Shoddy work giving tradesmen a bad name.

DeltaT · 23 Mar 2010

It's not plastic Plumbing that is killing this trade, to do a good job with it needs skill & knowledge. What is killing this trade is Course Cowboys & Career Change Chancers. These cowboys have limited knowledge or experience, done no apprenticeship & are conning the unsuspecting general public by saying they are Plumbers.

This weak Labour government is paying for ex-servicemen & the unemployed, to re-train as so called Plumbers, we, as British tax payers are paying to kill our own trade!!!

seco services · 23 Mar 2010

dextrous said:
Or it could have been seco services - he's based in essex somewhere

bl**dy cheek.

Biggles.. · 23 Mar 2010

DeltaT said:
It's not plastic Plumbing that is killing this trade, to do a good job with it needs skill & knowledge. What is killing this trade is Course Cowboys & Career Change Chancers. These cowboys have limited knowledge or experience, done no apprenticeship & are conning the unsuspecting general public by saying they are Plumbers.

This weak Labour government is paying for ex-servicemen & the unemployed, to re-train as so called Plumbers, we, as British tax payers are paying to kill our own trade!!!

i agree with your career changing sentiments,now where can I get yellow speedfit for gas from.

RB2004 · 23 Mar 2010

DeltaT said:
It's not plastic Plumbing that is killing this trade, to do a good job with it needs skill & knowledge. What is killing this trade is Course Cowboys & Career Change Chancers. These cowboys have limited knowledge or experience, done no apprenticeship & are conning the unsuspecting general public by saying they are Plumbers.

This weak Labour government is paying for ex-servicemen & the unemployed, to re-train as so called Plumbers, we, as British tax payers are paying to kill our own trade!!!

maybe not, but you cant exactly say plastic is as neat and tidy as some good copperwork.. the plastic fittings for example are huge and bulky looking...not to mention more expensive.

then theres the way, even when clipped it will never be properly straight... just looks messy..maybe if its not on show its acceptable to use it, but why use it on full show where anybody can see it?.. its not presentable.

To a certain extend though it is.. because it takes a reasonable level of skill to do copperwork properly.. but with plastic you just cut it to length and push a plastic fitting on the end of it and screw to lock it.. anybody can do it.

and as above, if its so great as they make out.. why cant you get it in gas form?

DeltaT · 23 Mar 2010

RB2004 said:
DeltaT said:

It's not plastic Plumbing that is killing this trade, to do a good job with it needs skill & knowledge. What is killing this trade is Course Cowboys & Career Change Chancers. These cowboys have limited knowledge or experience, done no apprenticeship & are conning the unsuspecting general public by saying they are Plumbers.

This weak Labour government is paying for ex-servicemen & the unemployed, to re-train as so called Plumbers, we, as British tax payers are paying to kill our own trade!!!

Click to expand...

maybe not, but you cant exactly say plastic is as neat and tidy as some good copperwork.. the plastic fittings for example are huge and bulky looking...not to mention more expensive.

then theres the way, even when clipped it will never be properly straight... just looks messy..maybe if its not on show its acceptable to use it, but why use it on full show where anybody can see it?.. its not presentable.

To a certain extend though it is.. because it takes a reasonable level of skill to do copperwork properly.. but with plastic you just cut it to length and push a plastic fitting on the end of it and screw to lock it.. anybody can do it.

and as above, if its so great as they make out.. why cant you get it in gas form?

Ah, so you think you are a highly skilled tradesman do you? Then why have you never used pex/al/pex & crimp press fittings?? Don't be so conservative when it comes to Plumbing materials!!

Pex/al/pex can be installed as straight as copper tube & bends formed just like copper & press fittings are very small. Why not give it a try??

Garfeild · 23 Mar 2010

i would be happy to try new ways,the crimping method appears to be a good way,particularly as many buildings now will not allow the use of naked flames,for soldering.

Like many ive been a bit of a stick in the mud,preferring to use e/feed soldered,although i have used plastic and push fit where the customer has provided the materials (i used to do a lot of work for a few landlords)

As far as push fit is concerned,what happens in a few years when all the little o rings have gone brittle,particularly on heating systems with the hot cold cycles,is it going to be rip out and start again time?

sambotc · 23 Mar 2010

Hep20 has a 50 year guarantee apparently

belive it when i see it.

Always used copper and E/F but one of the contracts I am involved in now prohibit's the use of blow lamps in the loft spaces, so it's all done in hep now.

It does have its advantage's, particularly in lofts on a summer's day sweating your knackers off, covered in fibreglass with a blowlamp on full whack

, but the fittings let it down.

I use the tectite copper fittings where possible if soldering isn't an option, (H&S carp) as they are small and look ok on copper, plus lagging them is simple. Only problem is they are a one use only so have to measure twice, mistakes can be costly

Seeing work like the above you tube link makes me angry to think that someone see's that as acceptable standard of work to leave a customer with. I'm thankful I was trained by a good bloke with good principles.

Sam

transam · 23 Mar 2010

Flexi tap connector's , so some won't use them a , well u have never installed , what I refer to as a blind fixing w'c than ?? the type were when it's installed , u cannot see any connections at the back , some taps come with flexi connector's already made into them , plastic pipeing may look diy , but it has it's use's !!

spacecat · 23 Mar 2010

Shoddy tradesmen and rip off merchants do give a bad name

I will be getting a new boiler soon but may go safe(?) with BG as it feels like you have some comeback.

I remember getting ripped off for £550 in 1995! by some old @:~: to clean my central heating system with 'chemicals' and 5 months later the boiler packed up and was replaced by BG still going strong today touchwood!

Hopefully the thieving old git has blown himself up since!

transam · 23 Mar 2010

Did the chemical clean cause the boiler to pack up ????

spacecat · 23 Mar 2010

transam said:
Did the chemical clean cause the boiler to pack up ????

No idea, he reckoned it needed a clean out and i knew no better at the time, and then it all went pear shaped a few months later.

the bolier was old but working fine.

It was the £550 price that left me burnt + the £2k to get a new boiler!

transam · 23 Mar 2010

What make of boiler are you thinking about replacing (& why) , what are u going to replace it with ????

hym · 23 Mar 2010

plastic, micro-bore. Used mainly so it can be thrown in complete with dips under the boards. Never seen a neat plastic install yet

transam · 23 Mar 2010

hym said:
plastic, micro-bore. Used mainly so it can be thrown in complete with dips under the boards. Never seen a neat plastic install yet

I doubt that u ever will , rodent's can cause problem's !!! but it has it's use's !!

spacecat · 23 Mar 2010

transam said:
What make of boiler are you thinking about replacing (& why) , what are u going to replace it with ????

that was along time ago,

I am now about to move to a new(old) house with an old floorstanding potteron something and i was thinking of replacing it with a combi Plus about 7 new rads.

diynot

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Shoddy work giving tradesmen a bad name.

DeltaT

DeltaT

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