Proceedure for servicing a gas boiler

JohnnieK · 12-05-2012 11:39pm #1

There is a lot of posts on Boards regarding boiler services over the last while. Between website deals and so on.
I have put this thread up to try and highlight to consumers what should be done when a boiler is serviced and hopefully know what to expect for your money.

A boiler service should take between an hour to an hour and a half (depends on the engineer) If its 15, 20 mins then it's not done right.

The servicing of gas appliances in Ireland is governed by Annex C of the is813 standard for domestic gas installations.

Annex C

1. Appliances shall be serviced by competent persons using appropriate test equipment

2. Appliances should be serviced at intervals indicated in the manufacturers instructions or at more frequent intervals if dictated by the conditions of use and in general at a minimum of 1 year.

3. Appliances shall be serviced according to manufacturers instruction

4. In servicing the appliance the competent person should address the following safety indicators.

effectivness of the flue
safety devices on or controlling the appliance have not been rendered inoprable
supply of combustion air
appliance burner pressure (where applicable)
appropriatness of the location of the appliance
gas soundness of the appliance.

5. The occupier or the person responsible for the premises in which the appliance is situated shall be notified if any of the above are not satisfactory. Where considered necessary a notification of hazard shall be issued.

6. The competent person may decide to affix a warning notice and/or isolate the gas supply to the installation or to an appliance if deemed appropriate.

7. The competent person shall, when appropriate and required, issue a notice confirming the safety of the appliance.

A service doesn't stop with Annex C. Go back to part 3 of the Annex, the manufacturers instructions.
Lets take a common boiler like a Vokera Mynute E. Along with annex C They should:

Check the operation of the appliance and ensure it functions as described in the manual
Compare the performance of the appliance with it's designed specs
Thoroughly inspect the appliance for signs of deteriation especially the flue and electrical apparatus
Check and adjust if necessary all burner settings
Check and adjust if necessary the system designed pressure
Ensure both flue venturi's are clean and free from debris
Ensure the burner and heat exchanger are clean and free
Inspect all joints for signs of leakage and repair if necessary
Carry out an analysis of the flue gases and compare with design specs any deterioration should be identified and rectified

Every appliance has a manual and in that manual are the manufacturers routine maintenance procedures that must be followed along with Annex C.

Regarding the gas soundness test above a lot of engineers would soundness test from the meter as opposed from the appliance with the isolation valve closed. Testing from the meter is more thorough and you should insist on this.

It's going to be very hard for a consumer to know if it's been done right but hopefully this thread will be of some assistance to you before you part with your money.

sullzz · 13-05-2012 9:06am

Very well put together Johnnie , just one thing which i think is very important and which i think a lot of lads never do , a spillage test should be carried out on the boiler and seals replaced when necessary , it only takes a minute to do and i have found so many which fail the test for the sake of a casing seal being not replaced .

DGOBS · 13-05-2012 4:56pm

You mean a 'case seal test' spillage refers to an open flued appliance, and importance here would be on induced or forced draught appliances, and if forced this would be extremely dangerous situation. Any defective seal should always be replaced on any service.

I would be more concerned with the lack of "installation soundness testing and let by testing' which is not included in annex C but is a 100% must for any self respecting RGI when working on a gas installation.

I would also include in a service a check of the central heating system, i.e. all rads working, cylinder balanced, rooms stats, programmers and zone valves.

Also, a check of any open flues and required ventilation to the premises should also be checked in accordance with annex E as would be seen as industry best practice, and a visual check of visible pipework

Stove Fan · 13-05-2012 5:15pm

Check if compartment ventilation is required if in a cupboard on balanced flued appliances.

Stove Fan:)

DGOBS · 13-05-2012 5:20pm

Agreed, but majority of modern balanced appliances don't require it. As per MI

gdavis · 13-05-2012 5:56pm

id always throw the analyzer into the air intake/outer flue too,just to make sure no carbon monoxide from inner flue getting in through seals or corroded flue,and while writing out cert and packing up i have boiler running and test room for carbon monoxide with analyzer too

13-05-2012 9:51pm

gdavis wrote: »

id always throw the analyzer into the air intake/outer flue too,just to make sure no carbon monoxide from inner flue getting in through seals or corroded flue,and while writing out cert and packing up i have boiler running and test room for carbon monoxide with analyzer too

Now that's professional gas fitting:D

There is a certain company that could have saved months of heartache and parts if they had checked their air for combustion, they would have noticed the flue terminating in a alcove with 420mm from the flue to the wall was sucking in its own juices causing lockout on high fire.

Jedstaff · 16-05-2012 10:17pm

Just to say fair play to ye johnnie for this thread! Hope everyone getting a service done reads this first !

DGOBS · 17-05-2012 12:13am

Yes, and I hope in reading this they understand you don't get this service for €40-50 and it takes more than 15 minutes!
If you get that, you may have aswell not have bothered.

K.Flyer · 30-07-2012 3:25pm

DGOBS wrote: »

Yes, and I hope in reading this they understand you don't get this service for €40-50 and it takes more than 15 minutes!
If you get that, you may have aswell not have bothered.

I noticed a fairly fresh sticker on an old Prima from one of the companies that offer Special Offer Gas Boiler Servicing on one of the discount deal web sites.

I asked about the service, how much and long they took.
She said.. " He took the cover off, used my vacuum cleaner on it, said thats fine and stuck his sticker on it, it only took him about 15 minutes... was that not ok? she then asked. !!!!

35euro, 15mins tops, no receipt, no analysis reading, no paperwork of any sort.

