British Gas installation disaster

[DELBOY28]

Hi, i had a completely new central heating system installed by British Gas in November.
They installed a Gloworm Micron 60FF boiler and 7 new radiators a new pump and all new pipework.
From day one it has been a nightmare.
Now 2 months on we are onto our 2nd boiler, 2nd pump and we have had over 14 damaged radiators delivered (Myson).
Our main problems have centered around noise issues.
BG have had the upstairs floor up 4 times to sort out expansion and contraction issues. They have failed miserably. The constant knocking noises coming from the pipework is driving us to distraction.
Also the 'system noise' is very bad.
They have balanced the valves, we have reduced the pump output all to no avail. Gloworm engineers have been round and taken water away for analysis.
The system is open-vented so the air in the system should leave of its own accord. Though we have bled the rads on several occassions air in the system is still a problem.
I'm due a visit by British Gas top brass on Monday. i'm sure they will tell me they have nothing new to offer to help my situation. Has this happened to anyone else out there?

 

[doitall]

Should have said what sort of noise, creaking/clicking pipes are where they are too tight through the joists or plaster board, holes too tight where the pipes exit the floor through the boards will make noise.

Noise when the system is running is the head, pump on the wrong setting, no auto by-pass, pipes too small.

Need a complete run down on whats installed to go further.

 

[PEDANTICVINDICTIVEMAN]

Ohhhhhhhhh your the one who used BG, well they must have rubbed their hands when they saw you coming, what convinced you, the nice salesman, the free shower/alarm system (not), the glossy commercial with ricky tomlinson, jeez where do you think the money goes, not on your system which any decent CORGI guy could have fitted you about a £1000.00 cheaper
and fitted a damn site better, go on I dare you to tell us how much you paid for it all,l go on go on go on go go on.

 

[ollski]

not on your system which any decent CORGI guy could have fitted you about a £1000.00 cheaper
and fitted a damn site better.

Much as I hate to pick holes how can you tell someone they could have got an installation about 1000.00 cheaper when you don't have any idea of the cost in the first place....not saying your wrong but blindly slating anything BG does is pointless.A good percentage of BG installation has recently been done by contractors anyway who are very often responsible for shoddy install jobs (not always of course!).
14 damaged radiators are ordered and delivered to site by plumbcenter so hard to fix blame on BG, and also there is the fact that perhaps that extra money was worth spending for the fact that BG have already made 4 return visits plus manufacturers plus still ongoing efforts to sort it out wheras with your discounted installation you are clinging to the hope that he may still pick up his mobile when your number flashes up....but hey it's all swings and roundabouts I'm just trying to be impartial.

 

[PEDANTICVINDICTIVEMAN]

I dont do "discount" jobs., I dont use cheap materials.
Every quote of BG's I have seen is allways approx £1000.00 dearer and for using a cheaper boiler, same with boiler swops, they actually agreed to knock off £1000.00 from their quote for a Micron and cylinder swop to try and win the customer from me, I hadn't quoted to do it cheap to start with, I couldn't believe they offered to knock so much off blatantly admitting the quote was inflated to start with, the mind boggles.

Bg overcharge bigtime, pay contractors a smaller amount, syphon off money
for salesmen ect ect ect, why would anyone with half a brain use them.

 

[gasman]

BG are probably the biggest CH installers in the world. There are 10 sucess stories to 1 bad one. They are an easy target.

 

[corgiman]

BG are probably the biggest CH installers in the world. There are 10 sucess stories to 1 bad one. They are an easy target.

very true

I hear horror stories all the time about BG but only disgruntled (funny word that have you ever been gruntled????) clients for one obvious reason BG have let them down, I would be rolling in it if they let more of their clients down

 

[namsag]

Gasman you will also have been told in that sales meeting that the disgruntled customer will tell a hell of a lot more people than the happy one does. Will never understand why people pay top price to BG for an expert installation and don`t demand direct labour if your going to accept a contractor why not pay them direct and save a fortune. Have never heard of BG trying to price match ever, especially now as every price is computer generated with only slight leeway only thing they can offer is the price of a heat exchanger and labour (off job total) to contract customer changing a leaking boiler. To a maximum of no more than about £500 .Corgiman nothing wrong with a bit of grumble and grunt

 

[kevplumb]

been dised a few times but dont recall ever being gruntled

 

[DELBOY28]

The noise is constant knocking/banging from pipes.
Even the occassional boiing! if that makes sense.
BG have had engineers round here for hours at a tim e and failed to cure the expansion contraction noises.
The constant system noise is still here.
BG say my system is "fit for purpose" and i have to start paying for it.
So i'm taking them to court.
Wish me luck.
Obviously the court will have to appont an independent person to assess the problems. Does anyone know how such a procedure works?
Here is a list of what has been installed:
Grundfos 15-60 130 pump
Gloworm Micron 60ff boiler
Gas pipe 15mm x 3m
Gas pipe 22mm x 3m
Micron 30-80 standard top flue
Micron 30-80 extended top flue
RC controls (22mm 3port)
Albion Superduty High Recovery Cylinder
UP2 dual channel programmer

 

[PEDANTICVINDICTIVEMAN]

What are the radiators piped up with ?

 

[DELBOY28]

piped up with?
sorry for being thick i don't understand the question.
Please explain.

 

[PEDANTICVINDICTIVEMAN]

Plastic or copper pipe

 

[DELBOY28]

copper pipe.

 

[PEDANTICVINDICTIVEMAN]

Copper pipeing does transmit noise more than plastic and if tight in joists etc will creak and click a lot, I would have to hear the noises for myself to know whether it is normal and you are being overussy or the noise is excessive and you have a legit complaint.
I have had a couple of customers one now an ex customer, as I have refused to do anymore work for one them, one complains about a drone from the boiler fan but hasn't decided to replace it yet, (sounds fine to me) he has a problem with any sort of noise, apparantly had the dishwasher people back over what he thought was a noise, another customer insisted transco replaced the gas meter as he reckoned he could hear it making a noise, then he reckoned he could hear the new one and packed it in polystyrene, (I dont go to them anymore), they also have 6 bins and recycle there nose hairs are vegitarians and think burglars are fictional characters, thing is, different people have different ideas as to what is noise and what isn't, another one of my customers used to live next door to the railway line, so when they had a combi in the bedroom cupboard whirring away it didn't even register on their ears to them.

Questions to be asked-

1. Have you had CH before and is it noisier than the your old system.
2. Are you customers from hell and find something wrong with everything you have done, double glazing, patio, blockpaved drive, new car, new suite, etc etc. be honest with yourseves.
3. Are you sensetive to noise in general, kids from the estate, radio, TV, ticking clock etc etc.
4. Are you after some money off and do this with everything, restuarant, cloths shops, etc etc
5. Are your eyes to close together like GW. Bush, do your eyebrows meet in the middle, do have the git gene etc.

If none of the above apply and BG have made a pigs ear of your CH take them to the cleaners with my blessing.