Concealed Cistern Annoyance

[warey4life]

This is just an rant about Screwfix.

So today, Christmas eve, the mother-in-law's toilet water inlet fails and she's got people staying tomorrow who will want to do turds in the upstairs bathroom toilet. No worries I thought, I'll pop off down to Screwfix 2 miles down the road and get a new part. Before I left I checked out the cistern (concealed with no top access), isolated it, emptied it, removed it from the cupboard/enclosure, and saw the state of the flush valve I thought I'll replace that too while I'm at it. Got back from Screwfix, fitted the new flush valve and water inlet, but found the cistern flush pipe is too big for the new flush valve. Off back to Screwfix, to get a new flush pipe, Screwfix did have one the correct diameter but it came with no seals or fittings. When I asked the boy on the till for the seal and fittings he had no idea what I talking about and couldn't find it on their system either, so I gave him the flush pipe back as it's useless without the fittings.
Drove 10 miles to Taunton B&Q, described what I needed to the lady on the till (couldn't find anyone else), she said wait here and I'll go and look, she came back with the correct size flush pipe and a flush pipe coupler kit, nice lady. Went back to mother-in-law's, toilet fixed.

Having a glass of wine now. Just looked up the fittings I bought in B&Q, and the Screwfix I'd been to earlier had 9 in stock!!!

https://www.screwfix.com/p/flomasta-white-1-1-2-2-coupler-55mm-x-43mm/194pw?ref=SFAppShare

 

[MickyP10]

Been there, but fixed now. Merry Xmas!

 

[Wayners]

I know the staff at these places like serving tradesmen as they know what they want.
Joe public can be a challenging and take up time.
Staff can be helpful and have some knowledge but it's the luck of the draw, then they can be blamed for offering and selling the wrong product.
With toilets and taps who keeps the fitting instructions and part list? Not many. Without any information a like for like easy swap becomes a big problem.

I'll rant now

Customer pack
So when a tradesman finishes a job they should create a customer information pack.
If you were a painter that would be all the paints and colours used. Before and after photos.
A plumber would do the same.

There are customer information pack templates available online or you can make your own and drop it in an email along with the receipt.
I know some trades do this already but it's not common, but wouldn't that make things easier.

 

[CountryFan]

Screwfix isn’t a trade counter it’s more like Argos, order what you want, pay and collect. Would you expect Argos staff to have knowledge of everything they sell?

 

[warey4life]

Screwfix isn’t a trade counter it’s more like Argos, order what you want, pay and collect. Would you expect Argos staff to have knowledge of everything they sell?

Screwfix is a trade counter, and I expect them to know what they do have and don't have in stock.

 

[denso13]

Screwfix is a trade counter, and I expect them to know what they do have and don't have in stock.

They know what they have in stock but you have to be able to order the correct thing.

 

[CountryFan]

Screwfix is a trade counter, and I expect them to know what they do have and don't have in stock.

Screwfix Direct Limited, trading as Screwfix, is a retailer of trade tools, accessories and hardware products based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1979 as the Woodscrew Supply Company, the company was acquired in July 1999 by Kingfisher plc, which also owns B&Q, and is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

Above from Wikipedia, but I know it can be wrong

 

[warey4life]

They know what they have in stock but you have to be able to order the correct thing.

So what you are saying is, if you know what you want in Screwfix but cannot find it on their website, tough titties?

 

[warey4life]

Screwfix www.screwfix.com is a major UK retailer that operates a large network of physical locations explicitly called Trade Counters, serving tradespeople with tools, hardware, and accessories for quick collection, though anyone can shop there. They are designed for fast service, offering click-and-collect, and often have dedicated sections (like Electrifix/Plumbfix) for specific trades, making them essentially modern builders' merchants with a strong online presence.

 

[ericmark]

Screwfix isn’t a trade counter

I had to present my qualifications at the Screwfix counter, originally I got trade discount, but sadly no longer, I still get a biscuit and a cup of coffee if I want it, and larger stores have a trade counter, so no waiting for Joe Public trying to explain what they want, but a trade outlet needs less skill with counter staff, not more.

I have found errors on Screwfix website, with thermostats I know are volt free not listed as such, but even the manufacturers websites seem to be rather lacking, so can't really blame Screwfix.

I wanted to know if I could pair a wall thermostat to a TRV with Wiser system, could find nothing on the website, answer I got from this forum. Yes I can. I see even on manufacturers websites, not to use TRV and wall thermostat in the same room, clearly that is wrong, at least with Drayton Wiser, but it still says that on their website.

I remember years ago, finding the Hive system stopped accepting a demand for heat once the wall thermostat was at 22°C or more, I am sure that has now been changed, but my hunts to confirm this have failed. Since already using Wiser for me, not a problem, but others may need to know.

20 years ago, the Honeywell EvoHome was about the best system on the market, today we have so many, that I, for one, can't keep up. And I am only interested with the electrics, how a counter salesman can hope to keep abreast of plumbing, electric and more, I don't know.

 

[dilalio]

We all created the demand for the likes of screwfix so many of the local indies have closed down.

We have to lie in the bed we made.

 

[denso13]

So what you are saying is, if you know what you want in Screwfix but cannot find it on their website, tough titties?

But you didn't know, or you would have gotten it first time, that's my point.

If you had known, you would have gotten the correct size flush valve at the beginning and wouldn't have needed a flush pipe at all.

 

[warey4life]

But you didn't know, or you would have gotten it first time, that's my point.

If you had known, you would have gotten the correct size flush valve at the beginning and wouldn't have needed a flush pipe at all.

I knew exactly what I wanted. A 1 1/2" concealed cistern flush pipe fitting kit.

 

[warey4life]

We all created the demand for the likes of screwfix so many of the local indies have closed down.

We have to lie in the bed we made.

I'd use a local independent merchant if there was one.

I had to present my qualifications at the Screwfix counter, originally I got trade discount, but sadly no longer, I still get a biscuit and a cup of coffee if I want it, and larger stores have a trade counter, so no waiting for Joe Public trying to explain what they want, but a trade outlet needs less skill with counter staff, not more.

I have found errors on Screwfix website, with thermostats I know are volt free not listed as such, but even the manufacturers websites seem to be rather lacking, so can't really blame Screwfix.

I wanted to know if I could pair a wall thermostat to a TRV with Wiser system, could find nothing on the website, answer I got from this forum. Yes I can. I see even on manufacturers websites, not to use TRV and wall thermostat in the same room, clearly that is wrong, at least with Drayton Wiser, but it still says that on their website.

I remember years ago, finding the Hive system stopped accepting a demand for heat once the wall thermostat was at 22°C or more, I am sure that has now been changed, but my hunts to confirm this have failed. Since already using Wiser for me, not a problem, but others may need to know.

20 years ago, the Honeywell EvoHome was about the best system on the market, today we have so many, that I, for one, can't keep up. And I am only interested with the electrics, how a counter salesman can hope to keep abreast of plumbing, electric and more, I don't know.

I had to show my qualifications and give them our company name and address to be able to get my Electrifix card, but all it seems to do is enable you to jump the queue.

 

[gas112]

first world problems young counter assistant doesnt know all of the 70 thousand products and names of them after 2 weeks in the job .
Hanging is too good for him

.
give your head a wobble