Question for boiler fitters/engineers.

[conny]

When you are asked to exchange a broken boiler for a new one do you visit the property before quoting or just ask the home owner/tenant a few questions over the phone?

When you go to do the job how many people does it normally take?
(Boiler is in accessible position in utility room, housed in a cupboard but with at least 3" either side and masses of space above and below).

We were told it would take one fitter 2 days and we wouldn't know he was there.

First day boiler is delivered at 7.45am Fitter turns up at 8.05 am. (Looks promising).
We had to go out so laid out tea, coffee, sugar, mug etc and said we would be back later so help himself to drink. We came back at 3.00pm to find the boiler still in the box in the kitchen, a smaller one mounted on the wall much lower down than the original, a big square hole for the new circular flue, 3 blokes, half a dozen dirty mugs, the garden table and chairs moved onto the grass and mess everywhere. They were told not to leave anything lying around outside or it would be binned.

Today we have had 4 gas blokes, 2 electricians and a ground worker!

Is this usual for a seemingly straight forward boiler swap?

 

[JBR]

British Gas?

 

[Plumber90]

That seems very odd indeed.

 

[FiremanT]

When you are asked to exchange a broken boiler for a new one do you visit the property before quoting or just ask the home owner/tenant a few questions over the phone?......................... They were told not to leave anything lying around outside or it would be binned.

Today we have had 4 gas blokes, 2 electricians and a ground worker!

Is this usual for a seemingly straight forward boiler swap?

With respect, Conny, you joined this site 6 years ago and made over 100 posts.
How come you got suckered?
Did you get a written QUOTE, did you read any T%C,s, have they broached the subject of extra charges yet?
How did your threat to bin their gear go down?
Are they nearly finished yet?

 

[longdogs]

We had our old system taken out and a combi fitted in the loft which meant plenty of new pipe work. it took two fitters one day but they had to come back for a couple of hours the next morning to finish off. It wasn't BG btw.

 

[conny]

Thanks guys. Should have mentioned its a rented property so I'm not paying.No, its not BG its a private company, (liveried vans of various sizes), all sanctioned by the landlady apparently. Forgot to mention they removed the battery from the smoke detector and failed to replace it. Only discovered this when I found a PP3 type battery on top of the tall freezer and upon looking up saw the detector open with no battery in it.

The threat to bin anything left lying around resulted in a clean up before they left yesterday, lol.

Today they have refitted the cupboard but cut a big slot out of the shelf to fit around the boiler instead of just lowering it down a few pegs!
Just in the middle of 'commissioning' it all. I'm curious as to what has happened to the boiler I signed for as it was still in the kitchen when we came home yesterday. They put it in one of the vans but I still have the delivery note with my signature. Surely they should have returned it to the supplier when they bought the smaller one?

 

[jockscott]

I'm curious as to what has happened to the boiler I signed for as it was still in the kitchen when we came home yesterday. They put it in one of the vans but I still have the delivery note with my signature. Surely they should have returned it to the supplier when they bought the smaller one?

Ahh yes. they took it back to the supplier.

 

[conny]

I'm curious as to what has happened to the boiler I signed for as it was still in the kitchen when we came home yesterday. They put it in one of the vans but I still have the delivery note with my signature. Surely they should have returned it to the supplier when they bought the smaller one?

Ahh yes. they took it back to the supplier.

Silly me! Of course they did!

 

[conny]

Well, boiler is fitted and he made sure all mess was cleaned up and taken away. Mind you, he did so after the 'stare' from my house partner! Lol. (She could outstare Evanda Hollyfield or whatever his name is!)

Everything seems to be in working order but only time will tell. Just glad it wasn't the ex-military 'fitter' who comes and takes 3 hours to try and stop a dripping overflow, (caused by a piece of wood from the tank cover resting on the ball cock), and then drives off without turning the mains back on! When he did come back to turn it on the damned thing was still leaking! He had broken something on the inlet valve and had to fit a new one the following night. Heaven help anyone he does gas fitting for!

 

[LastMagicBean]

We were told it would take one fitter 2 days and we wouldn't know he was there.

Coz he wouldn't be. He'd be upstairs drinking tea, checking out the wife's knicker drawer.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Some tenants can be a right pain in the arris.