Approved Servicing scheme

Hot on the heels of the launch of the H009 training course HETAS is delighted to announce the launch of the HETAS Approved Servicing scheme for service and maintenance businesses. There is a streamlined entry route for applicants to the scheme through the new HETAS H009 Service and Maintenance Course.

The HETAS Approved Servicing scheme is aimed at the needs of:

Maintenance engineers looking to extend their work into solid fuel
Property management businesses responsible for checking open fires or solid fuel stoves
Chimney sweeps extending their accreditation to cover appliance servicing
Former installers of stoves now switching over to servicing and maintenance visits.

There is a streamlined entry route for applicants to the scheme through the new HETAS H009 Service and Maintenance Course. This will be ideal for servicing technicians to demonstrate the relevant knowledge and practical skill to assess dry solid fuel and/or woodfuel installations. For applicants who will not be installing appliances or liners, for the first time there is now a solid fuel course focused specifically on pre-existing stoves and flues. HETAS Training Centres across the country have opened bookings for the H009 course.

HETAS is recognised as the specialist solid fuel and biomass certification body. Consumers and businesses look for the assurance of HETAS accreditation when choosing capable local contractors. The new HETAS Approved Servicing logo will be the mark of a specialist maintenance technician. The many thousands of visitors to the HETAS website will be able to search for servicing businesses approved by HETAS and based in their area.

For an application pack for the Approved Servicing Scheme, please call HETAS Registration on 01684 278170 Option 2 or email [email protected].

FAQs

What range of services do I have to offer to get on the scheme?

All businesses wanting to register for HETAS Approved Servicing must have the competence to assess dry solid fuel installations and advise occupants/owners accordingly. The application form includes a list of core tasks that we would expect all solid fuel Approved Servicing businesses to be able to offer. Businesses may choose to add further activities for which they have the relevant competence. For boiler system maintenance, we will only accredit technicians who can demonstrate the relevant wet heating system background. Businesses choose, within their technical expertise, whether they want to focus on particular products or markets (e.g. which makes of appliance or what types of property)

Can HETAS Approved Servicing technicians assess and maintain gas fires?

No. The Gas Safe Register the only body licensed to certify domestic gas engineers in the UK. Some HETAS technicians may hold gas qualifications separately, and be dual registered with both schemes, but work on gas fires would be outside their HETAS registration.

Will HETAS do inspections of my servicing work?

Yes. For those whose work has not previously been inspected by us, the joining process for the HETAS Approved Servicing scheme will include an on-site visit to observe and check servicing of an existing appliance. If there are any non-conformances, the business will get a copy of the HETAS report and any items of competence they need to address. Registrants will be subject to further periodic surveillance, as it is critical for all involved that high safety standards are met.

If I am already registered with HETAS as an installer but I am not doing new installations, how do I transfer across to the new scheme?

Businesses currently without installation competencies who are accredited for “Service and Maintenance” will be reassigned to HETAS Approved Servicing later this year. We will contact each business to confirm details. New registration certificates and operative ID badges will be reissued when you do your annual scheme renewal. Unless there are unusual inspection requirements, annual fees for HETAS Approved Servicing registration will be the same as for Competent Person Scheme installers.

What if my training qualifications are out of date?

HETAS has decided to apply a five-year re-qualification period to the servicing scheme. This aligns with what has been required by MHCLG for all registered combustion appliance installers for some years and has now also been announced for the HETAS Approved Chimney Sweep scheme. With the availability for the first time of the new H009 Service and Maintenance Course, servicing technicians will have the option to re-qualify specifically on existing appliances, without having to take the full installation refresher course.

Will I do a notification to HETAS of every servicing visit?

No. The HETAS notification process (on-line system or by post) is for an installation which is a “controlled service” under Building Regulations. For servicing visits which do not include notifiable work, businesses will be required to issue a written record to the customer. For many, the HETAS Safety & Servicing Record would be a suitable form to use, and registered businesses may purchase these pads from the HETAS Shop. Every business should keep their own log of all visits they completed and any dangerous faults identified. You may be required to show HETAS your records periodically.

Will servicing technicians be able to replace flue liners?

No, that is outside the servicing scheme. A replacement flue liner is notifiable as an installation under Building Regulations in England and Wales (see Approved Document J paragraph 1.35). Only a HETAS Registered Installer (not a servicing technician) can self-certify the installation of a replacement flue liner through HETAS. If you are not registered as a Competent Person Scheme installer, you would have to notify a liner directly to Building Control, for which they are likely to charge a significant fee.

Can servicing technicians do chimney sweeping?

HETAS recommend that sweeping is carried out by a HETAS Approved Chimney Sweep. Our sweep scheme has been very successful, establishing the best standards of sweeping in conjunction with the three professional associations APICS, GMCS and NACS.