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Plumbing

Plumber Work, Still Not Working Properly but Wants Payment

Anonymous user 09/03/2024 - 3.32 PM

An issue my parents have now with plumber demanding payment for works when boiler still not working. Boiler stopped working at my parents house over Christmas, I reset the boiler then all was ok for a few hours before the boiler stopped working again. So they decided to find a plumber but struggled to get a plumber out that time of the year, so defaulted to the plumber who initially installed the boiler 11 years previously. Here are the details if what he says he did taken from the invoice. 1st visit - £90 - Find fault with boiler. Order part. 2nd visit - (2.5 hours) - £225 - Replace primary flow pipe. Service boiler (clean main burner condensate and test). 3rd visit (boiler stopped working so came out again) - £90 - Remove plate heat exchanger to clean primary flow pipe £30 Total to pay - £435 No where along the line was it ageeed to do what he did. No call out charge was ever explained. He went ahead on his own schedule & my parents went along with it, considering that he was used previously and he is a gas safe engineer with expertise in the make of that boiler. I have advised him that its still not working properly when he came to the house to get payment, saw that the boiler was working at the time of visit, only because we have to keep resetting the boiler daily (which maybe will damage the boiler in the medium/long term maybe), but he wasnt having any if it and said we had to pay. I even suggested that it could be to do with the wireless thermostat and/or receiver box, which i think is standard for a qualified plumber, but he didnt even look there. Need advice on what can be done as we dont believe we should pay anything if its still not working as before he even came. We are considering getting another plumber in to have a look and get a second opinion & if they fix it, then possibly reduce the payment to the demanding plumber for what we pay the 2nd plumber (to get him off my parents back), but even paying for the labour of the original plumber still makes it wrong as only the parts i think might be a reasonable compromise only. Why should we pay for work that was not needed. Let me know what you guys think. Thanks

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4 Answers

A.c. Property maintenance

Rating: 5 out of 5

Reading

First of all what ever work was done should first off all been explained and agreed buy both parties . With out going to deep into this I would suggest finding an amicable solution to your issue , but with regards to so called plumber arriving on door step demanding payment is not acceptable and very close to boarding harresement and intimidation . I can only suggest that you state this and that you try to resolve this issue in a civil matter . If still no ground gained I would suggest taking legal advice . But to turn up demanding payment is just not acceptable

Answered3 February 2023

D. Miles Plumbing

Rating: 5 out of 5

Bexhill On Sea

Broken boilers can br problematic and to be honest at 11 years old you have had most of its life out of it. Looking at your bill he seems to like the primary flow pipe alot, I would like to know what he has actually done and why. So you have a reasonable sized bill, a boiler still not working, an unreasonable plumber. A second opinion could give you an idea where to go next, I certainly wouldn't be giving a bill if I hadn't fixed the fault also as the other person said what was going to be done should have been agreed, as for the call out he should have explained that there was one before coming. Also the upshot is you have an old boiler and could have had a replacement put in for £1600, you used to get 20yrs plus it off a boiler but not anymore.

Answered8 February 2023

AK Property Services

Rating: 5 out of 5

Whitstable

Sometimes issues are harder to diagnose, it could be a pump ,blocked condense pipe ,the list goes on . Plumber should say if they are unsure what it is . And give you a indicator on price, I feel the plumber has spent time on your boiler,and you should pay for time spent and parts. If you do not feel comfortable with this plumber I would suggest to get another plumber out and explain what has been done . But one thing I would do ,is be reasonable, and sort it out between yourselves

Answered12 February 2023

Heath Gas Services Ltd

Rating: 5 out of 5

Leamington Spa

Im interested why he had to change the primary flow pipe, he has invoiced you £90 for a diagnosis which was obviously incorrect if he has changed parts and it hasn't fixed the problem. If you can tall me the make of your boiler & what fault codes are being displayed i may be able to help your further.

Answered1 March 2023