BOILER PASSPORT

From 1st September 2009, Irish Boiler manufacturers will issue a 'Boiler Passport' with every boiler manufactured within the territories of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The boiler passport has been prepared in consultation with OFTEC, and is designed to provide a means by which consumers will receive a property installed and commissioned appliance that meets current Building Regulations.

This initiative has been developed to deal with a problem encountered in Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland whereby formal commissioning of a boiler/system does not take to boiler breakdowns - which manufactures fund - are due to incorrect boiler installation or commissioning, or due to lack of servicing.

The Boiler Passport is a booklet containing a Commissioning Certificate, a number of Service Report Forms and instructions/ "Golden Rules" about how it is to be used. It will work in a way similar to a car's pre-delivery inspection and service/log book.

The Commissioning Certificate will be completed in triplicate and the top copy is required to be torn off and sent by the commissioning technician to the manufacturer. The second copy can be torn and sent by the commissioning technician to the manufacturer. The second copy can be torn off and retained for the technician's own records, and the bottom copy remains with the Passport. The Service Report forms will be filled in annually and will remain in the Passport.

Please note that the Boiler Passport will be physically attached to all the boilers manufactured by the member companies concerned from mid-September 2009, and that it is likely that these boilers will start entering the supply chain in Ireland - i.e. being sold to installers - from Mid-September/October 2009.

Receipt of a duly filled in Commissioning Certificate will be required by the manufacturers concerned before they issue a warranty on the installed boiler. It is a condition of the Commissioning Certificate that it is filled in by a "Competent Person". By 2010/2011 the definition of such a Person will be that he/she to be either an OFTEC registrant or a member of another recognised Competent Persons Scheme.

OFTEC has support from Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) for the initiative.