Water damage. Is it the Plumbers fault?

[MutualMan]

We had a plumber install 2 new bathrooms. One bath has a shower head installed where it is fed from seperate supply under the bath.

Where the hose connects to the supply there has been a leak that has caused damged to our property

When the plumbers came back to rectify at our request they told us that " it was a cardboard gasket the kind that last for years in taps but it had failed. " they have denied any responsibility and said as we supplied our own parts we will have to take it up with the supplier. We weren't shown the failed gasket / washer..............

Are we being taken for a ride. - -is this plausible or is it that they didn't install it properly

PLEASE OFFER advice ON WHAT TO DO .

 

[corgiman]

make a claim through your house insurance and let them deal with the plumbers Public Liability provider

 

[lagunaglen]

Firstly how long is it since the work was originally done, a few days ,months,years?

 

[MutualMan]

is the gasket story a load of rubbish then?


I have other problems too with their work so if they don't come up with a satisfactory resolution in the next 14 days i'll need to go to the county court. e.g. I have paid a few hundred for a PARTp certifictate and the work still hasn't been checked by a qualified person after 2 months.

Any idea about the gasket story ?

 

[corgiman]

that doesnt answer glens question when was the job done??

 

[Bahco]

Is the gasket story a load of rubbish then?

I would think so !

You should provide all details of the job though if you want people to advise you.

 

[tonybhoy]

The fibre washer on shanks' elevated cistern ball-valves fail all the time,I make a fortune replacing them

 

[MutualMan]

Job was done about 2 months ago.

Supply under bath to hose is switchable between that and the bath filler supply by a mixer valve.

Due to lack of preasure for bath and steam shower unit the supply is fed by a 3bar pump.

My "Guess" would be that the leak has been like a fine spray - as we only became aware of this leak by a very small stain on the ceiling in the room below - however the plasterboard wall next to where the hose connects to the supply was saturated ( and covered in black mold) and this has soaked through under the plasterboard partition wall and soaked through the carpet in the room next door - so i suspect this has been leaking slowly for a some time since installed.

has anyone heard of a cardboard gasket? / I'm not a plumber but arn't gaskets rubber OR resin?

 

[Softus]

Resin?! WTF?

 

[Bahco]

No good guessing.

You should know what has been leaking and we can tell you the likely cause. You need to provide all the info you can over the net as we can't see the job.

 

[tonybhoy]

has anyone heard of a cardboard gasket? / I'm not a plumber but arn't gaskets rubber OR resin?

Guess I was being a tad too smart with my previous post.

Fibre washers are cardboard and they fail all the time and I love them

 

[MutualMan]

So- is a cardboard wahser the same as a "Fibre" one?

If so - and Fibre ones are known to fail - why would someone use one?

If the parts came supplied with it - does that put the installer in the clear?

I asked why i wasn't shown the part and was told because it was just a pulp? - does this sound right

 

[tonybhoy]

So- is a cardboard wahser the same as a "Fibre" one?

If so - and Fibre ones are known to fail - why would someone use one?

If the parts came supplied with it - does that put the installer in the clear?

I asked why i wasn't shown the part and was told because it was just a pulp? - does this sound right

Yup.

Manufacturer supplied ,you have to use it. Even when they fail you fit a new fibre one

Yup.

Yup.

 

[lagunaglen]

"Fibre" washers are pretty reliable to be honest,and it is usually down to poor installation when they fail,although not always, but any leaks usually show up within a few minutes or an hour or so.
I find that rubber washers can rip easily or suffer more if overtightened, more so than fibre (cardboard )
I doubt your plumber purposefully caused a leak and if he has used the washers supplies and recommended by the manufacturer then he is not to blame unless he can be proved to have been wilfully negligent.
As it has taken 2 months to show signs of damage then the leak must be fairly recent .
I proudly guarantee all my work up to the point i leave the property.

 

[MutualMan]

"Fibre" washers are pretty reliable to be honest,and it is usually down to poor installation when they fail,although not always, but any leaks usually show up within a few minutes or an hour or so.
I

When they "fail" do they turn into a "pulp"?