Clicked on a valve to put it in a basket and got told, "You have chosen a product that can only be sold to customers registered with the Gas Safe register." Thank god there is toolstation who don't have these silly made-up rules.
In fairness to Screwfix, they are avoiding selling gas parts to people who are not qualified on gas work. What type of valve was it?
It was an isolating valve. You don't have to be qualified to work with gas, just competent. What is silly, is I can buy a boiler and flue. Given most deaths are associated with leaking flue gases I don't see the problem with the isolating valve, which if anything, can enhance safety.
How can you prove you are competent though? A gas qualified person whose qualifications have lapsed a year, could still be said to be fully competent to work at gas work in their own home. But in most cases it would be illegal. Personally I can buy gas parts without any questions in most merchants.
I can see why they've done it (as can you I imagine but it's still annoying) yet they'd sell you a chainsaw in the blink of an eye!
And profoundly wrong and giving people entirely the wrong impression that DIY on gas is illegal. Where money has not changed hands and is not a landlord it is perfectly legal, especially so for a person whose Gas Safe registration has just lapsed.
Whats your point? Screwfix is a trade counter. Aimed at professionals not weekend warriors. As far as I know it is illegal for those of us able to earn a living as a trade to go playing around with gas if not GasSafe If you dont like how they operate go elsewhere
This has been a subject of debate on other forums, including one of the top plumbing professional forums (that will not allow gas related discussion to non gas qualified people). From what I gather, it is illegal to work on gas if unqualified with only the rare exception where a lapsed gas engineer do so on their own home they reside in. Common sense tells you if you left a leak and it caused an explosion, it could kill anyone in the home, or nearby.
Correct, there are some exceptions such as if you're a landlord, or have more than a specific number of lodgers such you become a multiple household.
You gather very wrong. It is a perverse suggestion that a "lapsed gas engineer do so on their own home". I can assure you everyone can work on gas in their home as long as they are competent with a few exceptions. If you had kept up to date with the debate you mention then you would already know this. Interested parties are keen to ignore the act governing 'work' on gas and use words like 'work on gas' to imply more than mere professionals.
Not really, it must be to appease a small self-interested closed shop. Akin to the print unions that some of us remember with their demarcations. Gas incidents, apart those intended like that of a well known Leicester shop explosion, are rare. And far more likely to through a Gas Safe engineer's incompetence. Andrew Hartley is one name off the top of my head.
How do you pay for your test equipment, boiler analyser, calibration charges and repairs? They all have to cost money.
I need "test equipment, boiler analyser, calibration charges and repairs" to add a valve? The most I will need is a manometer and leak spray to check the test point after refitting. You are having a joke?
So you actually don’t work much on gas free then really. You also missed my earlier question,- Define “competent” to be able to work on gas related work.
I'm ticked and in some areas classed as not competent according to gas Safe If in a com or ones premises covered including the office boiler but same boiler in house no as I haven't paid them for the ticket but the course is very very similar So did corse instructor did not know what I did it's just a money making thing not a safety thing
Mike clearly hasn’t a clue what he’s talking about, as demonstrated above. Gas products should only be sold to Gas Safe plumbers. Screwfix have started doing the right thing, now all we need is them to restrict the sale of electrical products and general plumbing products. I have never witnessed anyone in City Plumbing being asked if they are gas safe before buying boilers, etc. Other retailers should follow!
You're right I work very little on gas as and when I need to. I have already defined compentent associated with the adding of a gas valve.