Where does liability end

[watertight]

Guys,

Went to fit a kitchen tap for a customer a few days ago. Got a call on Saturday evening from the customer saying that their manual Aqualisa shower was not working (cold water fine, no hot water). Advised them that it may have been an air lock. Advised them to keep the shower on hot to see if it cleared on it's own.

I phoned them first thing on Sunday to see if it had cleared, it hadn't. I decided to go out there and then to see if I could help. When I got there I found that the shower had not been installed as specified in the instructions. While the cold was a dedicated feed from the tank above (with gate valve), the hot feed was teed off from the hand basin, with no isolation and no access to this pipework at all. Furthermore the shroud over the shower (hiding the inlets to the shower) had been siliconed to the wall and could not be pulled off.

After trying to see if it was an airlock and failing I took the shower valve apart as much as was possible. Unfortunately I could not gain access to the supply pipework t the inlets because of the siliconed shroud. Unfortunately I could not solve the problem.

My question is this. I got paid £40 to fit the tap, am I liable for the problems with the shower, after all I only turned off the hot water at the cylinder and drained down (there were no isolating valves under the sink). The house is only 3 years old (built by Redrow). I always try and assist if a problem occurs after a job (even when unrelated), yesterday for example took up 2 hours of my time. Should I be charging more for the additional time. I'd appreciate your opinions.

Many thanks,

Mark

 

[Bahco]

Might be a good idea to check ch, dhw is ok prior to commencing work with the client present.
I always do this and get the client to turn off the water.Stoptaps are notorious for sticking and if there is a problem the client will say ' It was alright before you touched it'
With regard to your problem I would charge for extra work, pointing out that the shower has not been correctly fitted. You could try and remove airlock via washing machine valve.
Always check first as some people will try to have you over

 

[watertight]

Thanks Bacho,

Tried the washing machine tap trick, placed a stop end over the vent pipe on hot water, ensured all hot water taps were turned off - no luck though, not even a dribble through the shower.

Do customers find it strange when you ask them to turn off the hot water? I've experienced seized gate valves so many times that I sometimes mention it to the customer prior to turning them off.

I know some customers are more unscrupulous then others, do you have any advice on how to deal with them?


Mark

 

[kevplumb]

have you tryed running the shower with the head off

 

[Bahco]

I know some customers are more unscrupulous then others, do you have any advice on how to deal with them?


Mark

Good communication with the client and thorough checking of system before laying your hands on anything

 

[PEDANTICVINDICTIVEMAN]

Difficult one when trying to keep customer happy, if they are using you as their regular plumber/gas service fitter and are genuine types, it sometimes pays to waive charging anything on these sort of occasions, I normally make it up over a period of time with the repeat work which it normally brings later on, each individuall case has to be reveiwed as what to do.

 

[watertight]

Thanks guys,

Did remove shower head and laid hose on shower floor to increase head of water - no luck though.

As for customer he was a bit snooty with me, didn't inspire me to work for free, although I did.

Mark

 

[kevplumb]

are you sure the shower was working before you started
have been caught like this before

 

[ollski]

are you sure the shower was working before you started
have been caught like this before

Spot on Kev.....I would say you've done the job you quoted for but you would gladly do the additional work on the shower for free when the appliance has been brought up to the manufacturers installation specs, which you could do as an additional chargeable job...you will be getting dragged in to all sorts of nightmare jobs otherwise.

 

[kevplumb]

not just me then

 

[DP]

Some customers have blinkers on along with earmuffs. They see and hear only what they want.

Went to one yesterday. Gave him the hourly rate on the phone, and then again before starting work. Also gave him option of repair or full service. Suggested he be a spectator while I did the work.

When job completed, what does he do? Compalins about the time take despite being told before hand.

 

[PEDANTICVINDICTIVEMAN]

We need a trade blacklist of bad customers to protect all trades, so that persistent non payers and unnessarily awkward customers will find it very difficult to get proper tradesmen to do any work for them, this will be of their own making.
My Daughter has just got rid of a bad lodger, it has now transpired that this individual has been a problem with other people before on more than one occasion, now someone else will have to go through it again wherever this person goes next.
They dont seem to have a problem with society having bad credit lists to protect banks etc, so I dont see why the building trade cant have something similar.
Oh yea I have had customers who go deaf and blind when it comes to understanding that it is their property or appliance which is allready faulty and nothing to do with what I have done at the opposite end of the house,
had one lady make out that because I had rewashered her bath taps, that this had blocked the main sewage drain in the yard

 

[watertight]

Sounds like it's not just me then

I've thought of having a form that the customer signs prior to starting work, this would have small print on the back saying that there is no liability for anything that is beyond my control, this would solve problems where faults are going to occur due to bad installation etc etc. However I'd feel uncomfortable if I was the customer having to sign such a form.

I once worked for a customer who was a solicitor, he ended up hanging, drawing and quatering me because I only told him verbally that he needed certain items prior to fitting them. "When did you put it in writing?" was his way of conning me out of a load of money. After he threatened me with trading standards I decided that I'd never work for a solicitor again.

Anyone got any good ideas on how to get revenge on such people?

 

[ChrisR]

Yes lots. All illegal. But very effective when dropped into jocular conversation, like "I'll get my mate to pop round. Professional fly-tipper."

 

[ill_wind]

Saw an aqualisa van parked outside a redrow house yesterday had this guy come to fix the problem or was it just coincedence?

Whenever you go to carry out work on existing equipment you are always going to be at the mercy of the customer telling you something worked previously when it did not!