Oil Boiler Servicing

knipex

knipex wrote: »

disclosure : I am a time served served electrican.

Saying only a time served plumber can service an oil burner because its connected to a plumbing system is like saying only a time served sparks can service a TV because its plugged into a socket.

An oil burner is a very specific piece of equipment and a very specific part of a plumbing system. Why would someone working on or specialising on that single part need to be a fully time served plumber ??

Most plumbers I know would run from a burner. . They have no experience working on them.

I shall answer that for you, the characteristics of a heating system impact on a appliance if you don't understand that you can't fully do your job.

If you want a sparks analogy then it's more like being able to wire a fuse board but having no idea of the size of cable to use. Do you think it's exceptable to learn just a small aspect of your trade and take your work?

I'v my partP I can (UK)wire a house and fuse board sign off on my own work, but guess what I'm a crap sparks:eek: but I'm clever enough to know my own limitations.

polymath plumber

polymath plumber wrote: »

IMO. A sparks with oftec and gid training will make a brilliant oil and gas boiler tech. Without a doubt.

You are totally correct about an oil burner been a very specific piece of equipment and better suited to a sparks background. Allowing them to be very good tech with the extra training via oftec and gid.

Right I'm going to let out a little secret now, sparks are the Bain of my life, now some of my best friends are sparks:cool: but when comes to wiring a heating system they're brutal:eek:, now there are some tame ones who do open the manual and work well with the installer but that's rare.

Working on oil/gas isn't rocket science, if your a creature of logic it will come to you no matter what your background is. I'm not against anyone who wants to work in this field entering I just want them to be safe and meet a minimum criteria other than the ones we have at the moment which don't work.

There are a load of time served plumbers and I feel they should of been the first to get a chance of up skilling with boiler courses to become heating engineers which would have worked out better than what we have now which is a nonsense.

To me as a heating engineer it's laughable being able to work on a boiler but have no idea about plumbing very unprofessional.

bus lane

I am an electrician and I provide a specific service which includes boiler fault finding and servicing. I do not fit heating systems. That's a plumbers job.

if I may say so myself. I am a really good boiler technician.

agusta

bus lane wrote: »

I am an electrician and I provide a specific service which includes boiler fault finding and servicing. I do not fit heating systems. That's a plumbers job.

if I may say so myself. I am a really good boiler technician.

i agree,i think a good boiler technician would know in general how a heating system works as im sure most do.they would not necessarily have to fit them

I'v never understood those working on boilers saying "sorry I don't do that, you better get a plumber to fix that but get me back afterwards and I'll check the boiler again"


How does that make any sense, especially now there's more who do both.

In fairness it more to do with me moving to a country that has very few heating engineers, who am I to bitch ye can do it anyway you want;)

I had a job where the lady of the house was in tears after over a year spending a fortune on boiler men and numerous boiler components, it turned out to be a simple plumbing issue, the balancing valve on the cylinder was shut down to much DOH...

That's what gets missed when you don't understand the characteristics of a heating system also as a manufactures tech who takes calls from boiler men most days I am fully aware of the struggle that comes from not understanding a system because it's me that get rang to figure it out for them, something as simple as a mixing valve can play havoc with those that don't understand plumbing.

jca

jimf wrote: »

spoke to a guy servicing boilers recently he told me he always replaces nozzles like for like I asked if the wrong nozzle was fitted his answer scared me that's not his fault

this is whats being let loose into the industry

Would a good course not tell you how to work out the output needed by the boiler. Then work out the size of jet neded?

agusta

gary71 wrote: »

I'v never understood those working on boilers saying "sorry I don't do that, you better get a plumber to fix that but get me back afterwards and I'll check the boiler again"


How does that make any sense, especially now there's more who do both.

In fairness it more to do with me moving to a country that has very few heating engineers, who am I to bitch ye can do it anyway you want;)

I can see your point,but i dont think a plumber can install oil,gas,geothermal,air to water and be expected to fault find and service all of these,it would be just too much.I know a plumber who fits all the above ,he does breakdowns etc but doesnt do regular servicing.He gives the customer a service technicians no. for servicing who happens to be a non plumber

Dtp1979

Was at a boiler the other day. Was serviced a few years by different " service technicians " who were not plumbers. All of them serviced it and away they went with their money.
When I serviced it, I realised the boiler was 4 times too big for the house and it didn't condensate. Why??
Nobody ever realised the pump on the flow was pointing the wrong direction. The most basic principal of plumbing that was very important to the boiler functioning properly.
It was the first time the customer heard this

agusta

Dtp1979 wrote: »

Was at a boiler the other day. Was serviced a few years by different " service technicians " who were not plumbers. All of them serviced it and away they went with their money.
When I serviced it, I realised the boiler was 4 times too big for the house and it didn't condensate. Why??
Nobody ever realised the pump on the flow was pointing the wrong direction. The most basic principal of plumbing that was very important to the boiler functioning properly.
It was the first time the customer heard this

Just to be fair to the non plumber service guys but the root of the problem in this house was the guy who fitted the boiler and pump

Dtp1979

agusta wrote: »

Just to be fair to the non plumber service guys but the root of the problem in this house was the guy who fitted the boiler and pump

Of course it was but the service guys should have realised that the condensing boiler wasn't condensing and was massively oversized. A 220,000 btu for a small old house. Ridiculous

jimf

gifted wrote: »

Hi,

I'd like to become a heart surgeon but I don't really have the time to go down the oul college/intern route so can anybody out there point me in the direction of a few night courses so that I can become one, not really interested in the rest of the body, sure somebody else will deal with that problem :rolleyes:

Honest to God but some people have a neck, feck the people who bothered to do an apprenticeship and put in the hard yards, they think that they can slip in the back door...do your time like the rest of us tradesmen :mad:

I would fall into the back door category so will I pack it all in to morrow then

I said it before and I will say now again have the balls to admit your capabilities you wont do much wrong its the chancers that see a chance to make easy money are the problem

Billy Bunting

Thats spot on, there are lads here who are new to the game they don't make out they are Gods gift they are willing to learn, those lads know their limitations and are not afraid to put up their hands and ask, we are all learning and even the long term pro's here get on the phone to the manufacturers when the need be.

Now we're sucking diesel.

Set a real standard, give access to real relevant training to meet that standard.

Someone's background should have no bearing if the standard is met.

Job done.

jimf

I have done my oftec have been for training to both fb and grant im happy to do very basic plumbing but that does not make me a plumber

I even use a fcuking fga and believe it or not I know the settings I am looking for I even fit nozzles to mi

if asked to fit a new boiler I decline politely and recommend a good friend whos a plumber am I wrong I don't think so what gives me the right to say im something im not

if I do a job for a customer I know its done properly or not done at all

my rant over im going for heinekin a lot of it

jca

I think to answer the op's original question. Yes he should do both courses but don't think that because he has these courses under his belt that he's superman. Always be prepared to learn and if in doubt, pick up the phone and ask a guy who knows.

scudo2

And I could never work out why I'm so bizy !
+ the most expensive.

And still the best value.

What am I doing wrong ?

Why do all those people call me when there's "service eng. !!!!" out there half the price !


A hell , its a mad world out there and I'd love a day off.

70 hour+ weeks this time of year.