Any plumbers- am I being ripped off?

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23 Oct 2013
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Cheshire
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United Kingdom
Hi I had a plumber out as there was a leak from the cistern as the water squirted out too hard (small concealed unit) - we had already worked out the problem and had sort of cured it by putting a plastic bag over it... Anyway he said we would need a new cistern and told me to look on the Internet for one! He turned down the water pressure but it made no difference- this was the only actual 'plumbing' task he did on that - he left leaving me to decide whether or not I wanted to replace the cistern (and expected me to get the part off eBay!) and said it was tricky as would need to turn the water off etc but I did not feel a) he wanted to do it and b) he knew how to do it.

Also while he was there I asked him to look at the plug hole as the mechanism on the mixer tap was not lifting the plug up enough for The water to run out - again he tried to alter it but could not do it - I said leave it then and I would leave the plug out as I had been - however he had disturbed the seal on the plug hole and it was now leaking... It had not been leaking before. He put a bit of sealant on it and I tried to pay him while getting him out of the door but he said try the sink after leaving it overnight and then pay him when I am happy with what he has done - the sink still leaked so I am not happy! I phoned him to come back and left a message and no reply. Now he has sent a message saying he wants paying for what he has done!!!! Should I pay him anything and how much is fair to pay for him to alter the water pressure - a turn of a spanner? This is all he did effectivel.
 
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How has he ripped you off if you have not paid him yet.

How much is he asking for

Was this a Sunday call out
 
what was your agreement when you called him out?

tell him you are giving him a chance to come back and fix the sink otherwise you will call another plumber and send him the bill
 
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It is not possible to "adjust the pressure" !

That's unless you have a pressure reducing valve which obviously you do not. Fitting one would actually be the solution to the problem.

All of us are still wondering what he said he would charge before coming and how much he wants now!

Tony
 
It should have been a simple adjustment on the basin waste there's no reason why it should now be leaking.

As for the cistern, it sounds like a problem with the fill valve and not the cistern itself. I do realise that maybe a new valve is difficult to get but that's why I have to sit here on the internet every evening, trying to source parts for customers. Boring and unpaid but, part of the job.
 
Thanks for the replies - It was a Saturday callout but we waited all afternoon as he was on another job and delayed. I still don't know how much he wants paying as I wanted to find out what was reasonable before talking to him. I am concerned now as he definitely said he was turning the pressure down to stop it gushing out?! The cistern is a Dudley one and has a blue plastic plate on the front but the water comes out of holes - the plastic bag is stopping it leaking and it flushes ok.... He is a friend of the mother in law who has just set up his own business so she asked him to pop round and nothing was agreed.
 
Always ask how much before asking anyone to visit!

You seem to blame him for coming a little later than you expected.

It may surprise you but you are probably not the only person he needed to visit that day!

We cannot leave people after 10 minutes! We can only leave when the problem has been fixed and that mean procuring parts too!

I think its good of him to come to you at all on a Saturday when he could be at home with his family.

Tony
 

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