Proceedure for servicing a gas boiler

trobbin

I found this thread very informative and important. I have witnessed poor quality servicing on more than one occasion, and I constantly see deals for €35. I wouldn't trust someone charging that low to service my gas appliance, it just isn't feasible!

Anyway I'm a plumber by trade myself and I completed the GID course 3years ago with the intention of servicing and installing gas appliances. I wasn't (still am not) confident enough to work on boilers ect as I didn't fully understand the workings of them. It's strange really as I'm a very competent plumber and I have no problems in installing appliances, but I have no confidence when it comes to fault finding or servicing them. As I said I done the GID with the intention of taking things further and learning more, but I was forced to stop working due serious family problems that required me to become a full time carer.

I am now able to go back looking for work but my confidence is actually lower than it has ever been, and I am struggling to find my first step. I'm only 31 years old but I don't even feel like a plumber anymore! And it's the only job I ever knew.

Can any of you lads recommend what steps I could take to learn more about boilers and their workings and also maintaining them? Any boiler I've ever looked at never has a manual with it and I haven't a clue where to find the manuals.?

Can you recommend any courses? Chevron want €1250 for a six day fault finding course, I can't really afford that. But if it's exactly what I need, I could finance the amount. I don't think it's what I need!

I called Vokera, and they have my name down for their next day course, but they don't currently have any dates! Do you guys know any other companies I could call.

Also if there's any competent RGI's that could offer me some work experience when doing this particular type of work I would be very grateful. I actually feel embarrassed asking, but I never learned that part of plumbing and my confidence maybe needs something like that to get me going.

Note; I do have a decent set of knowledge, as I said I'm a plumber with GIS & GID, but I'm the type of guy that needs to know the job well before I could accept it. I could easily be taking the casing of boilers, opening up the burner and hoovering up some dust in 15 minutes and charging €50. But I wouldn't do that I'm either fully competent or I won't do it.

Really appreciate any advice/help.

scudo2

Welcome to the fold. A lot of very good and helpful experienced guys here that will get back to you with good advice.

After a while you'll get to know them.

I respect your view on your capability on gas. Good on you.
I'm like yourself on gas, as I'm now full time oil servicing in Cork.
What area do you live in ?
Again.
Welcome.

trobbin

scudo2 wrote: »

Welcome to the fold. A lot of very good and helpful experienced guys here that will get back to you with good advice.

After a while you'll get to know them.

I respect your view on your capability on gas. Good on you.
I'm like yourself on gas, as I'm now full time oil servicing in Cork.
What area do you live in ?
Again.
Welcome.

Thanks man. I'm from Dublin 5.

Yea I guessed there's a lot of very experienced posters when I was reading through. There's some shocking stuff going on and the public have no idea. Once again thanks for the welcome.

Egass13

trobbin wrote: »

I found this thread very informative and important. I have witnessed poor quality servicing on more than one occasion, and I constantly see deals for €35. I wouldn't trust someone charging that low to service my gas appliance, it just isn't feasible!

Anyway I'm a plumber by trade myself and I completed the GID course 3years ago with the intention of servicing and installing gas appliances. I wasn't (still am not) confident enough to work on boilers ect as I didn't fully understand the workings of them. It's strange really as I'm a very competent plumber and I have no problems in installing appliances, but I have no confidence when it comes to fault finding or servicing them. As I said I done the GID with the intention of taking things further and learning more, but I was forced to stop working due serious family problems that required me to become a full time carer.

I am now able to go back looking for work but my confidence is actually lower than it has ever been, and I am struggling to find my first step. I'm only 31 years old but I don't even feel like a plumber anymore! And it's the only job I ever knew.

Can any of you lads recommend what steps I could take to learn more about boilers and their workings and also maintaining them? Any boiler I've ever looked at never has a manual with it and I haven't a clue where to find the manuals.?

Can you recommend any courses? Chevron want €1250 for a six day fault finding course, I can't really afford that. But if it's exactly what I need, I could finance the amount. I don't think it's what I need!

I called Vokera, and they have my name down for their next day course, but they don't currently have any dates! Do you guys know any other companies I could call.

Also if there's any competent RGI's that could offer me some work experience when doing this particular type of work I would be very grateful. I actually feel embarrassed asking, but I never learned that part of plumbing and my confidence maybe needs something like that to get me going.

Note; I do have a decent set of knowledge, as I said I'm a plumber with GIS & GID, but I'm the type of guy that needs to know the job well before I could accept it. I could easily be taking the casing of boilers, opening up the burner and hoovering up some dust in 15 minutes and charging €50. But I wouldn't do that I'm either fully competent or I won't do it.

Really appreciate any advice/help.

