Do you have to send gas safe a copy of the benchmark certificate for an unvented cylinder before they issue a building regs certificate?
Had one installed by a company who where I suspect the installer was not qualified for unvented at the time but now is so they want to come back to fill in the benchmark so they can get me a gas Safe cert.
I’m thinking it smells of bs.
As far as I know it's the installer that has to inform (self-certify) the Gas Safe Register that they've installed an appliance within 30 days of the installation, and you should get the building regs certificate automatically after that. The Benchmark cert is just as record of actions taken/checks made that show the appliance has been installed correctly and is not in itself anything official. It should be completed at the time of installation/commissioning though. That's the whole point of the thing.
Sounds a little bit dodgy to me, I'd be making 100% sure they're doing everything above board because you can be fined (unlikely, but it's possible) as well as the installer.
When I first asked for the building regs cert for an unvented cylinder they told me I didn’t need one and referred me to the benchmark sheet (but they’ve not filled it in)
I looked up their installer on gas safe and sure enough no listing for unvented. But as other bodies could certify him there was no proof he wasn’t qualified. So after a letter from their solicitor threatening court action if I didn’t pay, despite ignoring my request to confirm the credentials of their installer for the work they eventually agree to provide a gas one.
A gas safe cert turns up. Which seems a bit odd, given their installer isn’t listed as unvented cert with gas safe. But it’s in the name of someone else!
So wait a bit see what will happen. They chase money, I contact gas safe who tell me the certificate has been cancelled. I tell the company did they forget to mention that they cancelled the certificate. They say ah that’s because gas safe want the benchmark cert completed (which they didn’t do) so can they come back.
Looking now I see their chap Is now showing as unvented cert for gas safe. So I’m thinking they want him to come back and certify it so they can Then get a legit building cert Issued from gas safe but Need a reason why the certificate will be dated ‘now’ rather than 6 months ago and don’t want to fess up to the fact that he was operating illegally when it was installed.
What to do. I think they’re lying and so don’t trust them any more.
They’re a big company by the look of things-10 or more vans in a picture of their staff and office and 10 or so installers on gas safe. So I also reckon they’ve installed a lot of unvented cylinders over the years and willing to bet none have building control certs; none of their other engineers are showing as unvented certified on gas safe.
I would say your suspicions are 100% correct, I remember the original thread about this (I think it was you?)
It sounded wrong then, and it wouldn’t even more wrong now.
Stall them from coming back and talk to Gas Safe about the illegal installation.
Yeah, at this point you should be talking to Gas Safe. Ask them about Building Regs certification and where you stand.
Have you paid the bill yet? I'd also ask Gas Safe about that because you might end up having to get someone else in to finish the job properly/legally.
Thanks both. Yes I posted a related thread a while back.
Seems to be a Grey area in terms of who ‘cares’. Because unvented is ‘plumbing’ rather than gas, when I contacted gas safe last time they said well they could be registered for the work with another plumbing body so they weren’t concerned.