Invalidated BSS certificate

IN SUPPORT of Graham Freeman's recent submission to your excellent web pages, regarding invalidating one's BSS Certificate, last year I undertook some significant work on my narrowboat Gulliver's galley, writes John Howard.

I replaced both the gas cooker and gas hob in the process. In my naivety not only did I enlist the help of a non 'Marine LPG Gas-safe' qualified engineer, but I also had not appreciated that these works had  invalidated my BSS certificate and therefore my boat insurance policy!

My wife and I are retired live-aboard continuous cruisers, and therefore the majority of our 'worldly goods' are in our narrowboat. Any incident and potential insurance claim failure would therefore be disastrous for us.

Fortunately for us we found out about this failure on our part, and have subsequently had the gas work checked (which had to be significantly replaced in order to meet Marine LPG Gas-safe regulations!) by a properly qualified engineer who has provided us with the appropriate certification to support our current BSS Cert until its renewal next year.

Be wary

Your readership should be wary of using non Marine LPG Gas Safe engineers, as their homes may be at risk for the sake of paying possibly a smidgen more for a professional service. In these circumstances, if you are offered a 'deal for cash', my advice is 'walk away' and contact a BSS Engineer to find a qualified engineer who won't put your home and worse yet your lives at risk.