Oftec

[RodLeach]

Is anyone here oftec registered?

I want to get into training to take (i believe) part 101E and 105 - assuming i remembered it right - thats servicing and commissioning of Oil fired boilers.

Ive been training as an apprentice plumber for a few years now and whilst it was awesome the current scale were on is more then i want to do, Were currently doing a large refurbishment job at Thope Park - the hours are just killing me! Worse still we have a massive job in London, I'll have to leave my house by 5am. Im 20 an i have no life... I WONT live to work, not now!

Im deadly serious about getting trained up and starting my own boiler servicing company.

I just need to find out about getting trained from base level to qualified! There website is almost useless. I know theres work for it around here - ive met several people who cant find a service technician for love nor money!

I just need pointing in the right direction! Hoping someone here might know something about it - cuz normally we can get everything covered here!

cheers guys! My future is in your hands.... kinda

[darkdezigns]

on a side note can u get cheap thorpe park tickets?lol

[RodLeach]

on a side note can u get cheap thorpe park tickets?lol

Nah sorry mate!

Parks open this week - i think were allowed on the rides, but we wont be going on them!

plus point is KFC will be open

[Snorkel]

plus point is KFC will be open

didn't you watch any of the stuff with Hugh and Jamie Oliver about those chickens? haha

As for your problem, don't worry too much about the hours (no life etc), you have time on your side, while you may have to work hard now it doesn't mean your whole life will be like that.

My advice is stick with one thing and hang in there for a while to get to a good level. I changed jobs umpteen times funding various adventures, hence always stayed in low positions with no real link between work experience, however, while I had some fun, most of my 20's has been doing 70+hrs/wk, and even now doing between 84-103hrs/wk. It'll pay off, but for you, it'll pay off sooner as long as you stick it out, as I said you really do have time on your side. But if you're good, with a good head, then your own business is definately the way to go!

[Snorkel]

..to add:-

not having a life is one thing, but having spare time and no money to enjoy it is quite another!! always wondering if that next pint is really worth it? kinda sucks.

[Tiger]

If you have a good base knowlede and experiance then there are places up and down the country that do 2 week corgi courses for about 2.5 K
But you do need practicle experiance
There a few around here called gas logic

[RodLeach]

..to add:-

not having a life is one thing, but having spare time and no money to enjoy it is quite another!! always wondering if that next pint is really worth it? kinda sucks.

a very valid point mate. I know that if this fails i can have my current job back without any majour problems. But its something that i really want to try.

I have brought pretty much everything that i wanna buy at the moment. I have almost no outgoings, so im not that worried about men in suits coming to take away my worldly belongings!

I think its a stepping stone i have to take.

Ask any plumber an 9/10 say that they "f**kin hate it, cr*p job"
I always get positive comments from people outside of the trade who believe we earn in excess of £100,000 a year saying "good for you! great job"

Its easy to say that when your not handing someone elses sh!t an messing up your knees!!
I'd be interested to know if plumb bob agrees that plumbing is a bit erm... rubbish!?!

Either way - ive enjoyed it till now on the smaller scale, If i wanted to work in london i'd have payed more attention in I.T lessons!

[gwh200]

com round and service mrs gwh if you want rod,she's an old boiler

[G@ZZ@]

Seen this

Seen this but dont know if its any use to you http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WORCESTER-OIL-...QQcmdZViewItem

[MattF]

com round and service mrs gwh if you want rod,she's an old boiler

Ooh, I hope she reads this........ (Just out of curiosity, btw, somebody actually agreed to marry you)?

[mckirdy-services]

Good luck! honestly we get up to 10 letters a week from people wanting training many offering to work for free just to get the time served experience.

My advice would be to stick where you are at the moment, working on heating systems can be just as dirty and messy as working on soil pipe etc.

I did the frist bit of actual hands on plumbing work this year today, my overalls are a bit tight , must be all the pies i keep eating in the office.



anyway, good luck

[plumb bob]

Hi Rod, I've recently taken a job off the tools, for various reasons, my knees being one of them, and the fact that it'll below zero uot there tomorrow, and I'll be in a warm office drinking coffee

I've done some work on oil boilers in the past, and this is my take on it.

