Underfloor heating Mat Damaged

[Simonc16]

Hi,

I am having my new bathroom installed and have had UFH fitted under my floor tiles. My bathroom fitters electrician came today to connect up my themostat and left without testing the system.

I turned on the system last night (tiles have been down 7 days) to test and as soon as the thermostat is switched to an 'on' setting, ie when it attempts to heat the mat the fuse is tripped on the main consumer unit. The RCD does not trip.

The electrician is returning today to investigate. Assuming he has wired it correctly, the system will stay on as long as it is not trying to heat the mat, i am fearing the worst and that the mat has been damaged during installation by my bathroom fitter or when he laid the tiles.

I assume this will result in lifting the floor and relaying the mat and tiles and as this is a wet room presumably some re-tanking would also be required.

I know i'm jumping the gun slightly as there might be a simple fix by the electrician but before i express my displeasure at my bathroom fitter would you reasonably expect him to bare the cost of this work to put it right?

Any advice would be appreciated

Simon.

Read more: http://www.tilersforums.co.uk/guest...amaged-during-installation.html#ixzz20xmrcKas

 

[Karis]

Did you not like the answers you got from the “Tilers Forum” then? When copying the text from their forum, you also added a HTML ink to their site

Can’t really add anymore than they’ve already advised!

To comply with regulations, your bathroom fitter’s electrician should be Part P registered & have provided you with a minor works certificate listing the work he's done, showing the results of tests on the circuit, proving compliance.

 

[Simonc16]

Just to update.....

Tested myself over the weekend as fitter nor his electrician have graced me with their presence yet.

using my multimeter i get continuity between the live tail from the mat and the top of one of the screws that fix my toilet pan to the floor and the same with the earth tail.

I think its fairly conclusive that the bathroom fitter has screwed through the cable whilst fitting the pan causing the fault.

 

[Karis]

Unbelievably, I hope he’s insured for the cost of the repair! Their absence from the crime scene suggests they might have an inkling of what’s happened & what a pain in the asre it’s going to be to repair. Hopefully you haven’t already paid him & don’t until it’s repaired, tested & certified as compliant & don’t let him fob you off with some half asred bodge repair, it should be done in accordance with the manufacturers repairs procedure.

 

[Simonc16]

Yep totally agree.

We have paid him some money for work completed. We had a separate wc and bathroom knocked through etc, but the money we haven't paid yet will cover the costs of re-doing the floor to a decent standard and finish off the rest of the job.

Although as this is a level access wetroom floor, how difficult is it to remove mosaic tiles from the shower tray former? Is it likely to be damaged as a result of removing the tiles?

I realise legally i need to give him the chance to put things right, but we have not been happy with the standard of his work in other areas and i think it might be better all round if he doesn't redo the floor. Not sure where i stand legally with this, or the best way to play it.

 

[Karis]

how difficult is it to remove mosaic tiles from the shower tray former? Is it likely to be damaged as a result of removing the tiles?

I assume the w/c isn’t fitted in the imediate wet area but you have a wet room former over the whole floor area. Removing individual tiles can be a pain & time consuming, you don’t want it to be difficult but, in reality, the more difficult it is the better the adhesive was doing its job! Minor surface damage isn’t going to be a problem especially outside the immediate wet area but you don’t want to be knocking big holes in it; avoid impact tools at all costs drill, grind, chissel & pry is the way to go.

I realise legally i need to give him the chance to put things right, but we have not been happy with the standard of his work in other areas and i think it might be better all round if he doesn't redo the floor. Not sure where i stand legally with this, or the best way to play it.

You have to give him the chance to put things right but document any problems well & watch him like a hawk. Tell him as soon as your unhappy with anything & why but if he needs telling more than twice or there is a hint of poor workmanship or “bodgery”, ask him to stop work, leave the site & tell him why.

 

[joe-90]

Not really worth arguing about. You don't like his work. You know where the fault is. Tell him you are knocking £150 off the job. Pay him as far as you've got and get someone else in. He'll be happy to go off and charge good money to some other poor s*d.

 

[Simonc16]

The mosaic tile covers the entire floor area including the shower tray. If we need to lift the floor containing the UFH mat we could leave the shower tray area down and retile the rest.

We have already given him chance of putting work right. He sent some lad round a week or so ago who made such a mess our fitter spent all of the next day undoing his work. If this wasn't bad enough he then sent the same lad round the next day who promptly make a mess of a couple of other jobs!!!

We are now 6 weeks into a supposed 3 week job and the standard of work is getting worse and worse as his appearance on site becomes more and more erratic.

Confronted him with my testing results tonight and he instantly offered to get his electrician to repair the cable. Unacceptable!

We have written to him to tell him we don't want him back and await his reply.