Three Way Valve Issue ?? Am I being ripped off ??

[Whitespirit66]

Yes, the 3 port valve has done what you wanted. The plumber just didn't realise that the bathroom rad was piped on the HW circuit.

This could go on all night. OP - FFS, get together with your plumber and find solutions. Not problems!

 

[shorky]

totally agree with tamz, PAY your installer, you sound like you want him to iron out all your problems with your heating just for changing your boiler! your installer like most of us would have assumed the bathroom rad was off of the primaries if it got hot with h/w curcuit, he has not got the ability to see through finished floor surfaces to see how the original installer piped your system. He did not pipe the system from scratch, if he had of he would be responsible. its your property, you bought it, and like a car purchase it's sold as seen.

 

[Dylanthetiger]

totally agree with tamz, PAY your installer, you sound like you want him to iron out all your problems with your heating just for changing your boiler! your installer like most of us would have assumed the bathroom rad was off of the primaries if it got hot with h/w curcuit, he has not got the ability to see through finished floor surfaces to see how the original installer piped your system. He did not pipe the system from scratch, if he had of he would be responsible. its your property, you bought it, and like a car purchase it's sold as seen.

Well it's not like that at all. I asked him for a quote for a like for like replacement of the boiler. He came up with the suggestion of a 3 way valve installation, not me !!! I asked what the benefits were and he said it would give independence between the hot water and the radiators. Seemed like a good idea, his quote was more than an alternative but the 3 way valve seemed a good idea so I went with his higher quote. As far as I'm concerned I've not got what I've paid for, I do NOT have the rads working independently from the hot water.
What I am surprised about is that he has made no effort to put things right
at all. One post on this thread suggested around £200 to re-pipe the work. I'd be happy with meeting him half way with that at £100, but he's just sent the bill, wants his money and on to the next job. Now I guess you're all heating engineers who've replied so I know this is one sided, but surely you'd expect him to offer to sort matters out for me for God sake even if it does involve additional payment??

 

[heatingman]

i would suggest you pay him for the work he has done, you have not been ripped of. This will be seen as a good gesture of faith and trust in his eyes. At the moment he just thinks your going to rip him off by not paying. Then discuss with him about rectifying the rad issue, you are both equally to blame, you were not accurate with your work requirements and he didn't ask enough questions.
Pay the guy what you owe and he will help resolve the problem.

 

[tamz]

I asked him for a quote for a like for like replacement of the boiler. He came up with the suggestion of a 3 way valve installation, not me !!!

By doing this he was bringing your system up to comply with current legislation. This will provide you with even greater savings on the cost of heating your house than just changing the boiler.

I asked what the benefits were and he said it would give independence between the hot water and the radiators. [ /quote]

Which it has

his quote was more than an alternative

Because he had additional materials and labour involved. Anyone who was offering a straight swap onto your existing system was willing to do so against current legislation and as such the quality of their work must be questionable.

I've not got what I've paid for

Yes you have. Total independant thermostatic control of water and central heating.

I do NOT have the rads working independently from the hot water

Because the bathroom radiator was already piped off the hot water circuit. Totally unforseeable considering the way in which your existing system worked.

What I am surprised about is that he has made no effort to put things right

Did you ask him at the time to do so?

but surely you'd expect him to offer to sort matters out for me for God sake even if it does involve additional payment??

Yes i would but have you asked him?

Ring him up and ask him to come over to collect his payment. While he is there tell him you are not happy with the way the bathroom radiator works on the hot water side and ask how much to swap it over.

 

[qplumb2010]

he wouldnt of been allowed to just change the boiler - it had to be upgraded to follow regs.....

now if youve asked for just a boiler change, and he has told you what you needed (fully pumped, 3 way valve as well) he probably got the impression you didnt want to pay too much - so you have had the minimum work done to comply with regs (you cannot just change your boiler as it had to be updated to the motorised valve and pump).

now you needed him to invoice you (i hate this, customers know what work is to be done - cheque or cash is needed at end of job) he has done this 2 weeks ago and your now complaining of something that was not involved in the price, yeah he probably knew full well once system was finished that the bathroom rad needed re-piping into secondary circuit instead of primary, but hey ho, you had what was required to satisfy building regs (you'd originally asked for only a boiler change)

youve had what youve asked for, pay the man the money, your attitude has probably made him think your going to be trouble, so is steering clear, it works both ways too - i have customers i dread seeing there number come up. only because of there attitude.


is your bathroom floor tiled?

