Electric Towel Heating Rail - installation problem

[Deleted2797112]

Here are details of the heater:
https://www.towelradiatorstore.com/600x1500mm-Stainless-Steel-Towel-Radiator-Polished.html

If you follow the links on that website to the installation instructions for electric only, you'll get this.

Extract:

"The electric heating element must be inserted into the towel radiator vertically through one of the entry points at the bottom (right or left). The second entry point on the bottom is then sealed off with a blanking plug. You will then need to fill up the radiator with water or water/glycol (90/10) in order to stop the water from freezing (if necessary) using the third inlet/entry point on the top of the radiator. Please leave a 2-3cm gap from the top of the towel radiator when filling it up in order to give some room for the expanding hot water. Fasten the blanking plug and air valve to the other top inlet point. Your heating element can then be connected to your power supply. Once the heating element is turned on and has heated the towel radiator, please bleed the towel radiator at even intervals. This ensures that there are no air gaps inside the pipes and that the towel radiator can reach its maximum heating capacity.

The heating element must never be turned on unless the towel radiators is filled up with water and fully submerged. Otherwise it will burn out and this will invalidate your product warranty."

 

[mplar]

That was just for installation.

 

[mplar]

When I spoke to the supplier he said it doesn't require liquid and the installer confirmed the same. I'm not sure if either are correct. I need to check with the supplier on Mon to see if what I ordered matches the description of what I received.

 

[Deleted2797112]

That was just for installation.

Do you mean that you think that says while the electrician is working with the heater off the wall, the control and element have to be at the bottom but when he hangs it on the wall, it's OK to put them at the top?

Further on in the installation instructions for the link you provided:

Please note that,
*None of our heating elements come with an electric plug.
*All electric elements must be installed and (or) wired by a trained and certified electrician.
*All electric towel radiators must be filled with water.
*All electric elements must be fully submerged in water.

 

[DetlefSchmitz]

Isn't this roughly how the first world war started?

 

[xr4x4]

Last chance....as the op isn't listening.

It hasn't been installed correctly, that's why is isnt working and maybe now why it's broken.

 

[phatboy]

I seriously hope you haven't paid this comedian.

You also need to explain to him that he has 7 days to pay the cost of a replacement element as he has destroyed it with his incompetency - or you will be pursuing him via the courts.

 

[mplar]

I seriously hope you haven't paid this comedian.

You also need to explain to him that he has 7 days to pay the cost of a replacement element as he has destroyed it with his incompetency - or you will be pursuing him via the courts.

Hi Phatboy,

Yes unfortunately I paid 380 for installation and a similar amount for the radiator and element. I checked with the supplier and he confirmed this unit DOES need water and the element therefore needs to be at the bottom. My mistake was to assume the electrician knew what he was doing. I plan to complain but not sure how to do so and be taken seriously. Is this something I can take to the small claims court?

 

[mplar]

That was just for installation.

Do you mean that you think that says while the electrician is working with the heater off the wall, the control and element have to be at the bottom but when he hangs it on the wall, it's OK to put them at the top?

Further on in the installation instructions for the link you provided:
[/b]

Sorry, that was a response to an earlier question. £380 was the cost of installation only and not installation plus unit. In total >£700.

The element is probably burnt out. I have arranged for another electrician to rectify the faults:
i) replace burnt-out element
ii) fill with water
iii) re-orientate
iv) re-wire so not connected to lighting circuit.
and, most importantly: v) to test before leaving so it can be vented.

 

[mplar]

You also need to explain to him that he has 7 days to pay the cost of a replacement element as he has destroyed it with his incompetency - or you will be pursuing him via the courts.

I also want a refund on the work carried out as everything he did was wrong. The element costs £80 but this is completely swamped by the cost of workmanship.

 

[Deleted2797112]

I plan to complain but not sure how to do so and be taken seriously. Is this something I can take to the small claims court?

Is he a one-man band or employed by a company? Member of any trade association?

You can make a small claim but there's a process to follow. You should send a letter before action asking for what you want and why and giving a specified number of days for a response after which you will issue legal proceedings. I assume in this case you'll seek a refund of all his labour cost as it's all having to be redone plus a new element. You need to take plenty of photographs before anyone else works on putting it right, get your new electrician to iitemise everything that's wrong and why, make notes of any conversations you had with the first electrician where he told you what he was doing and why and get a written statement (email is fine) from the supplier of the rad explaining how it should be fitted. You need to assemble enough evidence of the wrongness of the job to convince the judge to find in your favour. If you get no response to your letter, there's a guide here:

https://www.gov.uk/make-court-claim-for-money

and you can fill in the forms online. You don't need a solicitor, there is court fee which you'll get back if you win. The case will usually be transferred to the court local to where the defendent is. It's important to raise the claim against the correct person/company or it will get thrown out.

 

[mplar]

Hi Ceres,

He's employed by a company - or sub-contracted. Thank you very much for your advice and the link. I'll follow these steps and see what happens.

 

[Deleted2797112]

Then your contract is with the company and that's who you would claim against. You should consider offering them the opportunity to send a competent person to put it all right at no cost to yourself. Alternatively, if you paid them by credit card, you could pursue a section 75 chargeback with your credit card company.

http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/section-75-of-the-consumer-credit-act

Just curious, is the company based in Birmingham maybe?

 

[sparkwright]

As already suggested, you really ought to cancel your new electrician until you have complained to the first electrical contracting company.

You have no chance of getting any money back IF the work gets put right by someone else.

You have such a good case, it's worth a try to see what they say.

He doesn't seem to have got any of it right.

 

[mplar]

Just curious, is the company based in Birmingham maybe?

Thanks for the information and link about the chargeback feature - I'll definitely look into this as I paid by CC. The company is based in London. I'll see how things go and put a link up to the company if I don't get compensation - as a warning to others. I want to give them a chance first.