Steel pipes

[jdey]

What are the problems with plastic piping.

Still looking for help then Jdey? I thought you'd dismissed us all as incompetent, or dishonest, or both!

No, not all of you. Mr Polski is the epitome of charm You do seem to know what you're talking about regarding plastic piping. That's the kind of informative answer which I was expecting on this board.

As mentioned before, my heat exchanger leaks when the boiler first starts up. I still have heat, so can do a bit of research in the best way to proceed before paying for the work.

The ideal plumber to turn up at my house would be:-
1. Polite
2. Corgi-registered
3. Come equipped with a copy of the Building Regulations part L, Approved Documents part J & L and the guidance as to how to carry out the assessment
4. Would carry out the assessment as per the guidelines
5. Would discuss with me the budget that I'm willing to pay and the implications involved in reducing my budget with evidence as to why he's saying those things.
6. Would provide customer references
7. Would provide warranties
8. Would provide a detailed written quote.
9. Would provide the Corgi certificate.

For such a service I would pay £2000 for a new non-condensing boiler, or £5000 for a new central heating system.

The characters that have turned up so far have:-

1. Noted it's steel pipework and then said that will all need replacing. When questioned as to why have shown marked reluctance on elaborating on the subject.
2. Looked at my kitchen & bathroom and said that the best place for a new condensing boiler would be in either of those locations. No mention made of the requirement for an extended flue in order to meet part J.
3. Not carried any paperwork or shown any signs of doing an assessment in the prescribed manner
4. Asked for indemnity if I was to not have my steel pipework replaced.
5. Have provided a basic written quote where materials & labour are combined and where the exact model & type of boiler is not detailed.

If I am indemnifying them against any future problems, then I may as well employ the cheapest plumber. Therefore, for such a service, I'd be willing to pay £1000 for a new non-condensing boiler or £3000 for a new central heating system.

 

[Nige F]

You need British Gas .www.house.co.uk

 

[just-thinking]

he sounds like the client from hell

 

[Soggy_weetabix]

he sounds like the client from hell

The client from hell would be the devil surely?

Personally, I see no point in giving explanations / reasons as they do fall on deaf ears.

Its the same with young drivers who have the need for no insurance and flout drink driving laws as 'they will never get caught'. J-Dey strikes me a un educated jelous wind up merchant who may have been rejected as an apprentice plumber.

All good plumbers / heating engineers have more work than they can deal with and will give customers like this a very wide berth.

BUT...he has ammo as reputable plumbers dare to disagree with his ultimate wisdom, and will convey their educated opinion. This appears as money making to j-dey because he has no fundamental plumbing knowledge.

Good on Agile for an earlier explanation.

If a customers pays good money for my skill and expertise, I embrace an interest from the customer with regards to my work. If I have to prove my worth....
out the door without a goodbye you leave

Regards

David

 

[Softus]

jdey, there is a problem in the way that you blow hot and cold towards the professionals on this forum. For example, you're happy with my information about plastic pipework, but I know what I'm talking about at all times, because when I don't I just shut up. I never write anything that I'm not certain is correct. Doesn't mean I'm never wrong ('cos I'm only human), but it's a darned rare event.

I recognise that I've keyboard-whipped you on some postings, but the underlying problem is that your expectation of people is far too high. If you're looking for advice, then please accept it graciously when you get it. If you don't like the advice and don't have anything good to say about it, then please at least consider shutting up for long enough to think about whether or not you're right.

The legal 'debate' we had is a case in point. You attempted to ridicule me and the facts I presented, but you were utterly, utterly wrong in almost preconception you had, and at no point have I seen you acknowledge this.

You may think that engaging a professional is a very black and white business, but it isn't - it's a relationship involving a bond of trust, in both directions, and you can't mitigate for every eventually in a written contract or set of terms and conditions.

If you've found a plumber with whom you can work, and he provides a warranty that you value, and stays in the country long enough to honour it, then that's good. I'd like to feel delighted for you, and I suspect others here would too, but you've so blatently paraded your apparent glee at finding someone who you perceive to be different (to the other experts you've corresponded with on this and other topics), that this doesn't engender any sympathy from anyone.

To claim, as you have, that all other diyers on the forum receive the same treatment, is so wrong that it's pathetic. You'd have to be a very foolish and/or immature man to fail to realise why you're now getting almost universally hostile and dismissive responses.

 

[corgiman]

Blimey charlie

aint we done this to death yet?

 

[Softus]

Sadly, he hasn't gone away yet, so I thought I'd try another approach...

 

[corgiman]

flowers normally work for me

 

[Softus]

flowers normally work for me

IPA or Original?

 

[corgiman]

Well now your talking

get yer coat handsome you've pulled

 

[Softus]

Oh, pish and tish - aim a laydee doan't ye knoa

 

[corgiman]

could give a monkeys mate your getting em in

 

[Softus]

In that case I'm on the Crème de Menth, and I'm going to save my 2000th post for tomorrow.

 

[corgiman]

oh fancy

 

[Agile]

"""5. Would discuss with me the budget that I'm willing to pay and the implications involved in reducing my budget with evidence as to why he's saying those things. """

Not only does jdey have more knowledge that any professional plumber so that he can assess the quality of their work, but he expects to TELL THE PLUMBER how much he is going to pay them.

A friend I met last night told me, whilst dancing, that she had a quote from BG to replace her back boiler and all five rads all for only £3500 for a combi.

Other independents had quoted £2800 ( cash ), £3000 and £3200. I told her that she needed to compare boilers in each quote and to require at least a 28 or 30 kW.

I was very surprised that the BG quote was so low and suggested that they might be a better bet until she has shown me the other quotes.

Tony