interesting tale in the life of a boiler and the assorted plumbers involved

[gasmarc]

I dont want to take sides ,but the fact is the boiler has not been installed correctly as per MI instructions so you cannot blame the engineer but it does sound like he has been giving you the runaround ,I have had the pleasure of fixing one of these before that turned into the boiler from hell ,baxi could not help and just suggested changing bits , eventually after changing bits and a new pcb they suggested I may have a faulty pcb, I removed all the new bits and left the job defeated

 

[alspeed]

I refuse to touch instants, they are a nightmare, I advise customers to get Baxi out, as they offer a fixed price deal. For a one off payment they guarantee to fix the boiler. And good luck to them!
Al.

 

[gasmarc]

I am glad it is not just me ,give me a puma any day of the week lol, When the manufacturers cannot even tell you a neon fault then it is time to leave in my book lol

 

[Kmort78]

I have to agree with gasmarc ,its not installed to MI had lots of faults,an engineers made a visit to fix prob may of had a mere with a poorly designed boiler and the first thing the customer wants to do is take him to court,or complain about the service,he warned about the cover over the pcb for a reason may not have caused the water to drip on to pcb!!!makes engineers worried about touching old boilers,most have a weep that developes other than the place you were working

 

[gasmarc]

i repair boilers that are broken or have an intermittent fault and for someone to blame me because it stopped working would be getting a piece of my mind, As I said before if it is not installed correctly its your problem, good luck

 

[Avatar]

I think you will find that the fact that water was already entering the boiler through the incorrrectly installed flue, means that it is your fault for not fixing it.

You call out a poor unsuspecting engineer, and then look to blame him when it alll goes pear shaped! No wonder he did a runner, I would do the same. Probably I would tell you that I would not touch it myself however!

I have a special alarm that goes off when I arrive on jobs like this, and if I suspected foul play on the cusotmers side of things I would not touch it with a barge pole . . .

Legally you dont have a leg to stand on either!

You have a bit a cheek coming on a forum for plumbers, and tell us all how you are going to stitch up one of our bretheren!

Dont expect sympathy from us mate! It is people like you who are driving the good plumbers (like myself) out of the domestic market completely . . .

 

[tamz]

You have a bit a cheek coming on a forum for plumbers, and tell us all how you are going to stitch up one of our bretheren!

lol.

 

[Kemble]

Avatar.... I think you may need to eat humble pie... From what I read about this saga, my money is on the last fitter (the one that left quickly) soaking the pcb in error, then stealing the pcb cover to provide a cover story (no pun intended)... do you really want him in your brethren ?

 

[tryitandsee]

what a sour and angry person mr avatar proved to be- do plumbers grind axes?I wonder where he keeps his special alarm?

The saga is now at an end more or less - here is the backstory.

Mr fitter ignored all the (logged) calls to him the day after the event - he had both commercial numbers on answerphone divert.

The following day (two days after the event), I checked with the insurer to see if he had contacted them - he had not even bothered by midday. i tried him on a different phone in case he was call screening - surprise surprise he answered! He said he was still looking for the part - (it's available on any number of suppliers), he said he was surprised to hear the boiler was bust ( he had three clear messages), it had been working when he left (not true), he said he had contacted the insurer (he hadnt). This was clearly going nowhere, so I emailed him - I said I wanted to know what he had done, and whether he was going to fix it - I told him I wasnt getting the gas safe reg involved, I just wanted an explanation and repair (and apology would have been nice).
Next day comes a email saying he had contacted the insurer (which he had sort of done, he had rung the customer service line but declined their offer to put him through to claims, who would have approved the repair any way) This was after I had spoken to him. He also said (in writing) that he had checked the motor valve diverter and the perforated membrane, then later changed this (in writing) and said he had only done a visual inspection ( for an hour? x ray eyes? ), had not changed anything (despite the screwdriver he had deep in the guts), and the boiler was fine. I asked him how the boiler had become unusable with a visual inspection, and he replied that I must have done something to it after he left and he was reporting me to the gas regulator and his solicitor (and he hadn't been paid).
I checked all the calls with the insurer today and vodafone - all duly logged on my side, time and duration.
Baxi came out and fixed the problem - transposed electrical switches all wrong (remember that visual inspection - telekinesis?), perforated membrane housing leaking. All fine ( nothing to do with the flue either, which was incidentally fitted by a corgi registered fitter, not the postman - even so, I am getting it replaced with a twin pipe)No comment on the circuit board or its cover. Baxi obviously concerned by the incompetent fitter, and have asked for his registration number.
I haven't heard from the gas safe regulator or the solicitor yet - it would be very interesting wouldnt it to go to trading standards and a trade body hearing, I'm sure Avatar would be willing to support his brother wounded soldier. This jerk isn't some damaged time served bitter seen-it-all (unlike some), he is 29 and has been sole trading for 18 months (although he claims 10 years).
Thanks for your help guys/ gals. Will let you know if any further developments. As for the original problem, well, that's for another day.

