Builders Merchants Journal – BMJ Publishing to Builders Merchants and the UK merchanting industry for more than 95 years
Boiler and heating manufacturer Baxi Group is supporting the Heating and Hotwater Industry Council Benchmark scheme in an attempt to stamp-out cowboy heating installers.
The groups has joined other UK gas boiler manufacturers in a campaign to link the commissioning checklist, completed by Gas Safe registered engineers when they have completed an installation, with the appliance’s warranty.
The commissioning checklist is issued through the Benchmark scheme, a nationally recognised quality standard that puts the onus on manufacturers and installers to ensure best practice during the installation, commissioning and servicing of domestic heating and hot water products.
Lee Robinson, Baxi Group’s Service Director and Chair of the Benchmark steering committee, explains: “The boiler manufacturers have agreed that by linking the completion of the Benchmark commissioning checklist to the appliance warranty they are safeguarding consumers against poor quality and sometimes illegally operating installers.
“We would like to encourage unregistered installers, who are at present working illegally, to get the necessary training, qualifications and skills to be Gas Safe registered as a minimum.
“Our industry is united in sending a clear message that we will no longer carry the cost for poor quality installations carried out by cowboys,” he finishes.
From 1 January 2011, gas engineers will need to make sure they fill out the Benchmark checklists on completion of every boiler installation they do, and leave it with the householder in order for the appliance’s warranty to be valid. The checklists are included within the manufacturer’s installation instructions.
