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

Michael Hutchings

sent in this fine example of a blocked catchment area behind a gas fire. The chimney was completely blocked above the catchment area. Michael made safe.

Thanks to James Green for sending this photo in of the chimney to a boiler. We suspect the manufacturer’s instructions had not been followed. The installation was made safe. Mark Brown came across an incorrectly fitted LPG hob installation. The hob was re-piped using copper pipework, correctly supported and sleeved where it passes through the wall.

Dariusz Ulan found a cracked heat exchanger on a routine service visit to a water heater. A new water heater has now been fitted.

Brett Carey was called to investigate a boiler locking out. The painters had covered the chimney while they were painting the outside of the house. The obstruction was removed and the boiler left working safe and sound.

This month’s winner

Thank you to Brian Penny for sending in this LPG shocker – and for making the installation safe.

Keith Ball was surveying for a replacement for this fire that had been in situ since the house was built 15 years ago. He could see no signs of a chimney terminal outside, and inside found that products of combustion were discharging into the roof space from the chimney adaptor block, which had never been connected. Keith made the installation safe.

Not strictly gas related but Gary McCann sent us a photo to give us all a bit of a laugh. It certainly did Gary! Stuart Leith was called to a smell of gas after a boiler had been installed by another engineer the previous week. The picture highlights the importance of carrying out a tightness test before and after any work that involves alterations to the gas supply.

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

Robin Holland was called to a gas fire, whereupon his personal CO alarm sounded off the scale. A birds’ nest was subsequently cleared by a chimney-sweep and the installation left safe.

Jack Sinnot

discovered a boiler chimney, which, due to leakage from exhaust duct, shows that the leakage of products of combustion may have caused the air intake tube to fail. The installation was made safe. Stephen Leitch came across the chimney from a boiler not only terminating within 600mm of an openable roof window, but sited in such a way that products of combustion could have entered the property. The installation was made safe.

Photo prize

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 is giving away its AGP 45 combustible gas leak detector and belt pouch, which is compact, affordable and easy to use.

It’s perfect for quick initial tests, with an adjustable tick rate and sensitivity to pinpoint gas escapes. It can detect gas escapes from as little as 30ppm methane, has audible and visual alarm indicators, and a bright LED searchlight for poorly lit conditions.

A belt pouch and two AA alkaline batteries are included.

This month’s winner is Brian Penny from Ely, Cambridgeshire. Congratulations!

Win