Are CORGI Certs worthless when buying a house?

[symptomless]

Hi,

We bought our house in July and were satisfied that we had all the requirements regards the HIP and CORGI certificate for the gas boiler and installation.

We had problems with the boiler in September and called the original installers and issuers of the CORGI cert to fix the problems but weren't satisfied with their work, i.e. they replaced a some obviously broken parts but still couldn't get the boiler working correctly. They then diagnosed a broken fan and quoted and additional £250 to replace which we later found wasn't broken.

We called out the boiler manufacturer who inspected and told us the boiler, including the fan was in perfect working order. The error was in the electrics, which were also installed by the original company.

Since then we've had a call out from a heating engineering company who say that the electrics and gas installation are at best very shoddy, at worse, illegal.

The original installation company say that they will come back to do superficial work on the electrics (probably to cover up their own shoddy electrical work) but will not fix the boiler.

Gas Safe say that because the work on the boiler installation was carried out for a different customer then they cannot help us.

What on earth is the point of the CORGI Certificate?

Its absolutely worthless. Worse than that, its cost us £900 so far to put some of the work right. It will cost us a lot more to fix the real problems.

 

[PaulGas]

Im very suprised GS wont do anything about it as it was for a previous customer? We had a case where CORGI inspected a previous company over a boiler we visited and condemned approx 6mnths after they installed it and that was for a new customer

 

[symptomless]

We're at the stage now where we are writing our complaint to Gas Safe but their advise so far is that because the work was done for another customer then they probably won't be able to act.

Considering we were advised to ensure we had a CORGI certificate before we moved, what was the point?

Just to be clear, the gas pressure has been tested and is safe.

The installation includes very bad wiring, connecting the 22mm boiler outlet to the existing 15mm piping, against the manufacturers instructions and insufficient lagging in the loft. We've been advised by three separate Gas Safe engineers that this work is very below standard and potentially illegal.

 

[PaulGas]

Im guessing that it was the estate agents that recommended a CP12? (Certificate?) Unless its a landlord I didnt think it was required? (I could be wrong)

Excluding the wiring which i dont have any qualifications to comment on, connecting the boiler to 15mm etc isnt recommended but its not illegal. You should have 22mm directly from the boiler but i guess its only the performance not safety that would decrease. However since working on gas i was always told the....

"Manufactures Instuctions are the bible. You should be able to prove at all stages that you have followed the M.I's"

but I dont know if there are any laws against it if its not dangerous??

 

[symptomless]

Should the installer have signed the CORGI certificate if they hadn't followed the details above?

 

[PaulGas]

Thats for him to answer not me!

 

[oldplumber]

As in any house purchase, buyer beware. If the house isnt new, then any work done by contractors or tradesmen for the previous owner relates to the old owner and you have no claims against the tradesmen as you have never had a contract with them. Similar situation applies if you buy a car thats just been serviced/repaired by a garage before you buy the car off a private seller. If it then breaks down you have no claim at all against the garage, or the previous owner as in a private sale its all about buyer beware again.

If you can prove that the boiler is AR or ID then report the problem to the local trading standards and they may take your case on or refer you to the gas safe register, but dont hope for a rapid response as most of the inspectors have their hands full already, from my understanding of their workload. Our lad in the SW is probably in Barnstaple looking at the limited relains of a house today!

 

[symptomless]

Thanks oldplumber for taking the time to respond.

I appreciate that "buyer beware" is the good and appropriate advice.

The thing that confuses me is that we were required by the solicitor to ensure that there was a CORGI certified installation, which we did. Now that that certificate is likely to be proved worthless, it is us who suffer.

Not only are we unlikely to be compensated there is no penalty for the original certified plumbing company.

If the installation wasn't CORGI certified we would have taken indemnity insurance, or possibly had the seller take the insurance on our behalf.

What is the point of a CORGI certificate?