Was chatting to a neighbour the other day, who wanted to replace his old combi with something a bit more modern. He wanted to know what sort of thing to fit etc. So I gave him some suggestions, and recommened that he go for something with a decent power output so as to not get clobbered with poor hot water performance again (one of the problems with his old boiler). He wondered if I could fit it for him, but I suggested he got some quotes from CORGI bods since they would be able to give him all the required paperwork, and I pointed out that although I could fit my own boiler, I would not legally be able to fit one for "reward" for him. I said if he could not get any sensible quotes then perhaps we could work something out.
Anyway, he went with what looked like a reasonable quote from a local firm. Alas ignoiring most of the advice and going for a Biasi 28kW boiler with two part heat exchanger!
Next the fun started:
I get a call from him yesterday, asking if I had a 28mm drill be that he could borrow since said boiler fitter wanted one and did not have one! Alas I told him that I did not have one. However since I was a bit busy at the time I did not go into why he wanted it. Apparently the fitter said "never mind, I can manage without".
I pondered today that perhaps he wanted to take the new gas pipe outside, along, and back in again rather than route it through the house, and that he planed to sleave the 22mm pipe in a larger size when going through the wall). As it turns out, not exactly!
I got to see the results of his efforts today: first impression; the boiler is mounted at a slight angle (not far, only a couple of degrees, but it shows up nicely against the tiles!) Mrs Neighbour was convinced the fitter was actually drunk when on site.
Next odd thing, what looks like two pressure release blow off pipes taken outside - the original one left over from the last combi, and a new one five inches away (at the top that is, more like nine inches at the bottom - i.e. even more on the piss than the boiler). Aparently the
28mm drill bit was not for anything sophisticated like a sleaved gas pipe, but was instead desired to take the condensate drain outside. Having been thwarted in getting a plastic pipe outside, our professional decides to make up a drain pipe in 15mm copper and install it just like a blow off pipe - draining onto the path beside the house. Next he solves the interface problem between said pipe and the flexible 22mm plastic pipe that leave the boiler by winding many turns of insulating tape onto the end of the 15mm copper pipe such that it can now be stuffed into the end of the condensate driain pipe. Eschewing the secondary water trap with air break as required in the installation instructions... (and the frost protection, and the use of plastic etc).Finally our hero leaves, noting that he ought to replace his nice Danfoss programmable room stat with a mechanical honywell one, since "it is not compatible" with the boiler and hence he has not connected it up, and "anyway you don't need one really since you can rely on the TRVs to control the room temperature". The flue hole he bored right beside (and a little overlapping) the old flue position - but neglected to fill with anything ("I will be back tommorow to fill that").
Today the fitters mate turns up. This chap *is* a CORGI, (turns out the last bod was not). He "inspects" and "signs off" the work - taking the prcautionary measure of fixing the multiple gas leaks that Mr. Pro left the day before! Omiting to fill out the more detailed bits of the benchmark logbook (gas rate etc), and as a parting gesture he then explains that "you need to fill in this form and send it to building control along with a cheque for £80 in order to get your building regs complinace notice"
Nice one|!