Plumber taking the Mick!

[Inderpal]

Hi peeps I need you advice

Had plastering decorating done three radiators removed.

Found a gas safe plumber well known in the area asked him to fit the three rads back and fix a loss of pressure on the boiler pr valve. He turns up first day I hand him the radiator brackets . He puts on the first rad which doesn't line up with the pipes he can't figure out why . He then said he will need to do a elbow so the rad fits on the pipe work . I disagree as the pipe work should line up hasnt been changed . He drills loads of new screw holes on a new plastered wall and then finally gets the rad on .

Goes to put on the second one and realises the brackets are all different hence why first one didn't line up with the original screw holes .

Leaves after a few hours says need to collect his kids will come back following day . Comes back finished the job. I notice the boiler pressure is dropping look at the rads the new thermostats valves he put on are leaking. Wet patch on my newly painted celling .

He comes back today admits his fault . Fixes the vavle but whilst putting on a new pipe soldering it burns my white skirting to yellow ! He agrees he will send a friend who decorates to re paint the celling and skirting

After he leaves I notice one of the rads is still leaking from the valve very small leak but defo leaking . I have isolated the rad and it's still leaking . I call him he says he can't come back until Monday now is too busy

Is this a **** take or is it just me !!
Shall I ask for some money back . I'm annoyed he is not bothering to come back for a leak . I'm having to put a carrier bag under the valve so my laminate doesn't get damaged

 

[Deleted member 267285]

Monday is too late imo for a leak he has caused, containable or not. If he will not return I’d be looking at getting someone else and charging him for it.

 

[johnny2007]

He's not a plumber.
I'm not a plumber and in my days only had a couple of tails dripping after I fitted the radiators.
A real plumber should leave the house leak free.
With regards to positioning, it's not as easy as it seems.
You either are good at measuring by the mm or you need to "dry fit" the radiator and then fix the brackets.
Positioning the radiator on bricks and spacers in the correct spot and then marking the brackets position usually works.

 

[Nige F]

Yeah but he's Gas Safe

 

[Madrab]

You kinda need to give him the opportunity to fix it, tell him he has till later to come and fix it as it is not acceptable to leave something leaking and causing damage and if he doesn't come and fix it you will then get another plumber to fix it and send him the bill.

Once it's fixed then then ask him to make good the damage/ask for his liability insurance details.

 

[Deleted member 294929]

I do feel for customers as there are so many shocking sound alike plumbers out there.

 

[JP_]

Yep. I recently had to get another plumber in to replace a leaking copper pipe that was only installed a year ago. Had to rip out a new floor.
The previous plumber was there all day, I suspect a bit new.

 

[Deleted member 294929]

Yep. I recently had to get another plumber in to replace a leaking copper pipe that was only installed a year ago. Had to rip out a new floor.
The previous plumber was there all day, I suspect a bit new.

The problem is we have a new generation of push fit plumbers that can't solder so either use push fit or compression fittings when End feed copper is the better choice

 

[Deleted member 294929]

⁴

 

[Notch7]

Yeah but he's Gas Safe

but clearly not leak safe

 

[Notch7]

Hi peeps I need you advice

Had plastering decorating done three radiators removed.

Found a gas safe plumber well known in the area asked him to fit the three rads back and fix a loss of pressure on the boiler pr valve. He turns up first day I hand him the radiator brackets . He puts on the first rad which doesn't line up with the pipes he can't figure out why . He then said he will need to do a elbow so the rad fits on the pipe work . I disagree as the pipe work should line up hasnt been changed . He drills loads of new screw holes on a new plastered wall and then finally gets the rad on .

Goes to put on the second one and realises the brackets are all different hence why first one didn't line up with the original screw holes .

Leaves after a few hours says need to collect his kids will come back following day . Comes back finished the job. I notice the boiler pressure is dropping look at the rads the new thermostats valves he put on are leaking. Wet patch on my newly painted celling .

He comes back today admits his fault . Fixes the vavle but whilst putting on a new pipe soldering it burns my white skirting to yellow ! He agrees he will send a friend who decorates to re paint the celling and skirting

After he leaves I notice one of the rads is still leaking from the valve very small leak but defo leaking . I have isolated the rad and it's still leaking . I call him he says he can't come back until Monday now is too busy

Is this a **** take or is it just me !!
Shall I ask for some money back . I'm annoyed he is not bothering to come back for a leak . I'm having to put a carrier bag under the valve so my laminate doesn't get damaged

I am not a plumber, but Ive recently fitted 6 new radiators in my house.

I learnt its a job that involves a surprising range of skills and lots of know how -especially as in my case most of the rad lockshields had leaked and somebody had overtightened every joint till the olive was mashed into the rad tail

Im impressed by the skills of pro plumbers how fit new rads in a couple of hours -it was taking me all day to do 1 by the time I had carpet up, floorboards up adjust pipework for new rad sizes blah blah blah




the brackets are a head scratcher -luckily many years of cabinetmaking made it pretty easy -I marked the rad tail positions on the wall, then marked the centre, then worked from that. Height is done by by working out distance from centre of rad tails to top of bracket.
(although I discovered the brackets can slip if you only fix at the slots as per instructions, so learnt to put a screw in one of the holes)


as for leaking lockshields I use Fernox LSX around the olive -fingers crossed its worked for me every time so far

 

[Notch7]

The problem is we have a new generation of push fit plumbers that can't solder so either use push fit or compression fittings when End feed copper is the better choice

I do like the look of neatly soldered copper -especially where a plumber does all nice and neat around a boiler with all the pipe work dead parallel and neatly clipped.

 

[Deleted member 294929]

I do like the look of neatly soldered copper -especially where a plumber does all nice and neat around a boiler with all the pipe work dead parallel and neatly clipped.

Maybe you've seen some of my work I've posted. If your going to charge a fair whack then at least give the customer a decent standard of work.

 

[Notch7]

Maybe you've seen some of my work I've posted. If your going to charge a fair whack then at least give the customer a decent standard of work.

Yeah I think I have, its very good.

do you use push fit for ceiling voids, studwork etc - like running hot and cold feeds?

Im doing a downstairs bathroom and wasn’t sure whether to use copper or plastic.

 

[JP_]

The problem is we have a new generation of push fit plumbers that can't solder so either use push fit or compression fittings when End feed copper is the better choice

this was copper. Probably flux left in a cheap pipe, or so suggested by new plumber.