Model Boat Mayhem

Mess Deck: General Section => Chit-Chat => Topic started by: rmaddock on April 20, 2012, 11:41:55 am

Title: Are two gas engineers a bad sign?
Post by: rmaddock on April 20, 2012, 11:41:55 am
We've got British Gas here to service the heating today. But they've arrived en masse!  Well, two of them anyway.

Is this a bad sign? Will it get expensive?
Title: Re: Are two gas engineers a bad sign?
Post by: F4TCT on April 20, 2012, 11:43:13 am
Maybe ones a trainee?

We had a similar situation where one guy was upstairs and another knocked at the door asking to see the other guy servicing the boiler. So he went up and it ended up being some sort of long lost catch up, complete with tea and biscuits..

Dan
Title: Re: Are two gas engineers a bad sign?
Post by: rmaddock on April 20, 2012, 11:47:06 am
Trainee? That thought had occurred but they seem to be of a level.
They've been giving me the third degree about the flu pipes....vy are zey a different colour zan ze inside pipes?
Title: Re: Are two gas engineers a bad sign?
Post by: scoop on April 20, 2012, 11:59:17 am
Trainee? That thought had occurred but they seem to be of a level.
They've been giving me the third degree about the flu pipes....vy are zey a different colour zan ze inside pipes?
Watch out or they will be trying to sell you a CO monitor next (you will end up paying £100 for something you can get at B&Q for a tenner !)
Scoop
Title: Re: Are two gas engineers a bad sign?
Post by: boatmadman on April 20, 2012, 12:47:05 pm
Best start selling stuff off Rob, I can see a big bill coming - all helps my share dividends and bonus!

Ian
Title: Re: Are two gas engineers a bad sign?
Post by: Raymond on April 20, 2012, 01:28:14 pm
Anyone see Watchdog on telly last night,British Gas engineers pursading people their boiler was obsolete and parts not avaliable when in fact they were plentiful and easily obtained in local dealers, and trying to get them to buy new boilers up to £3000 when parts needed only cost £50 to £70 they even dismantled the boilers saying they were not safe,and when checked by a non B.G.expert there was nothing wrong with them when new parts were fitted they were ok when challenged B.G.said well they were old boilers ages varied between 10 & 20 years old seems like a rip of.
                Ray
Title: Re: Are two gas engineers a bad sign?
Post by: tigertiger on April 20, 2012, 01:35:20 pm
Anyone see Watchdog on telly last night,British Gas engineers pursading people their boiler was obsolete and parts not avaliable when in fact they were plentiful and easily obtained in local dealers, and trying to get them to buy new boilers up to £3000 when parts needed only cost £50 to £70 they even dismantled the boilers saying they were not safe,and when checked by a non B.G.expert there was nothing wrong with them when new parts were fitted they were ok when challenged B.G.said well they were old boilers ages varied between 10 & 20 years old seems like a rip of.
                Ray

My brother had a similar issue.
They told him that he needed a new boiler.
But a second opinion from a Corgi engineer said that all he needed was a new jet. Cost 30 quid fitted.
Title: Re: Are two gas engineers a bad sign?
Post by: Sir Albert on April 20, 2012, 01:46:58 pm
BG are just "another" heating company, and they rely on their name and brand, I dont think they are British owned anymore.  They are only as good as their worst engineer.  On their heating install division they use sub contractors, these are local guys who own their own businesses, so the chances are if you get BG to install your new heating it will be a local guy actually doing the work.  BG have to put a mark up this so they will always be more expensive than the local tradesman.
Title: Re: Are two gas engineers a bad sign?
Post by: dodgy geezer on April 20, 2012, 01:56:51 pm
We've got British Gas here to service the heating today. But they've arrived en masse!  Well, two of them anyway.

Is this a bad sign? Will it get expensive?

One for sorrow,
Two for joy...

