stopcock

[littlejules]

Hi there, I'm trying to get a stopcock fitted inside my flat, but am terrified by the prices I've been quoted. Does it really cost over one hundred pounds?
All advice gratefully welcome.

[kevplumb]

errrrrr

yup

the job is ??????????

__________________
a little thanks

goes a long way

[brumylad]

It will if the water can't be turned off from the street or a communal main stop tap. This means the pipe needs freezing first.

last one i did, it didn't need freezing, it was a quickish job and I got £42.50 plus VAT plus £5 new stop tap. Midlands area, however I am cheap.

remember running van, trade insurance, accountants etc the business rate is about £60 hour.

[kevplumb]

Quote:

however I am cheap.

hello big boy

__________________
a little thanks

goes a long way

[brumylad]

drop em blossom

[littlejules]

wow, you guys are good with your speedy response! There is a communal stop, but I don't want to inconvenience my neighbours while I get work done.
Guess I'll have to raid my piggy bank.
Thanks for the help.

[kevplumb]

boots on tother foot marra

__________________
a little thanks

goes a long way

[ChrisR]

The plumber should also install a "double check valve" and a drain cock, without you asking, to comply with Water Regulations. They only cost a few pounds but it mounts up.

[Paul Barker]

If the flat has nobody living underneath and it's a compression fit stop cock you can bang a new one on live. Actually I've done it in upstairs flats when everyone appears to be out.

We have to resort to these tricks because in Scarborough we can't get anything like than money. My wife tells me off for it, but I means test people in my head, the frail and vulnerable get a very cheap service. I shoul;d think most decent people do that, when I've got so much arthritis I can't move my taps I hope some young plumber will do my work cheap but well.

I can't believe the rip off individuals we see on telly, I only know one round here, but he isn't a bad person, just expensive. Those guys on telly are just con men.

However I think there should be a telly program called customers from Hell. We could all tell a story a week about those.

[Nige F]

Paul Barker wrote:

I think there should be a telly program called customers from Hell. We could all tell a story a week about those.

...But then there`s Revenge ...When I was apprenticed , the bod I was with was a real old school polite, dustsheet down plumber. Then one day some one tried to tell him his job, and moaned about his speed(lack of it) we were both employed and the job was priced....It was a clean out of rads before powerflushing was invented...any way he was so p`d off he left the cleaner in and took the protector home..."long term retribution" he called it..

[Paul Barker]

Well my moral code won't allow me to take retribution, but I know of some good tricks... Turn off the water and fill hole with quick drying cement, 15mm pipe deep into axhaust spray flexible foam down it (takes garages a hell of a lot of labour charge to find that one).

As I said, and I mean this sincerely, I don't do any dirty tricks, it doesn't get me my money. What goes around comes around.

I have a mate who is owed £3,000 plus. He sent in the nasty people who only charge 10%, they are very horrible people, I wouldn't have anything to do with them, and quite honestly feel sickened about it, but if you don't live by a moral code, and many people don't these days (for isntance the customer who has work done without any intention of paying) then these methods are being employed.

Me I'm a walk over, but I don't fight back I move on and forget. I do however think that the telly programs are far too consumer one sided.