Welcome mate !
As scudo said fair play for knowing your limitations and not just jumping in with two feet, and the lads on here are usually more than happy to help out somebody with that kind of attitude. I never did a fault finding course so I can't comment on that other than to say if you can at least learn the basics from it , eg. Good multimeter practice and component testing along with ignition sequences then it would be worth it . As for manufacturer courses , there generally aimed at people who already know all that and and IMO are more about selling boilers than anything . Once you have all those basics then it just comes down to experience as every boiler has it's own common faults and you won't learn that on a course. But your moving in the right direction so fair play. Best of luck and I hope it works out for you.

trobbin

Thanks. Yep I understand what you're saying about the basics. It's a good point you made about the multimeter, as it's things like that I have no confidence with, actually I'm have no confidence with anything electrical. Apart from something simple like changing an immersion.

If the course wasn't so expensive I would jump on it. But I can't afford to spend that type of money to find the course isn't what I need.

Thanks.

K.Flyer

Another cost that you might be facing into as well is an Analyser and understanding its workings.

trobbin

K.Flyer wrote: »

Another cost that you might be facing into as well is an Analyser and understanding its workings.

I understand that. While they're expensive, buying tools isn't really the problem.
As you said understanding how they work, when I fully understand how to carry out the work I intend to do, I will buy anything I need to do it, as it will pay for itself, and is also an essential piece of kit. Thanks.

Egass13

trobbin wrote: »

Thanks. Yep I understand what you're saying about the basics. It's a good point you made about the multimeter, as it's things like that I have no confidence with, actually I'm have no confidence with anything electrical. Apart from something simple like changing an immersion.

If the course wasn't so expensive I would jump on it. But I can't afford to spend that type of money to find the course isn't what I need.

Thanks.

I was the same , electrics where definatly a weak area with me but you learn and it becomes easier and then becomes second nature. Electricians who become RGI have the opposite problem as they wouldn't understand heating systems as well. As k-flyer said you will need an analyser along with other test equipment , that with insurance etc makes it a sizeable investment , but you have to start somewhere

Dtp1979

I was the same as yourself . I did the fault finding course in Metac and found it useful. But I have to say the biggest help was the lads on here. Nearly any problem I've come across that I was unsure of, somebody here helped me. There's a private forum just for RGI's that you can join if youre Rgi of course. It takes time to build confidence and every day is a learning day

trobbin

Thanks man. Metac? I never heard of it, where's that?

Egass13

trobbin wrote: »

Thanks man. Metac? I never heard of it, where's that?

Mountrath, laois

Dtp1979

trobbin wrote: »

Thanks man. Metac? I never heard of it, where's that?

Top place in the country

scudo2

Dtp1979 wrote: »

Top place in the country

Curious to know what's done on the Metac DIY course on oil boilers.??
No details on web site.




Just curious, nothing else, in case this is picked up wrong.

shane0007

scudo2 wrote: »

Curious to know what's done on the Metac DIY course on oil boilers.??
No details on web site.

There are no details on their website because a DIY oil boiler course does not exist there?

Where did you that info from?

scudo2

shane0007 wrote: »

There are no details on their website because a DIY oil boiler course does not exist there?

Where did you that info from?

Actually they do.

Click on hobby cources, click read more, and you will find " Basic oil boiler servicing" just below "Flower arranging" and "hairdressing"

Info on Metac website.

I just curious about details. !!

Espicaly as we all seem to agree that nobody should be let near a boiler, even if it's in there own home, without a FGA. + a lot more.

K.Flyer

Egass13 wrote: »

Mountrath, laois

What about Martin Hogan Energy Training in Finglas Dublin 15, its a bit closer to home.

shane0007

scudo2 wrote: »

Actually they do.

Click on hobby cources, click read more, and you will find " Basic oil boiler servicing" just below "Flower arranging" and "hairdressing"

Info on Metac website.

I just curious about details. !!

Espicaly as we all seem to agree that nobody should be let near a boiler, even if it's in there own home, without a FGA. + a lot more.

You are right, it's there alright but I have never heard of that course ever running or even existing. The certified Electrical Safety course is also listed under the Hobby Course section also so perhaps they are there in error.

scudo2

shane0007 wrote: »

You are right, it's there alright but I have never heard of that course ever running or even existing. The certified Electrical Safety course is also listed under the Hobby Course section also so perhaps they are there in error.

No problem.
I was just genuinely curious as to what they do for €150
If they can teach people the dangers and how to respect their limations all the better.
We all know its not a perfect world and hopefully "the instructor"is stressing the important facts and dangers. Which I'm sure he is.
I'm sure somebody in the know will fill us in.


