The good, the bad and the ugly

Thegoodthebad+theugly

We want your pictures

Registered Gas Engineer wants to see your pictures – whether you’ve come across some horrors or instances of really good work. And there’s a prize for the best one: so go on, get writing and email your stories and pictures to editorial@registeredgasengineer.co.uk or via Twitter @RGEMag

This balanced-flue water heater chimney termination was found by Graeme Harley, who has since replaced it with a correctly located combi boiler.

Ed Metcalfe made sure he followed guidance from the Gas Industry Unsafe Situations Procedure when he came across this boiler chimney not installed correctly in the roof space. The installation was made safe. Phil Wray found the chimney from the boiler had been built around to accommodate a new extension. He made safe and a new boiler has now been installed.

Rob Atkins says can you spot the balanced-flue chimney termination among all the foliage? Alan Ferris was asked to service a fire that apparently had not been removed for 35 years. Apart from the catchment area not being to current standards, the opening into the chimney itself was 2 inches wide. Alan made the installation safe.

When Daniel Simmons was called to a boiler breakdown, he thought the boiler was looking a bit crabby. Seagulls had been ‘shell-fishly’ dropping crab leftovers down the chimney, blocking the flueways.

This month’s winner

This natural gas cooker was fitted on flexible plumbing connectors with a rubber sleeve fitted over the pipework and connected to a propane gas cylinder inside the property. Luckily Steven Molyneux was there to make safe.

Andrew Challenor’s apprentice Hayden noticed staining on the ceiling because the chimney had come apart due to inadequate support – aided by collisions with forklift trucks, apparently. The installation was made safe and the problems have been rectified.

A gas engineer from Davies Heating found this horizontal chimney in a poor state of repair after it had been used as a vertical termination. A new chimney has now been fitted. Here’s a drill bit completely gone through the meter regulator, as sent in by Dan Mitchell. The installation was made safe and the Emergency Service Provider rectified the problem.

We may share some of your pictures on social media, so remember to include your contact details so we can tag you (or let us know if you’d rather we didn’t).

Thegoodthebad+theugly

This bird was partially blocking the flueway of the boiler’s chimney, as discovered by David Allison on a routine service visit.

Leonard Santos

found that products of combustion from a gas fire had been discharging into the roof space for 14 years, since the house was built. He says knows this because the chimney had never been completed. Leonard made safe.

Geoff Paxton

found this closable ventilator installed to serve a gas appliance. Geoff installed a new vent kit incorporating a sleeve through the wall and with no flyscreens or closable parts. The silicon sealant that Mark Middleton found on this positive-pressure boiler casing was a poor and wrong substitute for a manufacturerapproved case seal. Mark has now fitted a new boiler.

Photo prize Win

There’s a prize for the best photos sent in (in our opinion). Please remember to take pictures at high resolution and email them to editorial@registeredgasengineer.co.uk

This month, Anton by Crowcon is giving away a Clip CO personal carbon monoxide alarm – a tough, lightweight, reliable and durable fixed-life, maintenance-free personal CO protection alarm with pocket clip.

The Clip has audible, visual and vibrate alarms at 30ppm and 100ppm, plus a sensor range of 0-300ppm. It has a two-year, maintenance-free fixed life PLUS on-screen life duration countdown, self-test and ingress protection to IP66 and IP67.

Details of the Clip CO alarm and many more products – as well as fast two-day turnaround on FGA servicing – can be found at www.shop.crowcon.com This month’s winner is Daniel Simmons from Hellingly, East Sussex. Congratulations!