Last year, we expanded our range of services and invested in Commercial Services training. One of our commercial engineers – Matthew Williams joined the programme and became a fully qualified Commercial Gas Engineer. A year on, we asked Matt, some of the questions he gets asked most often about this new range of skills.
What is a Commercial Gas Engineer?
A Commercial Gas Engineer is specialised in working on commercial businesses, schools and housing.
There are similarities in the type of work that a domestic and a commercial plumber does, in that they both work with plumbing & heating systems including boilers, sewers, and pipes. However, a Commercial Gas Engineer will normally work on much larger sites. These sites, will often come with a much more complex water supply, waste, water pressure and boiler systems and infrastructures that follow blueprint designs.
What type of work does a Commercial Gas Engineer do?
They would offer the following types of services:
- The design of plumbing systems for commercial outlets
- Replacement of entire commercial property plumbing systems
- General maintenance (repair, piping and installation services)
- Plumbing maintenance contracts for businesses
- Clearing of blocked stormwater drains and sewers
- Water supply system (installation, maintenance, and repair)
- Drinking water lines (installation and maintenance)
- Backflow prevention systems (installation, maintenance, and repair)
- Fire systems (installation, maintenance, and repair)
- Internal and external pipework (installation, maintenance, and repair)
What hours do they work?
Carshalton Boilers often work outside of normal Monday to Friday 9-5 hours as there are some commercial plumbing jobs that need to be done outside of businesses hours. We also offer a range of commercial plumbing, heating and landlord packages, some of which cover emergency repairs.
What qualifications do they have?
In the UK you are required to complete and pass a City and Guilds National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Level 2 and 3 in Mechanical Engineering Services for Plumbing.
Certification is through the City and Guilds of London Institute. According to the Institute, those seeking to pass certification must demonstrate the following skills:
- Practical systems installation, commissioning & maintenance skills
- Underpinning or supporting knowledge – the essential knowledge required to work safely in plumbing activities.
- Work with and install systems materials and components – install systems in compliance with current legislation and the industry standards.
- The Technical Certificates also covers the knowledge and skills required to work with customers and other trades.
What other skills should I look for in a Commercial Gas Engineer?
- Excellent communication and customer service skills
- Ability to work within a team
- Ability to plan work and complete it within agreed timescales
- Ability to read blueprints and install systems to their design
- Ability to find ways to fix problems and critical plumbing infrastructures safely and efficiently
When would I call a Commercial Gas Engineer?
- Major plumbing Installations
- Burst Pipes
- Blocked Pipes or Drains
- Low Water Pressure
- No Hot Water
Which Commercial Gas Engineer should I choose?
You should choose a plumber that comes from a company which has the following qualifications:
- A company whose employees hold the required NVQ Level 2, preferably Level 3 or City and Guilds qualification in a plumbing discipline you require
- A company that is GasSafe Registered
- A company that is authorised to self-certify that their work is compliant with current Building Regulations
- A company that has valid insurance including public liability insurance and to what amount
- A company that offers installation, repair, maintenance, maintenance contracts and emergency plumbing services
- A company that can tell you who and what projects they have worked for and on in the past
- A company that has good customer reviews
- A company that has a good website normally shows they are professional and have the resources to always ensure your plumbing systems are safe, well maintained and effective.
Are there any laws around Commercial Plumbing?
The UK requires that anyone working on plumbing system must complete a City and Guilds National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Level 2 and 3 in Mechanical Engineering Services for Plumbing.
Contact us today
At Carshalton Boilers, we give you the peace of mind that your heating system is running at its full potential, as well as being only a phone call away in an emergency. On top of this, we always provide a guarantee on all the work we carry out for further assurance. If you own or run a commercial property and are interested in one of our many services mentioned above, please give us a call today on 020 8395 8060 to see how we can help.
