You guys have been absolutely great over the years helping me on numerous occasions overcome plumbing problems. I read this post with some scepticism yesterday but the poor woman's despair was brought home to me very early this morning.
Yes her husband, a friend of mine from the pub, phoned in desperation and asked me to go round. I was met with water pouring through the ceiling and when he led me upstairs the sight that met me was unbelievable. Unsupportd pipework, 7 inch joists, notched down to 21/2 inches, electric wires trapped by the new pipes etc.
However the worst was the pipework that had been altered. Original copper pipes cut, teed off and new piping in plastic speedfit. Ok this should be fine but not one of the joints, there are over twenty, had been locked off by twisting clockwise. Two of the joints to copper pipes were "spirting" water prodigiously. I pushed them together locked them off along with all the others and leaks through ceiling stopped.
Now to the shower not working. This is one of these "tardis" cabinets with jets coming from everywhere! I would imagine any plumber worth his salt would have fitted a flange, Essex preferably, but at least warrix/surrey. No the hot was taken from the main hot water system pipe, not immediately as it leaves the cylinder but way down by the floor!
Plumber had sent the woman out three times to buy new pumps, the first one failing to work after two showers! He was testing the shower by plugging into 13amp plug socket although obviously the pump leads were just tails and had to be plugged. You have probably guessed it two days work trying to get this shower to work at all was due to the original shower being fitted with a plug taken off a table lamp (3amps) which had blowned after the two showers taken with the first pump. Changed the fuse to 5 amp (I know this has to be run out of fused outlet etc, but just wanted to see if shower worked) pump sprang into life!!! The plumber had already contacted Showerforce, who are sending engineer out Monday.
You guys do not deserve to have such people representing your profession, this guy was 40+ and had been at it a few years i understand. He has been told to sling his hook, quite rightly and he says he will present his bill for work done next week. Now he has done work, for which he will be paid, but how would you reflect the mistakes that have caused so much extra work which has and will need to be done. Oh yes changing radiator to towel warmer he wrecked the CH and another plumber had to come out for 11/2 hours last night to get it working, he couldn't.
Sorry about the diatribe but I was incensed that such a man could cause so much hassle and ruin your well earned respect, certainly as far as I am concerned. Rant over!