 

[Kmort78]

He may of only been trading for 18 months, but you might well be his worst customer in 10 years!!!,

 

[moony]

so he didnt damage the pcb and hadnt broke your boiler after all - just couldnt find the fault ?

and you cant prove that he took the pcb cover (which he probably didnt) also have baxi replaced with NEW COVER?

and i forgot to ask you paid him how much for his time ?


give the lad a break pal - i can go a couple of months before i attend a similar boiler - theyre all different and most are a pain in the bum.

He was out of order not answering your calls and this probably prompted your quick assumptions... but from what i gather he hadnt actually broke your boiler it was already faulty, hasnt charged you? and just simply couldnt fix the fault that countless others failed to solve in the first place - remember baxi deal in there own boilers - its all they see so to speak. so if they didnt fix it no one could of (well.......)

we all stick together as we know it from our side - but i can see your point as he did leave you high and dry (probably was flumuxed to what the fault was and was embarrassed) it does happen unfortunately.

good luck with it all anyway - bad experience but we all have our faults so perhaps the lads not a jerk but just come across something he couldnt sort out for you.

 

[moony]

Avatar.... I think you may need to eat humble pie... From what I read about this saga, my money is on the last fitter (the one that left quickly) soaking the pcb in error, then stealing the pcb cover to provide a cover story (no pun intended)... do you really want him in your brethren ?

lol no problem with pcb - good job your not a betting man lol

 

[tryitandsee]

so he didnt damage the pcb and hadnt broke your boiler after all - just couldnt find the fault ?

and you cant prove that he took the pcb cover (which he probably didnt) also have baxi replaced with NEW COVER?

and i forgot to ask you paid him how much for his time ?


give the lad a break pal - i can go a couple of months before i attend a similar boiler - theyre all different and most are a pain in the bum.

He was out of order not answering your calls and this probably prompted your quick assumptions... but from what i gather he hadnt actually broke your boiler it was already faulty, hasnt charged you? and just simply couldnt fix the fault that countless others failed to solve in the first place - remember baxi deal in there own boilers - its all they see so to speak. so if they didnt fix it no one could of (well.......)

we all stick together as we know it from our side - but i can see your point as he did leave you high and dry (probably was flumuxed to what the fault was and was embarrassed) it does happen unfortunately.

good luck with it all anyway - bad experience but we all have our faults so perhaps the lads not a jerk but just come across something he couldnt sort out for you.

I think you missed the point

He swapped over the microswitches and other stuff too - either he cant read circuit diagrams or he was otherwise incompetent

Then it wouldnt work AT ALL for DHW or CH - and leaked

then he left (quickly)

and then he hid behind his answerphone

then he lied about stuff

then he said he hadnt done anything at all

then he said he would report ME to the gas regulator

and to his solicitor

"give the lad a break"?

 

[Bartdude]

He may of only been trading for 18 months, but you might well be his worst customer in 10 years!!!,

You may have something there Kmort78.