Have a good night. Sorry I couldn't make the Christmas party. I walked around Kilkenny with your photo but nobody recognised you !!!!!!

trobbin

K.Flyer wrote: »

What about Martin Hogan Energy Training in Finglas Dublin 15, its a bit closer to home.

Thanks. I will look him up. Can you recommend or do you just know of the place?

scudo2

scudo2 wrote: »

No problem.
I was just genuinely curious as to what they do for €150
If they can teach people the dangers and how to respect their limations all the better.
We all know its not a perfect world and hopefully you know who is stressing the important facts and dangers. Which I'm sure he is.
I'm sure he'll tell us.
Have a good night. Sorry I couldn't make the Christmas party. I walked around Kilkenny with your photo but nobody recognised you
!!!!!!

Try a pic of his ass;), it's well known especially around Kilkenny.

shane0007

trobbin wrote: »

Thanks. I will look him up. Can you recommend or do you just know of the place?

Martin Hogan is a VERY experienced trainer with an enormous wealth of knowledge many of us would love to have half of. So you will do very well spending time with him.

shane0007

gary71 wrote: »

Try a pic of his ass;), it's well known especially around Kilkenny.

You're just jealous of my tattoos...... ;-)

shane0007

scudo2 wrote: »

Sorry I couldn't make the Christmas party. I walked around Kilkenny with your photo but nobody recognised you !!!!!!

That's no problem. I didn't think the Fiat would make it that far anyhow
We did wait at the bus station for ages though so we could have easily have missed you.
I scrub up pretty well so most people would only recognise me with an oily face.

trobbin

trobbin wrote: »

Thanks. I will look him up. Can you recommend or do you just know of the place?

Martin is a top man and knows his stuff.

My advice to you is get back in to your plumbing to get in to the swing of things, get your RGI registration and then start on your gas.

Gas is not rocket science and is no different from any skill and as a qualified plumber it will be easy enough for you but you need to give yourself the best possible platform to learn, if you dive straight in to service and repair (a trade in itself) it can end in tears, if you can learn along side your plumbing and installs its easier.

Get in to the Rgi forum and you will get more precise help.

shane0007

gary71 wrote: »

Martin is a top man and know his stuff.

My advise to you is get back in to your plumbing to get in to the swing of things, get your RGI registration and then start on your gas.

Gas is not rocket science and is no different from any skill and as a qualified plumber it will be easy enough for you but you need to give yourself the best possible platform to learn, if you dive straight in to service and repair (a trade in itself) it can end in tears if you can learn along side your plumbing and installs its easier.

Get in to the Rgi forum and you will get more precise help.

I would also add to that by suggesting you do an electrical training course. These courses give a much better insight on how electrical circuits works, how electricity, current & electrical resistance works & how they interact with our profession. As gas boilers are 80% electrical! your understanding & confidence with them will be much greater if you understand their electrics & the electrics of a heating system.

trobbin

gary71 wrote: »

Martin is a top man and know his stuff.

My advise to you is get back in to your plumbing to get in to the swing of things, get your RGI registration and then start on your gas.

Gas is not rocket science and is no different from any skill and as a qualified plumber it will be easy enough for you but you need to give yourself the best possible platform to learn, if you dive straight in to service and repair (a trade in itself) it can end in tears if you can learn along side your plumbing and installs its easier.

Get in to the Rgi forum and you will get more precise help.

Thanks for your advice. RGI forum? Can you provide a link?

trobbin

shane0007 wrote: »

I would also add to that by suggesting you do an electrical training course. These courses give a much better insight on how electrical circuits works, how electricity, current & electrical resistance works & how they interact with our profession. As gas boilers are 80% electrical! your understanding & confidence with them will be much greater if you understand their electrics & the electrics of a heating system.

Thanks again. Yep I also agree, and you're right my knowledge of electrics is very basic indeed. But which electrics course do I take? Does Hogan also do this? Really appreciate the advice of everyone, thanks to you all.

K.Flyer

trobbin wrote: »

Thanks again. Yep I also agree, and you're right my knowledge of electrics is very basic indeed. But which electrics course do I take? Does Hogan also do this? Really appreciate the advice of everyone, thanks to you all.

Martin Hogan's training will cover all aspects of the boilers including wiring controls for heating systems and fault finding.
Its a well equiped training centre.

Dtp1979

trobbin wrote: »

Thanks for your advice. RGI forum? Can you provide a link?

You gotta be Rgi registered !

Egass13

K.Flyer wrote: »

Martin Hogan's training will cover all aspects of the boilers including wiring controls for heating systems and fault finding.
Its a well equiped training centre.

+1 on Martin hogan , I did my GID with him . Albeit under the dreaded chevron title , but he's out on his own now and is well worth the investment.