DGOBS · 30-07-2012 7:07pm

That customer would have been safer NOT having a service at all!
Plus, if there was no cert issued you should have reported him to RGII

K.Flyer · 30-07-2012 8:27pm

DGOBS wrote: »

That customer would have been safer NOT having a service at all!
Plus, if there was no cert issued you should have reported him to RGII

Lets just say, thats a work in progress ;-)

anthonyos · 30-07-2012 8:42pm

i dont know how to service a gas boiler properly or use an analyzer correctly which pisses me these are things i would really like to know how to do so if anyone has any info or tips for me let me know...

JohnnieK · 30-07-2012 10:49pm

anthonyos wrote: »

i dont know how to service a gas boiler properly or use an analyzer correctly which pisses me these are things i would really like to know how to do so if anyone has any info or tips for me let me know...

Every appliance manufacture has a list of annual service steps that should be done and that along with annex c is what needs to be done. You could start with Vokera they have a very good training day in Kilkenny you would have to do the standard efficient day before you can go on to the HE day. You can do a GIFF course but to be honest I have learned more in the field than I did on the course but it just could be where I done it.

Deffinetly give the Vokera course a go. It will also give you a good under standing of the sequence of operation which comes in handy for fault finding.

DGOBS · 30-07-2012 10:56pm

I would also suggest doing a 1 day flue gas analysis course somewhere, or CPA1 over the boarder, as a gas service/repair guy this is a vital piece of equipment you need to understand and interpret readings from.

anthonyos · 30-07-2012 10:57pm

ye must get on the manufactures courses ..i find the instructors on the gas courses full of themselves and they try to hard to highlight what they know and i dont..how often do vokera run them???il ring tomorrow

DGOBS · 30-07-2012 11:01pm

Is that not a good thing? or do you want them just to cover what you DO know?

It's not about highlighting, it's about teaching you something through theory and practical lessons.

JohnnieK · 30-07-2012 11:06pm

Theres only one who I thought was a tool but most I've met have been very knowlagible and nice guys. Gary71 knows who the tool is I'm talking about

anthonyos · 30-07-2012 11:09pm

who is he

was he one of chevrons crew

anthonyos · 30-07-2012 11:11pm

many of you lads carrying a laptop for boiler manuals

DGOBS · 30-07-2012 11:12pm

Anyone spotted who the new Oftec inspector is!! (bet Gary has)

JK, you calling me names again!

31-07-2012 12:00am

anthonyos wrote: »

i find the instructors on the gas courses full of themselves and they try to hard to highlight what they know and i dont.

Anybody who has learnt enough to teach gas properly should be allowed to be a bit arrogant as that knowledge was hard learnt as they had to deal with the same problems you have now.

I bet if there were proper gas courses instead of the sillyness we have at the moment, courses where the right students get put in front of the right instructors, attitudes would be different, I couldn't teach some of the fruitloops that are coming out as RGI's and if I tryed I could end up a bit fragile verging on homicidal.

As for OFTEC or Friitloop instructors I know nuffink.

31-07-2012 12:02am

anthonyos wrote: »

many of you lads carrying a laptop for boiler manuals

iPad or iPhone if I'm to lazy to go to the van.

JohnnieK · 31-07-2012 8:53pm

DGOBS wrote: »

Anyone spotted who the new Oftec inspector is!! (bet Gary has)

JK, you calling me names again!

Never Tony.

I have been informed who the mystery oftec man is, Lets say I have spent a good bit this year fixing things of his

JohnnieK · 31-07-2012 8:57pm

anthonyos wrote: »

who is he was he one of chevrons crew

No he wasn't a chevron man. I'm nearly sure he is not working for the particular training center anymore.

anthonyos · 31-07-2012 8:59pm

ye i think he is gone now he was a mouth peice ...what do you think of the kane 250 analyser

JohnnieK · 31-07-2012 9:02pm

anthonyos wrote: »

ye i think he is gone now he was a mouth peice ...what do you think of the kane 250 analyser

I use an Anton V2. I've only ever used them in a training center and to be honest I prefer the Anton.

anthonyos · 31-07-2012 9:48pm

Central Heating Combination Boilers: Fault Finding and Repair does anyone no if this covers convectional se boilers and has anyone every got it???

DGOBS · 01-08-2012 8:11am

lol..spoke with Gazza, now I know who your talking about....!

Kane, nothing wrong with Kane analysers, only when it's sent back to the UK for calibration sometimes it
can take up to 3 weeks!! Can have my Anton done here in 3 days (most times) and can't afford to live without it!

Yes a good book, doesn't cover everything, but if you knew it cover to cover you would be well moving in the right direction (yes se boilers are mainly covered)

!RAY · 06-09-2012 4:52pm

Hi All
I have nothing to do with gas servicing. Just reading the threads, never new there was so much involved. Just got mine done about two months ago cost 75 euro, and took about 20 min. How much should a good service cost and what time should it take. For the likes of me all i see is 75-85 euro everywhere, don't mind paying a fair price but whats a fair price. Think there should be a check sheet for the customer. I was getting it done and a service pack from Board Gais but it was 195 a bit to expensive at the moment and not sure if i really need it.
Anyway great thread for information.
Cheers

sullzz · 06-09-2012 6:16pm

DGOBS wrote: »

Kane, nothing wrong with Kane analysers, only when it's sent back to the UK for calibration sometimes it
can take up to 3 weeks!!

Is there not a place in maynooth that does the calibration for kane analysers.

Proceedure for servicing a gas boiler

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