Cross-trades work

Seems to me that if a 'plumber' can do the wiring on an average heating installation so it 'works', it's pure laziness or meanness if he makes a botch of the job.

On Mon, 21 Jun 2004 09:00:28 +0100, Martin Angove strung together this:

I thought basic electrical skills were included in the CORGI training at ther mo, can't remember which module off hand.

Some of the larger property maintenance types sometimes are, but in general you're correct, builders on the whole aren't registered as being plumbers, gas or electrical engineers.

Usually it gets thrown back to the builder, of course if it's an old installation then building regs don't apply.

AFAIK there is some scheme emerging from CORGI to offer some sort of minor electrical registration for gas fitters so they will be able to work on heating controls is kitchens & bathrooms from next April.

I confess to having wired up one system using two power supplies. One in the airing cupboard from a 3A FCU which used to supply the boiler, in the kitchen, via a three core flex. One new one in the kitchen to _power_ the boiler and use the original flex to operate the boiler from its low-voltage link terminals to the micro switches of the zone valves in the airing cupboard.

Not in the ACS IIRC, but thre is a chapteron electrics in Treloar's 'Plumbing' which is the text for NVQ plumbing so it'll be part of a formal Plumbing training.

CORGI are applying to be allowed to run a scheme to certify registered gas installers to be able to self-certify the electrical work they do as part of their gas work, under part L.

I've seen CORGI reg chimney sweeps.

With low voltage links between the programmer and boiler this would be fine. The problem occurs when 230 volts can be fed from 'either end'. The important thing is to make sure isolation from mains is provided for service purposes.

In message , Ed Sirett writes

This must be a good move. As I have said here before I employed a corgi fitter to install a boiler for me and do a small amount of pipe work and I could not fault his work except for his electric's. He had used 1mm T&E for a control line and used the E as a switched live! This I found some years later when re-routing some cables.

Cowboy. He should have done the job like a true pro with 3-core flex

That's because he was too mean to buy the correct cable. To the average plumber, there's no such thing as cable unless it's 1mm TWE or 5 amp flex. I can't believe any pro doesn't know of the existence of triple and earth

- given that it's also correct for a 'normal' room stat.

At one time, plumbers were also electricians. Perhaps that's why IMM looks down his nose at plumbers...

AIUI the 'correct' method is to used T&E when fixed rigidly to the house and then a short length of flex from a flex outlet into the appliance.

Just about no one ever does it this way though.

I've noted that Toolstation are doing some mains rated 6 core flex, I've whinged at s/fix for not doing it. The worst case I think is 6 cores (5 + earth which would be needed for a 3-way port. Also you could wire up a Suprima (spit) (L,N,E, SW-L, Pump L, Pump N) with one cable.

PS OT. I compared a long list of stuff I was getting in between Tollstation.com (oops that should be Toolstation but I _like_ that typo 8-) ) and Screwfix.com It was a mixture of items but a little skewed toward heating controls.

Most things were pence cheaper at ToolStation but some things were pounds cheaper at S/fix.

I was aware of the issues and this was less than ideal. My mitigating plea was that it was mid December the boiler having poured it's contents over the kitchen a day earlier. The direct route was under a tiled floor and any other route would have been round the entire house.

TLC do both 4 and 5 core heat resistant flex in 0.5mm, and 'ordinary' 7 core 0.75mm. They also sell it in cut lengths, so there's no excuse even for a one off installation.

It is, of course, slightly more expensive than using two lengths of 3 core flex...

This issue for me is that I want to avoid deleivery charges on orders and also avoid 'shopping' as much as I can during work hours.

From my point of view it is better to have one just one online supplier so I can manage things to always be able to make a big enough order when I need something quickish.

BES have now introduced £30 quid minimum. Tollstation are £50 minimum.

Yes - it was more meant as a point of information for others reading here.

I've usually little trouble making up the minimum charge with these sort of firms - unfortunately as I'm paying myself. ;-)