Central Heating Nightmare - Please help me!

[humbug]

I really need some advice from a skilled plumber about central heating installation.
We are having central heating fitted and the plumber is doing all sorts of strange pipe work and visible pipes etc. It is a fairly old house, about 100 yrs, mid terrace, the standard victorian kind, and has wooden floors and brick walls. I feel that he is short cutting by putting the pipes in strange places such as at the top of the stairs where there is a step up either side he is putting the pipes across the gap, against the wall but then bending round about a foot and into the wooden step. I dont know if this makes any sense, or if anyone understands this. There are also other weird things and some strange 'industrial sculpture' in the living room going through the wall into the kitchen cupboard.
i am finding it really hard to explain, but if anyone can help me i can show you photos!
My boyfriend uses this site and thinks its great. He is away for work and I didnt know what else to do but hope that someone here can help me.
Please!

 

[chrishutt]

If you can post the photos, we might be able to give an opinion (or 10). Admin may be able to help with posting photos. Without photos I don't think any of us could say anything.

In general, I would expect to discuss pipe runs with customer before proceeding, especially where exposed, just to avoid the sort of situation you're describing. Even if he's doing it properly, there's no excuse for not checking with customer if you're around.

 

[humbug]

I have tried to speak to him but he just laughs and is very loud and scary. I know I am not a plumber, but I have seen other peoples central heating installations and never seen anythign like what is happening in my home.
I dont think there is a way to upload photos onto the site, at least not into the forum. If there is it will be one of those html programmey thingys that I don't know about!
I could email photos? Or is that being cheeky? I just have no idea what to do and I don't have anyone to ask apart from you guys!

 

[chrishutt]

Ah, humbug....that's a strange name to adopt. Kind of suggests someone who is a wind-up merchant?

If you're genuine, which I'm beginning to doubt, then get your photos downloaded, other people have managed it.

 

[humbug]

my name is Karen, Humbug is my cat!
i have no idea how to put photos on here, or where to go to find out.
i am sorry that you think i am wasting your time, i really really did think that someone might be able to help me.

 

[chrishutt]

My apologies. We do get wind-up merchants occasionally and have to be on our guard. But a cat called humbug sounds very convincing to me. I think the procedure for posting photos is to email them to admin, who will post them for you. Can you try that?

 

[Gasman1015]

What good would advice be to you, If the work is currently being done then stop them until your boyfriend returns, give them your reasons, what do you suppose they would say if you told them that a virtual reality professional on the world wide web suggested they were not doing it correctly, well they might leave while laughing.

 

[chrishutt]

This link may help you posting photos on this site.

I have tried to speak to him but he just laughs and is very loud and scary.

This suggests that you should terminate the work immediately. Such behaviour is not acceptable. It is your home and you are the customer, so a respectful attitude on the part of the installer is always required.

 

[humbug]

Chris- thank you! There is an IMG icon on the message form, and i think i use that and get the pictures from somewhere, I am going to have a go at it, but it may take me a few minutes to work it out.

gasman- I see what you mean, but they will want to be paid and i figured that if soemone told me it was right or wrong then at least it would make me feel better about it and I could do something about it too.

I am going to try with the photos now!
[/img]

 

[chrishutt]

Try this approach to posting photos - "if you do not have your own website, if the diy admin team consider it acceptable and relevant they will post it for you, but first you must email the image to them.

They can be emailed at [email protected]"

Did you see the bit I added on to my last post?

 

[humbug]

no, i didnt see it!
Thank you!
i do have a website, so i am going to upload them onto the server and take it from there! This is all new to me!
Thank you for being so helpful.

 

[chrishutt]

I'll stay up a bit longer to catch them (I'm feeling guilty now for doubting you).

But really, irrespective of the quality of the work, it is fundamental that an installer working in someones home behaves in a civilised way and does his best to maintain the confidence of the customer.

Is the installer the person you asked to do the work, or an employee or sub-contractor of that person? Did you not meet the installer before asking him to carry out the work?

 

[humbug]

I cant do it!
I can put them on the server, but I can't get a URL for it. I dont know enough about what I am trying to do! I am sorry to make you wait up! I will send them to the admin people and hope that they can help. Looking at the photos it doesnt look as bad as in reality.
It is the person I met who is doing it! He was recommended to me! He started off being really nice, but now I feel really uncomfortable and it is hard to talk to him.
I will send the pix to admin, I dont know how long it takes for them to process things, but it is worth a go.
You have made me feel more positive about it already, so at least that is something- thank you.[/img]

 

[chrishutt]

If it helps, you can email the photos to me using the email address in my profile (go back to main topic list and click on one of the blue "chrishutt"s).

You're obviously in a difficult situation. You have entered into a contract with the installer and it is difficult to renege on this, unless you have good evidence that the installer's work or behaviour is unacceptable. There are always two sides to these things, so we don't assume that your account is the whole story.

Is he Corgi registered? If not, was this made clear at the outset? If not, that would be good grounds for terminating the work (assuming the installer is carrying out the boiler and gas installation).

What about trying to sit down with the installer tomorrow morning and trying to discuss your concerns with him, ideally with a friend sitting in as well to act as referee and peace keeper (and witness/ambulance caller if things turn nasty!)?

 

[humbug]

Hi Chris, I looked at the thread you had shown me and it said about photobucket, so i just put my photos on there. Here they are... i hope.

I know there are always two sides to things, he is corgi registered as far as i have been told, much of his work in the house is neat- like the boiler, but he keeps telling me things like he doesnt want to drill through the wall because its too much effort, so he wants to something else that is less asthetically pleasing, and i am trying to be easy going about it but it is upsetting me now because i feel worried about making him annoyed. sounds silly i know, any way here goes with the photos. IF you tell me that they are right then i wil trust you and sleep well, if you think they are a little odd then i will get someone else to come to the house and take a look. The house is a bit messy because we are trying to do it up, we have had it all replastered downstairs and are trying to be kind to it, but its no reason to not take care of it, and in the one with the cd they have damaged the skirting with their drill! (poor moaning me!)

here goes!