Electrical regs query

As a RGI I’v noticed my job is moving more to the electrical side with heat pumps, there are hybrid gas boilers incorporating heat pumps within them and hot water cylinders with incorporated heat pumps(mostly just plug in) what advice can you give me on where the line should be regarding certification of this type of work, I think there may be a bigger need for RGI electricians thanks, Gary

Tredstone.

For non recs I'd say minor works and load side of a spur is ok

Fixed wiring excluding minor works, no

Tredstone.

Equipment obviously too can be troubleshooted

Load side of plugs, isolators and spurs is not fixed wiring and can be worked on

2011

Tredstone. wrote: »

Equipment obviously too can be troubleshooted

Load side of plugs, isolators and spurs is not fixed wiring and can be worked on

+ 1

That is how I woudl see it too.

I woudl think that some of the loads would be too large for spur outlets.

kramer1

Out of interest, what's in the hybrid boilers? haven't worked on any of them, sounds interesting.

Tredstone.

Is there Electrical Certs needed for installation work on Heating Sytems

Do they have to be handed to the main contractor , I don't work in this area just wondering ?

kramer1

kramer1 wrote: »

Out of interest, what's in the hybrid boilers? haven't worked on any of them, sounds interesting.

It is possible to retro fit or add to a new boiler a second 4/5 kw heat exchanger fed from a heat pump. It’s something quite common in other country’s but as yet no interest here.

Tredstone.

Tredstone. wrote: »

Is there Electrical Certs needed for installation work on Heating Sytems

Do they have to be handed to the main contractor , I don't work in this area just wondering ?

The gas cert left by the installation RGI covers from the spur out.

kramer1

gary71 wrote: »

It is possible to retro fit or add to a new boiler a second 4/5 kw heat exchanger fed from a heat pump. It’s something quite common in other country’s but as yet no interest here.

How do they work out cost wise?

kramer1

kramer1 wrote: »

How do they work out cost wise?

I’m not sure to be honest, I’v seen a couple that came into the country for the manufacturers techs to play with but there seems to be no interest at the moment to sell them in Ireland yet.

A 24kw gas boiler incorporating a 7kw heat pump with wireless external controls is €4,600 on the continent (the gas boiler on its own is a similar price to here)

0lddog

gary71 wrote: »

... I think there may be a bigger need for RGI electricians thanks, Gary

100%

( Heat pumps are core to aircon and refrigeration. Most companies dealing in that gear have their own RECIs. )

Is there a case for you to have some F-gas certified people on the payroll ?

0lddog

0lddog wrote: »

100%

( Heat pumps are core to aircon and refrigeration. Most companies dealing in that gear have their own RECIs. )

Is there a case for you to have some F-gas certified people on the payroll ?

I think thats the way to go, given a choice I’d like to do a few courses to stay relevant with the changing world were in, funny thing is you can install a heat pump cylinder without electrical, plumbing, unvented or F-gas qualifications.

0lddog

gary71 wrote: »

...funny thing is you can install a heat pump cylinder without electrical, plumbing, unvented or F-gas qualifications.

Yup. Will be interesting to see what longterm support there will be for these units.

The established RAC companies have a cost base such that it will hardly be attractive to them to get involved.

Lots of small 'cheap' HPs going in new builds that would have had domestic gas boilers in the past. So what used to be RGI service territory may morph into domestic ( i.e. customers with low budgets ) F-gas work.

There is a thread in one of the 'Home & Garden' subforums on some peoples experiences getting service on Glen Dimplex HPs. It does not make pleasant reading.

Could be good times ahead for any RGIs prepared to adapt to the HP world