Vaillant F75 Error Code - Faulty Pump

[phlpjns]

He's already changed the pump and the hot water is working now. £180 plus £150 for labour. He was there about 1hr 30mins tops but he was chatting for a lot of that. I felt like he was stretching the time out to be honest.

I didn't trust him at all for some reason I can't put my finger on - and I'm normally quite a trusting person.

On the phone before he turned up he said he'd been working on Vaillant boilers for over 20 years and knew everything about them but then later he said he had a number for Vaillant (he said it like no other engineers had a direct number for them) and then said that he'd had to phone them to find out what caused F75 and they told him it meant the pump needed changing. There were other things too but hard to explain. He left an unopened bag of washers and other bits and pieces in the box that came with the pump. A bit worried he didn't use those.

I don't like distrusting people I don't know and have no reason to, but that was my instinct. He spoke like when someone is lying about something and they say things to cover up but overdo it if you know what I mean. Even when he was loosening the nuts on the boiler he was making grunting noises that would have been more at home in a pantomime.
My son who was there at the time also later said the man seemed really 'shady'.

Anyway, it's done, I was just wondering if I had been ripped off. Seems I have misjudged the poor chap.

 

[Bunnyman]

So you used us to check him as he had already done the job that's not what this forum is for... He has done you a good job at a reasonable price. I think you are lucky to have him/you seem to be under the misconception that you choose the engineer? A good engineer chooses what customers he works for.

 

[Steelmasons]

So he earnt £50 and hour which didn't include travel time to and from merchants in order to collect pump?
You did well..

 

[Steelmasons]

Your opening post implied the repairs were not yet carried out?
I smell BS.

 

[Phill Peck]

my charges would have been based on having the part on the van. Diagnosing and fitting part.
If had to travel to get parts I would have charged for that.
U say he was chatting a bit. Presumably not to himself....

 

[phlpjns]

Used you? How'd you work that out. I just wanted to find out if it seemed a fair price or not - and that's what I asked.
In which way does it affect whether it is a fair price or not if he had already done the work or not?

Btw, £150 for 1hr 30 mins is £100 per hr. There was no travelling time to speak of, it turned out he lived about 5 mins walk away.

 

[phlpjns]

No, me and my son were talking and he kept joining in. I have no problem with that except unless it's a deliberate ploy to stretch out the time.
What I came here for was advice if that seemed to be the case or not (especially given the odd way he behaved and having to phone up Vaillant to find out what F75 meant after telling me he had worked on Vaillant for over 20 years and implied he knew everything about them).

 

[phlpjns]

I also have absolutely no problem paying a fair price for a fair job and being wary of one oddly-behaved engineer does not imply I am wary of all engineers.

 

[Aquaheat]

Did the 1h 30min include the diagnosis time?

Even at £100 ph in London thats still perfectly reasonable especially for a guy that fixes your fault same day, has been honest with you and his prices and has left you with heat and hot water. Explain to me why you are complaining again???

Jon

 

[phlpjns]

I appreciate all the advice given and apologise for seemingly rubbing some people up the wrong way. It was certainly not intended.

 

[Aquaheat]

F75 can be caused by about 5 different things sometimes more than one at once. Thats why Vaillant actually sell an F75 kit!

 

[Steelmasons]

Count yourself lucky he didn't use your phone to call Vaillant tech line.

 

[phlpjns]

Hi Jon, thanks for your reply. Firstly I have not complained about him other than to mention he acted oddly and my instincts told me he was not being completely honest. Secondly, he did not fix it first day and also was not entirely honest with me. He turned up over two hours later than scheduled last Saturday. He spent 5 minutes having a quick look at it and then said he would need to spend more time looking at it to work out what was wrong with it. He said it would either be the sensor which would cost £65 or the pump which would cost £130 but he said he could not fix it then as he would have to pick up the part he needed and the shops were shut until Monday. We were left with no hot water Saturday, Sunday and most of Monday. When he came back on Monday it seems he had forgotten what he had told me on Sat because I asked him if he had to go to the shop to pick up the pump and he said no he keeps them in stock in his van. The price of the pump also jumped from £130 on Sat to £180 on Monday.

So as you can see he and his pricing were not entirely honest. Why did you jump to conclusions and assume he was being honest with not knowing the whole story? Why are defending him when you do not know anything about him? Do you assume ALL engineers are honest?

I came here to find out if the prices seemed reasonable or not. It seems they were but for all I knew they may not have been.
The guy was certainly shifty - enough for me to bother coming here to ask if his prices were fair or not.

 

[phlpjns]

F75 can be caused by about 5 different things sometimes more than one at once. Thats why Vaillant actually sell an F75 kit!

I had read about the F75 kit and I mentioned it to the engineer. He did not know anything about it (despite his 20+ years working on Vaillant boilers!).

 

[Aquaheat]

The way I'd see it is that you had the job done, he charged a fair price and did it quickly and efficiently to get you up and running. You should want him back but if you don't trust the guy or feel uncomfortable with him in your house then that's your prerogative.

Next time you can use this experience to decide whether you call him in again or risk another unknown quantity who comes off as less shady but scams you for £3500 for a new boiler or fixes it with the same ease. Thems the risks you take.

Not all RGI's are great people persons but get the job done and vice versa. Some are both and others are neither.

Jon