In fact, a sighting of service engineers dismantling things is one of the first signs of Spring. You can write a letter to the Times...
Title: Re: Are two gas engineers a bad sign?
Post by: Colin Bishop on April 20, 2012, 02:18:43 pm
Yes, BG will tell you that parts are unavailable when in fact they are. They just want to sell you a new boiler.

Colin
Title: Re: Are two gas engineers a bad sign?
Post by: Sir Albert on April 20, 2012, 02:30:42 pm
Yes, BG will tell you that parts are unavailable when in fact they are. They just want to sell you a new boiler.

Colin

Which makes you laugh, I used to work of a gas boiler manufacturer as a sales rep and to get British gas listed you had to make sure you manufacturered the spare parts for 15 years after tha boiler model had ceased bing made.
Title: Re: Are two gas engineers a bad sign?
Post by: Circlip on April 20, 2012, 03:20:29 pm
Most UK manufacturers had to keep a ten year parts backup.

  Regards   Ian
Title: Re: Are two gas engineers a bad sign?
Post by: Norseman on April 20, 2012, 03:23:01 pm
BG did my new boiler - no complaints about it.

My old one was German - An Ocean FF I think. Threw the heat out but broke down a lot -
must have cost BG a fortune in the ten years they serviced it. I used to ring up and say don't
send the first line service engineer out because he always calls for the next guy up. I always ended
up with two guys - they hated my boiler. New boiler is a Potterton and has run like clockwork for
three years. Servicing/Repairs comes free in my gas package - Scottish Power I think.

Dave
Title: Re: Are two gas engineers a bad sign?
Post by: nemesis on April 20, 2012, 03:50:02 pm
Hi, I go along with the others re British gas. They tried to ban one of our members boiler as obsolete. Fortunately another member is a central heating tradesman & fitted the part required for about £20. British Gas!!! No Way. Nemesis
Title: Re: Are two gas engineers a bad sign?
Post by: Norseman on April 20, 2012, 04:24:15 pm
I'm sure you are all right and the guys are on a bonus to get a new sale,
but my old boiler honestly demanded more maintainance than an ex wife.

Dave
Title: Re: Are two gas engineers a bad sign?
Post by: rmaddock on April 20, 2012, 05:18:47 pm
Well, they came, they saw, and they went away again.
They're coming back next week to replace the immersion heater...but all under contract...no cost to me.
We had BG install the heating from scratch when we bought the house. They were a little more expensive than others, but not much. They did do a proper estimate. And a very proper job. We've had the maintenance contract ever since and had our money out of it too.
I haven't a bad word to say about them but, as the engineers who visited today said, it only takes one bad apple.....
Title: Re: Are two gas engineers a bad sign?
Post by: Colin Bishop on April 20, 2012, 08:08:14 pm
We have had a BG maintenance contract on our warm air system for years. Every year they come along to check it out and usually they point out that the ventilation arrangements are inadequate. I then have to respond thet the ventilation is not inadequate it just doesn't conform to current standards otherwise I would have been dead years ago. They then put a label on it saying do not use and I then turn it back on again. it's all very amicable. The engineers are OK, they are just people like you or I, it is the organisations they work for that are out to rip you off, just like the banks etc.

Colin
Title: Re: Are two gas engineers a bad sign?
Post by: malcolmfrary on April 21, 2012, 11:44:19 am
Quote
Every year they come along to check it out and usually they point out that the ventilation arrangements are inadequate. I then have to respond thet the ventilation is not inadequate it just doesn't conform to current standards otherwise I would have been dead years ago.
Bigger ventilator = more gas sold?
A bigger hole in the wall lets in more frigid air that needs to be heated, unless it all goes via a powered heat exchanger.
Title: Re: Are two gas engineers a bad sign?
Post by: dodgy geezer on April 21, 2012, 11:54:35 am
Bigger ventilator = more gas sold?

Possibly. But more likely...

1970 - Gas engineer trained to understand the principles of gas heating and apply them.
1990 - Gas engineer trained to apply standards.
2010 - Gas engineer trained to tick boxes