corner bath

[world9563]

well basically its a corner bath and its leaking from under the tap area as the customer has said. All i wondering is how to get to the taps in the far corner. Will i need to take bath out a little to get in there to do it any advice please guys. Going 7pm to see him tonight to give price etc

 

[dontknowitall]

I'd take a mirror and torch. And if you can reach and fix it, great.

If not, and you have to take the bath out, remember to allow yourself plenty of time, check what might get broken, e.g. are the tiles sitting on the bath or is there some wood that has to be removed, will the bath panel come out easily or will the floor be damaged?

If it was me I'd give an estimate instead of a quote. Fixing a loo can take anything from 1/2 hour from entering and leaving to 3-4 hours. I reckon the same might be said of this bath.

Good luck! There are nicer jobs around than this one, but needs must.

 

[NickH]

You need to take a borrower with you

 

[migoplumber]

whats a borrower??

 

[NickH]

Very small people that live under the floorboards and "borrow" things from around the house. You know when you cant find something, well the borrowers probably took it.

 

[migoplumber]

little buggers, they must have been following me for the last 20 years. what do they look like?

sorry world9563. stealing your post.

dontknowitall is totally right, follow his advice

shaun

 

[unguided1]

you could pray that its against a stud wall and cut through from another room, if its on an outside wall, thatswhere yer 18 lb ledge hammer comes in handy!!!
otherwise it sounds like the bath out, either way good luck.
regards
Mike

 

[NickH]

Amazon.co.uk: borrowershttp://www.ukplumbersforums.co.uk/r...on.co.uk/Borrowers-DVD-Ian-Holm/dp/B0002W15LO

 

[world9563]

Thankyou all for advice looks like will have to take bath out as its cold tap and next to wll can just about reach hot tap what a bugger. Looked around for those borrowers and could not find them. the only ones i can find are 7yrs and 9yrs lol thanks again that cheered me up this morning

 

[dontknowitall]

World - just thought of something. Remember you just might break something like the bath legs. Someone will have to pay for new things, so you need to get yourself covered, especially if you can't find a replacement.

Good luck!

 

[unguided1]

just had a thought if the ceiling is damaged and needs repairing you could go through that way, just means cutting through from underneath
regards
Mike

 

[dontknowitall]

World - how did it go (out of curiosity)?

 

[world9563]

Well let me tell you it was a right pain in bum. I ended up pulling bath out and fit flexi conectors onto peice of 15mm pipe (copper) the put a pushfit fitting on ( dont like useing) this then allowed me to put back in position and then just reach in far enough to grab and put onto pipe all worked ok suppose but took 3hrs and only quoted £50 and ended puting new taps on basin out of embarrasment from time took to do at least he was happy so hopefully no callbacks on that one

 

[stevetheplumber]

Well let me tell you it was a right pain in bum. I ended up pulling bath out and fit flexi conectors onto peice of 15mm pipe (copper) the put a pushfit fitting on ( dont like useing) this then allowed me to put back in position and then just reach in far enough to grab and put onto pipe all worked ok suppose but took 3hrs and only quoted £50 and ended puting new taps on basin out of embarrasment from time took to do at least he was happy so hopefully no callbacks on that one

This probably explains why im struggling to find work if theres "plumbers"willing to work for £17 per hour take out two pound an hour to run a van a pound an hour for gas safe expences two pound an hour for adverts another pound a hour for insurance leaves 11 pound a hour probably less than youd get working for a company

 

[world9563]

hi steve

Yes your right in one way but wrong in another i quoted the customer £50 and i always stick by my quotes its my fault the job took 3 hours and the other side to it is is a landlord and has 50 properties and i now have a contract with him to do all plumbing work on is properties and there is 5 bathrooms to refit end of april for him. and i have not been busy even at my low prices had only to jobs in over a month.

 

[stevetheplumber]

just realised your quote included the matierials which probably makes the rate about 8 pond an hour
at that rate i can find you work 24 /7

 

[world9563]

Thanks steve but no thanks and did not include materials in quote at all labour only + materials

 

[dontknowitall]

Thanks for responding World. Good job but shame about the quote. But well worth it if there's more in the pipeline - that's exactly how I do things.

 

[world9563]

just out of wanting to be nosey but how much would others hve charged for this job

 

[dontknowitall]

I was wondering if you'd ask that. Obviously it's different for everybody and much depends on the customer, etc.

If this was already a customer of mine I could easily have done exactly the same as you. But if a new customer, I wouldn't have quoted but instead given an estimate of a day's work saying it might run to 1 1/2 days. And if it only took half a day, the customer would be happy and I'd have felt chuffed that it wasn't as impossible as it looked.

I still think you've done well - many would have walked away from that one!

 

[Mushybees]

But if a new customer, I wouldn't have quoted but instead given an estimate of a day's work saying it might run to 1 1/2 days. And if it only took half a day, the customer would be happy and I'd have felt chuffed that it wasn't as impossible as it looked.

I know this is 2 weeks old but I have to ask.
Upwards of a day and a half to remove a bath, mend leak and refix it? What gives?

 

[dontknowitall]

LOL Mushybees and fair enough.

9 times out of 10 it would probably take under a day (as was the case above).

My 1 1/2 days was just based on worst case scenario of say, if the bottom row of tiles collapses off the wall when the bath is pulled out, or the bath leg screws require sawing off as they've rusted in, or part of drainage pipe breaks/slips out and further digging around needed, or perhaps ALL of these things happen.

It's tricky estimating/quoting time without seeing a problem in the flesh and I'd much prefer to over estimate the time required rather than be there longer than the customer wanted. I'd guess that 9 times out of 10 the customer would be happy and the 10th customer would probably go to someone else. I can live with that.

 

[world9563]

First of all i like to thank all for there advice and dontknowitall thank you for your advise. I have now started the bathroom refits which i think i got good rates on the bathrooms are already striped for me everything is going in same place and no tiling quoted £300 + parts for each and he has paid for all 5 upfront just got to bill for any parts have i done better this time guys

 

[Mushybees]

LOL Mushybees and fair enough.

My 1 1/2 days was just based on worst case scenario of say, if the bottom row of tiles collapses off the wall when the bath is pulled out, or the bath leg screws require sawing off as they've rusted in, or part of drainage pipe breaks/slips out and further digging around needed, or perhaps ALL of these things happen.

Fair enough, I think I have had days when all of the above has happened lol

 

[dontknowitall]

Nice one World and congrats. Work like that is difficult to find this year (for me at any rate). And a mega competitive rate - I'm not sure many would be happy lowering their prices to match yours!

Mushybees - thank you for that and if it needs assurance, I felt no offence (with either post)