The reason you've come across several people who can't find an oil engineer to service their boiler will be for a couple of reasons;

1) their boiler is so old/decrepit that no-one wants to touch it

2) most oil boilers are in the sticks, and the travel time to and from the job takes the profit away.

3) there aren't enough oil boilers in a close enough area to make it worthwhile someone taking the exams to earn back the investment.

4) Who wants to work on smelly oil boilers? you just stink of diesel all day

The only oil engineers around these days are mainly employed by the bigger firms, and they don't do it all the time, just when needed, most of their work will be on gas.

And if you wanted sensible hours, then forget plumbing of any sort, people think you have no life, and phone you up at 10.30 on a sunday night to book up for a survey for a new boiler. They have no concern for your life/family/weekend.
That's why a lot of plumbers screw the punter, it's a case of screw or get screwed.

No I don't miss it, and nor do my Knees.

[RodLeach]

My advice would be to stick where you are at the moment, working on heating systems can be just as dirty and messy as working on soil pipe etc.

True, heating systems are dirty. But given the choice i'd rather put my hand in a bucket of black water then a bucket of Sh1t!!

Hi Rod, I've recently taken a job off the tools, for various reasons, my knees being one of them, and the fact that it'll below zero uot there tomorrow, and I'll be in a warm office drinking coffee

I've done some work on oil boilers in the past, and this is my take on it.

The reason you've come across several people who can't find an oil engineer to service their boiler will be for a couple of reasons;

1) their boiler is so old/decrepit that no-one wants to touch it

2) most oil boilers are in the sticks, and the travel time to and from the job takes the profit away.

3) there aren't enough oil boilers in a close enough area to make it worthwhile someone taking the exams to earn back the investment.

4) Who wants to work on smelly oil boilers? you just stink of diesel all day

The only oil engineers around these days are mainly employed by the bigger firms, and they don't do it all the time, just when needed, most of their work will be on gas.

And if you wanted sensible hours, then forget plumbing of any sort, people think you have no life, and phone you up at 10.30 on a sunday night to book up for a survey for a new boiler. They have no concern for your life/family/weekend.
That's why a lot of plumbers screw the punter, it's a case of screw or get screwed.

No I don't miss it, and nor do my Knees.

Valid points mate!!

Im happy to work odd hours - but i wont do early till late. If someone calls me late then they should expect to be billed accordinly for it. I would happily go out at 3am to repair a problem should the need arise - it just wont be free!!!

One of the advantages of being in romsey is that its pretty much all in the sticks. With Winchester/salisbury/Mottisfont etc etc (loads!!) i know there is enough work for me to plod along with it.

Im just torn to be honest, Oftec seems like an answer to my problems. So i really want to give it a shot!

My CV would look really very unimpressive an blank so changing career is something that i personally find a bit... scary!

[plumb bob]

True, heating systems are dirty. But given the choice i'd rather put my hand in a bucket of black water then a bucket of Sh1t!!




Valid points mate!!

Im happy to work odd hours - but i wont do early till late. If someone calls me late then they should expect to be billed accordinly for it. I would happily go out at 3am to repair a problem should the need arise - it just wont be free!!!

One of the advantages of being in romsey is that its pretty much all in the sticks. With Winchester/salisbury/Mottisfont etc etc (loads!!) i know there is enough work for me to plod along with it.

Im just torn to be honest, Oftec seems like an answer to my problems. So i really want to give it a shot!

My CV would look really very unimpressive an blank so changing career is something that i personally find a bit... scary!

Your CV will look blank untill you've been doing it a few years and done a few different things, and got some experience ( there's that word again) which takes time. I think the average oil boiler service will cost about £65-£85 ( and can take 1-2 hours)But if you only do 3 a day due to travelling, you wont make much profit by the time you cost out vehicle expenses and training. oftec costs more than corgi, and I don't think it is mandatory yet ( I could be wrong) so there's no need to get registered at all to begin with, but working for a bigger firm is the way to go initially, so you can gain the practical experience of working on the pressure jet burners, the latest condensing boilers, and of course all those 40 year old gravity fed AGA's and Raeburns, mmmmmmmm, nice.

Of course the name of the game is safety, and these types of boiler ( or any type actually) can be very dangerous when tinkered with by unqualifed/inexperienced people.