the chances are of a defect when using a CORGI registered fitter... higher/lower?...it would even be good to know the number of complaints CORGI receive and even more interesting to know of any cases where they have actually taken action against an incompetent installer. Then people may even have some confidence in them.
As it stands they strike me as an organisation who are paid for by their members and are also supposed to effectively police the members, perhaps a little conflict of interest.
cheers
David
and subject to paragraph (4) below, no employer shall allow any of his employees to carry out any work in relation to a gas fitting or service pipework and no self-employed person shall carry out any such work, unless the employer or self-employed person, as the case may be, is a member of a class of persons approved for the time being by the Health and Safety Executive for the purposes of this paragraph."
Is CORGI registration a way of becoming a "member of the class of persons"?
Bob
You have to read the whole page, not just pick out ambiguous statements.
"That's why, by law, all installation businesses carrying out gas work for you must be registered with CORGI. "
The law pertains to installation businesses, installation being carried out for reward. Not DIY.
Unregistered installers, if operating on an employed or self employed basis are breaking the law. The law does not support CORGI saying that competent DIY work is breaking the law, and neither does the HSE, who are empowered by the SI to enforce it.
The HSE does not support the notion that outlawing competent DIY work is an issue to address either. They therefore accept that under current legislation that it is legal.
If you read further in this document, you will learn that there have also been questions raised about CORGI, who are a trade association, being put in charge of a regulatory process.
.andy
To email, substitute .nospam with .gl
So 81% of defects they see are caused by unregistered installers. So 19% of all defects are down to registered installers. Not encouraging. And I guess they don't see many perfect DIY installs because there is no need to call them.
I agree. Gross manipulation of figures to scare people.
Read my other reply and the entire CORGI page. Certainly unregistered installers, working for gain are breaking the law.
The Statutory Instrument does not support their position regarding DIY work, and neither does the HSE. Until their web site was revamped, they used words like "possibly illegal" regarding DIY work.
CORGI is a trade association paid for by its members, not from public funds, so there is an inherent conflict of interest. If they want to discourage the incompetent from doing DIY gas fitting by making statements that DIY work *is* illegal, then that is a matter for them. However, their position is not supported in statute or in practice by the HSE.
.andy
To email, substitute .nospam with .gl
It's the ONLY way. This is why CORGI, along with the various other self certification schemes being set up under the auspices of the ODPM are a crock.
There is no competition, no regulation and the costs are ultimately borne by the consumer.
.andy
To email, substitute .nospam with .gl
In article , Lin G writes
This sounds OK provided it's within the maximum flue length of the boiler and meets all the other requirements about nearby windows and things
Asking CORGI whether DIY gas work is allowed is a bit like getting one of those timber'n'damp "surveyors" to come round to your house to see whether you need you timber and/or damp treating.
Neil
Not quite - they're saying that 19% of installations by unregistered installers are okay.
Still agree with your points though. :)
D
And the flue cavity is not being used by another appliance or an open fire!
Christian.
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