UKC

Having the kitchen spruced up.
removing the old gas hob and replacing it with a new one.
We require the gas from the old hob to capped and until we are ready to remove the have the new hob connected.

Called the local gas man and hes quoted £85 for the job. Seems quite high for a quick and simple job.

Is this a fair price? What is the going rate?

In reply to goldmember:

Yes it is expensive,you could in theory put a compression cap end on the pipe yourself without breaking the law if your are competent, but I would consider finding someone qualified who's a bit cheaper. isn't any of your neighbours gas fitters/plumbers ?

In reply to goldmember:

When I had my cooker plumbed in I paid £50 and this included drilling a massive hole, making 4 joints and adding a stop valve to isolate the cooker in an emergency.

We had a bit of an issue with a leaky regulators and he called in the gas supplier to fit a new one before he could start the job and he was refusing to take any more money from me.
So in short, £85 to cap a pipe and do a drop test is a rip off.

In reply to goldmember:

Do you live in Alderley Edge?

In reply to Wsdconst:

Its illegal to diy without approved training. Competent now has a much stricter definition.

It also needs testing as well.

In reply to Wsdconst:


Not any more. The definition of "competent" was left open until last year. Now it is defined as being someone who has followed an approved course of training and is a member of a competent persons scheme.

No more DIY gas, even if you are a qualified engineer in other fields.

In reply to gethin_allen:




Depends on location. I would charge my minimum, which is £65 up to the first hour. In London, that's pretty low bearing in mind the cost of running a business and the fact that traffic means that I generally have 5 productive hours out of a 8-hour day if I'm jobbing.

Although if I knew I'd get the job of installing the new hob, I'd probably only charge a nominal amount.

In reply to Wsdconst:

Without wanting an argument....you're not breaking the law if you did it incompetently.

In reply to jimjimjim:

????

Lcb

In reply to marsbar:

No it's not.....so you can get arrested by a copper if he did it himself?
What law is that?

In reply to marsbar:

He could make his own gas chamber in his cellar if he wanted....complete with back up electric chair. Until someone is harmed no law is broken.

In reply to jimjimjim:

Ah, now I understand.

In reply to jimjimjim:


Well yes you are. You wouldn't be arrested by the police, but HSE could bring a prosecution. How likely that is, is a whole different kettle of fish,

In reply to jimjimjim:

What law?
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1998/2451/regulation/3/made

In reply to jimjimjim:


That used to be the case, certainly. That is why the ACOP document was updated last year. It is now an offence to carry out gas "work" unless "competent".

Those two terms were previously left undefined, leaving huge grey areas in the law. Last year, strict definitions were introduced.

Again, the chances of being prosecuted are negligible unless an explosion or carbon monoxide escape happens but the legal framework and definitions now exist.

In reply to marsbar:

This doesn't cover doing it yourself to your own property without financial gain......or does it?
I'm not suggesting it's a good idea but I would do it without hesitation on my own kitchen and if I'm breaking a law I'd like to know what and how anyone can do anything about it.
interesting....

In reply to jimjimjim:




The revised legislation covers work in ones' own home as well as any carried out without remuneration.

In reply to jimjimjim:

I believe it does. After all if you blow up your kitchen you might also blow up the neighbours.

In reply to goldmember:

how much is a life worth?

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/nationa...

In reply to marsbar:

Buy only if you F##k it up though and something happens which is the same if I am qualified. What law have I broken if I go and swap my hob now? The actual law...

In reply to jimjimjim:

Which is the same argument used by drunk drivers.

The actual law?

2013 revision to the Approved Code Of Practice which forms part of HASAW 1974 and Gas Safety Installation and Use Regulations 1998. One of which is an actual statute and the other has "special status" meaning that if you don't comply with it, and something comes unstuck, the onus is on you to prove that you complied with the actual statute in some other way.

Seeing as the only means of proving competence is now defined as a combination of industry-approved training, assessment and experience, you're pretty well goosed.

But I realise that I'm talking to a brick wall here so I will repeat that the chances of you actually being caught and prosecuted are realistically nil. But with that same logic you may as well drive home from the pub after a few...

In reply to Cthulhu:

Look I'm not saying its a good idea...but....If I swap my hob and nothing goes wrong, have I broke a law?
I don't think you know....

In reply to marsbar:

Well you learn something new everyday. I was led to believe it's only for money that you need to be registered eg if someone pays you to carry out the work.

In reply to Cthulhu:

Good job my mates a gas fitter then

In reply to jimjimjim:


Yes, it is


Which part of the LAW explained above do you think I don't know about?

In reply to Wsdconst:


It was, until last year.

In reply to Cthulhu:

You're not even making sense now. I give up.

In reply to jimjimjim:

Troll.

He has cited the law as have I. Why would you say he doesn't know? The reason I know is that my dad would have been considered competent before and now he isn't.

Make your own choice. Get away with it or not, but don't kid yourself its legal.

As for why its any different if a gas safe does it, they follow a process and test afterwards to check. Far less likely to go wrong.

In reply to jimjimjim:

The law was made in 1998. It included the word competent. It didn't define the word. Last year HSE published a clear definition.

In reply to jimjimjim:

Please do. I think you're being deliberately obtuse.

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

Wilmslow, Dear, Wilmslow....


Its a old 70's style standalone gas oven and hob.

replacing with a new built in gas hob and eleccy oven

In reply to goldmember:

It seems expensive to me, but he might have included a stop cock and capping, to make it easier when fitting the new one or maybe he didn't and it's just expensive!

I think they need local stop cocks fitted near any gas appliance now.