Qualifications needed?

[SBPYG]

I'm looking for any advise i can get regarding qualifications that are required to work on a thermal interface unit that our company has just adopted into its portfolio.

My role within the company as a technical support engineer, is to attend properties or sites when a defect is reported and investigate this to identify if it is a product defect or installation error.

The thermal interface units are effectively boilers that do not use gas, i will not go into the inner workings of the units as this is not the time or the place for this, however the units do have a number of electronically controlled components in them such as solenoid valves, zone valves and pumps, and are also wired to a startdard heating/hot water programmer for controll.

If one of the electronic components was to fail and we were to look at replacing it, would the engineer that is carrying out the work require any electrical qualifications or not?
Also if the unit had to be completely swapped would this require any additonal qualifications?

Any advice on this matter would be greatly received as having asked a number of companies (NICEIC, ESC, and such companies) they are not returning my queries.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Spoon]

Hi SBPYG. Welcome to the forum.
Do you have any electrical qualifications?
Are these Thermal Interface Units single phase or 3 phase?
You mention that this unit has solenoids & valves ect... Are these not part of the unit or are they installed separately?
Trying to find out that is involved with installing one of these units so we can give better advice.

 

[SBPYG]

The only qualifications i have are from my 20 something years as a plumber piror to taking up my current role.

In answer to your questions;
The units are single phase.
Yes the components are part of the unit.

If it helps i have attached a copy of a wiring diagram and of the specification sheet of one of the units. This particular unit has the pump, solenoid and zone valves installed to it however not all of them have all three fitted.
View attachment IndirectUnits6 (1).pdfView attachment IndirectUnits8.pdf

 

[Spoon]

Are these 20kW heaters?

 

[SBPYG]

Yes and no.

The unit is fed by a primary circuit supplying either a highrise building or district heating system. The unit then utilises the primary feed to heat the water in heat exchangers which feed the secondary system (radiators in a flat/house) and the domestic hot water.

The 20kW is reffering to the heat transfer capacity of the heat exchanger on the primary circuit.

 

[amlu]

is not about qualifications,is more about knowing your stuff and experience
(unless your council customers decide that is not and you need to go 5 days £500 training)

 

[Spoon]

So what you will be doing is fitting and installing these units.
The reason why I ask if its a 20kW system is in the info you have supplied it doesnt mention about circuit breaker sizes that this unit should be wired to.
If you are thinking of installing these yourself and do all the testing/design of the circuit then I would go with: you will need 17th & NVQ lvl 3 (installation) to fill out the test certs. You will need propper test equipment, that needs celebrating regulary. Expensive.. If im wrong in this then im sure someone will correct me...
Then again, as amlu has said, if your works only thinks you need a 5 day course then its their responsibility...

 

[SBPYG]

Thanks Guys.

i think the number of installations will be extremely minimal and would be restricted to just replacing a defective unit, should this ever be needed, so we would be talking connecting to the supply that is already in place, however i presume that we would still need to ensure that the supplies are corerct for the replacment unit.

All of the work i will be involved in will be replacing parts such as the solenoid, pump ect..... as i think we will look at using contractors to replace full units should we need to.

Still if the company is willing to pay for the course then i'm more than willing to attend it. Never hurts to gain another qualification.

 

[Andy78]

If you are not installing any final circuits and just servicing these machines, then it does make it less complex.

A good start would be to procure a copy of the Electricity at work regulations 1989, and to be aware of, and train in, correct safe isolation procedure. This requires an approved voltage tester to GS38 standards, as well as any locking off devices you may need.

http://www.esc.org.uk/fileadmin/user_upload/documents/industry/best_practice/BPG2_09.pdf

This is the first step to ensuring your safety, and an essential skill when working on electrical equipment.

 

[SBPYG]

Thanks Andy.

I have completed a safe isolation course many years ago when working on the Eaga/Warmfront scheme. So could do with brushing up on this any way.