There's no doubt that the fitter hasn't covered himself in glory,and it sounds like he got a bit out of his depth and didn't have the confidence to tackle the situation adequately,and chose to hide away rather than face up to you. Hardly surprising,when reading your previous comments,doesn't excuse it though.

When people start talking about logging their mobile calls and checking with phone company,alarm bells start ringing in my head. Fair enough,it's a bit of a mess,and if trying to conduct a witch hunt makes you happy then go for it. Don't expect too much sympathy on here though.

At least your boiler's working now,I hope it stays that way,make sure you get the flue put right though.

 

[tryitandsee]

I think you will find that the fact that water was already entering the boiler through the incorrrectly installed flue, means that it is your fault for not fixing it.

You call out a poor unsuspecting engineer, and then look to blame him when it alll goes pear shaped! No wonder he did a runner, I would do the same. Probably I would tell you that I would not touch it myself however!

I have a special alarm that goes off when I arrive on jobs like this, and if I suspected foul play on the cusotmers side of things I would not touch it with a barge pole . . .

Legally you dont have a leg to stand on either!

You have a bit a cheek coming on a forum for plumbers, and tell us all how you are going to stitch up one of our bretheren!

Dont expect sympathy from us mate! It is people like you who are driving the good plumbers (like myself) out of the domestic market completely . . .

you are very quick to turn to legal status

read the blog- I specifically told him I was not going to refer him anywhere, I actually wrote to him that anyone can make a mistake, and his response was to change his story, deny he had done anything but look, and threaten to report me and run to his solicitor

by the way, the reason I came on here was to get information - it wasnt me that suggested anything to do with a PCB

poor engineer? no wonder he did a runner I would do the same? says it all about you "good plumber", you should be ashamed of revealing your attitude like this at newwaveplumbing, does the owner know?

 

[gasmarc]

i can see this thread coming to an end shortly ,in your first post you said this
mbi boiler 4 years old, worked well for 2 years, then the pressure DHW fell.
Heat Team said "the flue is too long"
Independent fitter checked the cold water filter - bent spring found, big improvement!
Then DHW pressure fell.
Heat Team said " it's the air trigger"
and replaced that - slight improvement.
Then the DHW fell.
Heat team said " the flue is too long, you should get an expert"
Independent fitter came.
If the flue has not been fitted to MI instructions that is down to you and no one else and could be an issue for it failing , I would be annoyed if someone did not answer the phone and messed me about, i have had the customers from hell before and maybe you could be a blessing for this guy to get a job

 

[Avatar]

I am a Managing Director - and I stand by my comment because you are irate, and being somewhat unreasonable about this.

If you were my customer, I would walk and not answer my phone. Only diffference is I would have told you that I was not going to touch it maybe.

I am sorry if my comments seem somewhat strong, but I feel compelled to stick up for the other side of the story.

I have walked from jobs like this JUST because the customer acted unreasonable. I will not work for unreasonable people, who are in my experienc bad payers as well. I have a duty to protect my company from such people!

Still it has given everyone something to talk about eh?!!!

 

[Avatar]

ps: one thing I am is painfully truthful.

If the boiler broke and I believed it was no fault of my own I would tell you clearly.

If you wanted compensation from me I would also tell you clearly - No way!

 

[moony]

I think you missed the point

He swapped over the microswitches and other stuff too - either he cant read circuit diagrams or he was otherwise incompetent

Then it wouldnt work AT ALL for DHW or CH - and leaked

then he left (quickly)

and then he hid behind his answerphone

then he lied about stuff

then he said he hadnt done anything at all

then he said he would report ME to the gas regulator

and to his solicitor

"give the lad a break"?

well perhaps he was incompetent as you say, and youve been unlucky to get an inexperienced break down engineer. If you can prove he swapped over the microswitches? then i would say report him as he obviously hasnt got a clue what hes doing. At least your boilers fixed now though - up to you how far you want to take it - but if he has definately moved connections on sensors/microswitches and left the boiler running (or trying to run) then there is something fishy and dangerous going on and would look further into it. Proof is what you need though pal.