How likely is that that my installer fried my circuit board?

[s445203]

Yesterday we had an "installer" come and try to install a new WB Greenstar 25 boiler while I was at work. When I got home, my wife said that it didn't work when he tried connecting it to the fused spur switch, so he then tried adding a three pin plug to it, but that kept tripping the the fuse box RCD. And then he went home, leaving the boiler disconnected from the electricity but connected to the gas and water (he took the plug off before going home). With no sign of any sort.

I went over to have a closer look at the boiler and immediately noticed the smell of gas. I shut off the mains gas, we called Transco and luckily the Transco guy was able to tighten the pipe and close the leak without having to do some more major isolation work.

So far so bad. I then had a look at the wireless thermostat he had wired in and it was immediately obvious that he has connected the earth lead from the boiler into the second live connection on the thermostat (no idea why it has two but it does). This would explain why the boiler didn't work, and why the RCD kept tripping. Indeed testing the live and earth wires on the 3 core wire hanging out of the boiler shows a short circuit.

We are tenants, and so I don't pay for any work, but we have been without heating and water for over a week now so I'm interested in the quickest way to get to a resolution. The question I have is this.

1. How likely is it that the above has fried the boiler circuit board? The boiler fuse is still working, but is it possible that the RCD has been unsuccessful in protecting the circuit board from the short the installer put in?

2. Would you trust an installation completed by this installer, whenever he does eventually manage to figure it out, or should I push to have a second opinion given all of the above?

Many thanks in advance.

 

[Dan]

Have you seen the installers gas registration card to prove they are an actual installer? Doesn't sound to me like they have a clue.

Whilst it can be the case with a new boiler make and model, I'm sure everybody meets a new brand the first time when they first meet it, I can't see how they can screw up something so obvious.

Also, why are you checking it?

I'd firstly check their gas registration number on the gas Safe website. Then take it from there.

 

[Brambles]

I would raise the matter directly with your Landlord, or his/her Agent. At the end of the day, they are looking for value for money and if you don’t feed back them your experience they cannot rectify it for you.

In my experience, most Landlords are very conscious of their legal responsibilities ( and indeed liabilities) with respect to gas installations so act quickly and positively.

Sadly (in Oxford) some go too far and refuse to have gas in tenanted properties, replacing it with conventional electric heating, leaving the Tennant to deal with the significantly higher fuel costs.

 

[Scott_D]

Where was the gas leak?
If the installer isnt competent with electrics they should be touching it and an electrcian should e used.
Can you post a few pictures of the boiler and flue?
You can request a free inspection from gas safe if you are concerned

 

[townfanjon]

Landlord , landlord , landlord .

 

[Murdoch]

Best course of action is not to tamper with anthing and communicate in writing with your landlord.

As for frying the circuit board - highly unlikely as the RCD is tripping

 

[s445203]

Thanks for all your replies.

The landlord is a large company owning hundreds of flats. They subcontract the property management onto a property manager who then subcontracts onto (another large) firm that does the actual work. As a result of this, it's very hard to actually get someone to take responsibility for actually getting the boiler working - the property manager calls the subcontractor and considers their work done, the subcontractor sends the "installer" and considers their work also done. And yet the boiler doesn't work.. I've never actually spoken with someone from the landlord company because I'm so far removed from it.

Hence why I'm checking it - if I at least have an idea of what the problem is, I'm more likely to be able to push through the tens of phone calls I need to have being bounced around the subcontracting maze to get someone to do the right work. I did do a degree in Electrical Engineering, so I do have some understanding of how all this works. Although clearly I wouldn't attempt to fix things myself, I do think I've been able to diagnose the problem that the installer, who I'm sure has all the relevant paperwork (although I have not seen it) as he works for a large company, has created.

But in answer to my main question, is the agreed view that the RCD is sufficient protection for the circuit board and it's unlikely this has been damaged by the short?

 

[Dan]

Oh god not an electrical engineer checking over a gas engineers work lol

We have an engineer's chat forum here if you're interested in keeping your head in the game. Some very very clued up professors on there too.

Electrical Engineering Chat

Questions and electrical advice in the Electrical Engineering Chat - A forum for electrical engineers, electrical engineering students, and those who have been electrical engineers for a while. ;) - Chat electricals and electrics on ElectriciansForums.net :). Some popular forums: Electrical...

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Leave him to it and let him finish. If it has then got issues ring the letting agent and take it from there maybe.

If you have pictures that might help but I fear we may be edging on encouraging you mess with it and I wouldn't want that.

You know where your gas off is. And your CU board switches are. So I'm sure you're safe.

But having heating for any number of days would really annoy me this time of year when relying on other people who may be screwing things up.

So I'll let this thread run. Keep us posted. But please please don't mess with it. Youll make yourself liable for somebody else's problems if you do and that could backfire literally, but also with the property owners and whatnot too.

 

[s445203]

But having heating for any number of days would really annoy me this time of year when relying on other people who may be screwing things up.

So I'll let this thread run. Keep us posted. But please please don't mess with it. Youll make yourself liable for somebody else's problems if you do and that could backfire literally, but also with the property owners and whatnot too.

Thanks. I should add that not only is it this time of year, but we have a 2.5 year old and a wife that's 38 weeks pregnant.....and no boiler for over 10 days now. If the circuit board is fried, it could easily be another week with all the subcontracting shenannigans going on.

Also, I take your point about not encouraging me, but here's a photo I took before I started this thread so you can all be guilt free.

 

[Dan]

As @Murdoch said, the RCD tripped so it's fine.

If you're messing with your own electrics you still need to have some form of recognised current qualification, then notify building control - or get it certified by a qualified one in a scheme. So it doesn't get you clear. (not my words I'm re-quoting what I read on here lol - I'm neither a plumber or an electrician - and the tilers on my tile forum even tell me I'm not a tiler, but I think I am - Long story. )

Just go steady.

@murdoc above here is actually a very qualified electrician.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

circuit board should be fine as its gone to earth just the rcd tripped, boiler has internal fast blow fuses so these should protect the board

 

[moonlight]

Why has he put the earth in the live?

 

[Gasmk1]

Why has he put the earth in the live?

he may well be using it as a live just not colour coded it

 

[moonlight]

That part of the wiring centre needs live, neutral and earth. From the mains in. No earth bound to trip the Rcd. Two lives, it's not the switch live. Earth wire should never be used as live.

 

[SimonG]

Not enough cores in the cable, uses earth as a live. Nope. Install correct cable or pull another one in.

Either way your problem isn't the bloke doing the work. It's the convoluted process your landlord has in place to have things rectified. Using your time to challenge that would be better.