The good, the bad and the ugly

from Registered Gas Engineer, March 2022 issue

Low carbon

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 boiler chimney in the roof space of a house was made safe by Des du Plessis.

Neil Edwards says this photo highlights the importance of regular servicing of gas appliances. The burner cover plate had cracked, causing the securing bracket to bend.

What’s blocking this boiler flueway, wondered Alan Duckworth. Hands up if you thought it would be a glove?

Daniel Grimshaw’s tightness test at the gas meter indicated a 10.5mbar drop on the installation. He traced the escape to pipework connected to the boiler, which had been installed a few months ago with no washer on the fitting. Daniel immediately repaired it.

Sarah Harrison

eventually found this boiler completely enclosed in kitchen units and tiling. A new boiler has now been installed, along with modifications to the kitchen to adhere with the required clearances.

Boilers and rodents don’t mix, as found by David and Mandy Spelling, who removed the four-legged intruder and left the boiler working safe and well. Anthony Che saw that this boiler chimney was installed incorrectly, and with a blatant disregard for the required distance to neighbouring properties.

This incorrectly installed plume displacement kit fell out of the connection flush with the wall. Nicholas Farrant has now fitted a new chimney kit to the manufacturer’s specifications.

When David Green was called to investigate the cause of a boiler breakdown, the last thing he expected to find was a snake coiled around the PCB. The reptile was removed – extra house points if you can identify it. Leak detection fluid paired with experience and competence helped Paul Hobden on this trace and repair of a 10mbar pressure drop on this installation’s pipework.

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 boiler chimney was apparently covered by a builder who had repaired a water leak from the roof. Jimmy Brennan has now fitted a new boiler and chimney system.

This month’s winner

David Mills and his apprentice soon found out why this gas fire was not working property: cavity wall insulation was blocking the flueways of the gas fire and chimney. The installation was immediately disconnected from the gas supply following guidance from the Gas Industry Unsafe Situations Procedure.

Stuart Leith

found that old lead pipework joined to the copper supply pipework had caused a gas escape, which resulted in an emergency call to the Emergency Service Provider to make safe. Ross Calder was asked to install a new gas fire and found the catchment area and chimney behind the existing fire blocked with twigs and debris. The gas supply to the fire was disconnected and the installation made safe until the chimney could be swept thoroughly.

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