 

[AkuraEngineer]

As far as I'm concerned I've not got what I've paid for, I do NOT have the rads working independently from the hot water.

for fuh sake how many times have you been told its almost impossible for the installer to have realised the bathroom rad was on the hot water circuit, ok technically if you made it absolutely beyond normally clear that you wanted all the rads to work independent of the hw circuit this might instigate thoughts of concern as to why your making such a big deal out of it thus motivating him to actually check the bathroom rad is on the same circuit. 9 out of 10 system jobs i goto all have the bathroom rad on the heating circuit so whats the chances of this happening? You just wouldn’t think to check as its not common place i appreciate perhaps that would depend on what part of the country you’re in

from what i gather he gave you the minimum spec gave you the best advise in upgrading your system with regards to the 3 port idea as any respectable gas engineer would and as he was explaining that your heating and hot water would be independent you assumed great you said yes and agreed. The only place i can see the installer at fault is on commissioning the system he maybe should have realised that ah the bathroom rad comes on with hw but normally when commissioning the system your so busy running around trying to check everything again its something that can be missed but anyway at that point he should have said oh by the way ive just realised your bathroom rad was teed of the hw tank but the work has already been done anyway! So maybe at that point he could do you a favour and correct your existing! system error

Now I guess you're all heating engineers who've replied so I know this is one sided, but surely you'd expect him to offer to sort matters out for me for God sake even if it does involve additional payment??

its not about a bunch of heating engineers ganging up on you with the same opinion this is about commonsense and logic and it infuriates me when people like you try to defy it common sense should always always always prevail especially in trades

how do you wire up a radiator anyway as i have no idea

god your one of those customer id love to let my solicitors loose on including all their fees according to my t&c unfortunately i haven’t had anyone like you to really get them going just petty N***ri*ns that think they can short change me with the ive only got 40 quid instead of 80 even though you told me over 5 times on the phone i booked and agreed the price with office and signed paperwork

 

[Nige F]

Having a bathroom radiator piped up on the hw circuit was quite common at one time. There are alot of systems like this

Indeed - I have one here in my "Retirement Bungalow" and thank Fnuck, I don`t need customers

 

[Dylanthetiger]

Surely as there was no thermostatic valve on the bathroom radiator this should have alerted the engineer that it was piped from the hot water system ?? Why else would there not be one on it ??

 

[tamz]

If all the other radiators except the bathroom had a TRV this would have suggested to the installer that it was being used as the "bypass" radiator to the heating system for when if all other TRV's closed down there was still a path for the water to flow.

A bathroom radiator connected to the hot water circuit is not standard practice in the majority of cases.

 

[Whitespirit66]

OP

Have you spoken to your poor unfortunate heating engineer yet?

 

[Dylanthetiger]

[/quote] how do you wire up a radiator anyway as i have no idea

god your one of those customer id love to let my solicitors loose on including all their fees according to my t&c unfortunately i haven’t had anyone like you to really get them going just petty N***ri*ns that think they can short change me with the ive only got 40 quid instead of 80 even though you told me over 5 times on the phone i booked and agreed the price with office and signed paperwork[/quote]

Firstly why the condescending attitude ?? OK I should have said "pipe" up a radiator but I said "wire" up a radiator. I'm so so sorry !!

That's the trouble with you CH engineers you all think you're fxxxing clever and the rest us are thick as sh@t. You're all a bunch of bigheads and clever dicks who we're supposed to feel sorry for "because you've got to make a living". Just because you operate in a niche trade where Mr Average Joe Public has little knowledge you think you can take advantage and treat us with contempt. Why don't you get your head out of your arse and try acting like a reasonable human being for once ??

 

[Dylanthetiger]

If all the other radiators except the bathroom had a TRV this would have suggested to the installer that it was being used as the "bypass" radiator to the heating system for when if all other TRV's closed down there was still a path for the water to flow.

A bathroom radiator connected to the hot water circuit is not standard practice in the majority of cases.

Thanks for that Tamz. A nice sensible helpful reply. Cheers.

 

[qplumb2010]

a radiator but I said "wire" up a radiator. I'm so so sorry !!

That's the trouble with you CH engineers you all think you're fxxxing clever and the rest us are thick as sh@t. You're all a bunch of bigheads and clever dicks who we're supposed to feel sorry for "because you've got to make a living". Just because you operate in a niche trade where Mr Average Joe Public has little knowledge you think you can take advantage and treat us with contempt. Why don't you get your head out of your a**e and try acting like a reasonable human being for once ??

i can now see exactly why the plumber doesnt want to help you, what an attitude! pay the guy and get someone else to do it. simples.

 

[qplumb2010]

If all the other radiators except the bathroom had a TRV this would have suggested to the installer that it was being used as the "bypass" radiator to the heating system for when if all other TRV's closed down there was still a path for the water to flow.

A bathroom radiator connected to the hot water circuit is not standard practice in the majority of cases.

if he fitted new trv's then i doubt they all had them mate. either way, the rad was fitted on the primaries so its not necessarily on the hot water circuit, there was no need for him to check this - what hes done is a good job at a good price, everything is working its just that original pipework means the rad was piped in where he hasnt even worked on, and hes waiting for his money because the bloke wants extra work done for free, a grand of that money will prob be materials, which he will have to pay for....

its wrong simple as that.

is the bathroom floor tiled ????