OIL CH - failure of new emergency shut off valve

[jessejazza]

Before Christmas our plumber (OFTEC registered) when he was doing the boiler service said that the emergency shut off valve wasn't working and fitted a new one for £150.

In February i noticed it was leaking - oil on the wall and in the boiler room. Should i make a complaint to OFTEC it seems shoddy work to me... and i wonder if it needed replacing really. I was looking after my mother with Alzheimer's and then she died so i'm just 'getting round to matters' as it were.

 

[dancinplumba]

Call installer back

 

[jessejazza]

Call installer back

I'm going to this week but... quite a bit of oil has been wasted. I decided not to fill up with oil and closed the tank valve. As you'll see elsewhere i want to change to solid fuel.

 

[lame plumber]

pooh happens, it was done at Xmas, you noticed a leak in Feb and only now your calling him shoddy as youve oil everywhere, get real!!!!!!! If the leak was that bad you should have called him immediately, it would have stank the house out, and I'm sorry about your mum but come on, you should have let the guy know straight way, had him sort it and all ok. Kerocene Oil does have a horrible habit of managing to find anyweak spot and seeping out, all thats needed is a nip with a spanner and sorted, it happens occassionally and you shouldnt be accusing the guy of swapping things without any need or without proper evidence. If you had a fire and the valve failed to cut of the oil supply your home would quickly disappear and he has hopefully reduced that risk for you. the very small leak is just a minor issue and easily resolved, so call him back and it should be sorted.

 

[SimonG]

Naughty Naughty in my opinion.Appreciate you have had personal issues but you have to be realistic.

You are quite specific with when you noticed oil leaking but rather vague when the new fire valve was installed.

In essence, if this was me, I would come and repair the problem free of charge, no issue. It's less than 12 months old. However you need to realise the implications of an oil leak and should have jumped all over it in February, regardless of personal circumstance.

From the sounds of the leak it's probably a reportable leak to the environment agency, and I'm sure they would take a very dim view that you knew it had been leaking for 4 months but took no action.


So bottom line. How can you report the engineer to OFTEC (they wouldn't give a monkeys anyway tbh) when he is unaware of any issue.

 

[SimonG]

I've now read your other thread. You deserve to be reported to the environment agency and fined.

 

[jessejazza]

I've had to bear four OFTEC plumbers coming to this house over the last six years and each been hopeless. You say a leak Pooh - if it was gas it would have been bang. I simply closed off the tank valve as i had more than enough to cope without grief from some half baked OFTEC plumber. OFTEC plumbers seem to charge the same rate as GasSafe... yet are sub standard. Most would never get GasSafe registered. Anyway no one can get to the boiler cupboard as the sitting room is filled with furniture awaiting probate to be completed.

 

[SimonG]

Why shouldn't an OFTEC engineer charge the same as a Gas Safe engineer. Yes there are poor engineers out there, I see it sometimes when I have to fix things.

When somebody complains they have had issues with four engineers then I start and think it's a dodgy customer.

........and just to make you aware a badly running oil appliance will kill you just as easily as a badly running gas appliance. Just as anything you burn can and will kill you if not installed correctly and maintained properly.

So how about your address so I can drop a line to the environment agency?

 

[Millsy 82]

I've had to bear four OFTEC plumbers coming to this house over the last six years and each been hopeless. You say a leak Pooh - if it was gas it would have been bang. I simply closed off the tank valve as i had more than enough to cope without grief from some half baked OFTEC plumber. OFTEC plumbers seem to charge the same rate as GasSafe... yet are sub standard. Most would never get GasSafe registered. Anyway no one can get to the boiler cupboard as the sitting room is filled with furniture awaiting probate to be completed.

Out of all the oil engineers I know only about 5 of them are oil only the rest are gas registered as well so I think we are well entitled to charge the same. If you have had 4 engineers out and none of them are competant why not ask around for somebody who comes recommended.

As for complaining about him. Every body has leaks its an unfortunate side to the job and some are not noticable for a while. You should of phoned straight away it would only of taken 5 minutes and if the leak is that bad you want to complain to oftec then you could of caused enviromental damage which will cost you alot more.

 

[lame plumber]

I've had to bear four OFTEC plumbers coming to this house over the last six years and each been hopeless. You say a leak Pooh - if it was gas it would have been bang. I simply closed off the tank valve as i had more than enough to cope without grief from some half baked OFTEC plumber. OFTEC plumbers seem to charge the same rate as GasSafe... yet are sub standard. Most would never get GasSafe registered. Anyway no one can get to the boiler cupboard as the sitting room is filled with furniture awaiting probate to be completed.

in my mind your a winger with nothing better to do than find fault, good luck let us know where you are so we can avoid you.

 

[Dotty]

i had more than enough to cope without grief from some half baked OFTEC plumber. OFTEC plumbers seem to charge the same rate as GasSafe... yet are sub standard. Most would never get GasSafe registered.

Excuse ME?????????

You fail to realise that you are asking advice from the very same stock of engineers who are OFTEC registered, many of whom are also GSR, AND then proceed to insult us?

YOU are in the wrong. Have you called back the orginal engineer or is he supposed to read your mind?

I would very much suggest you wind your neck in and start again!

 

[Dotty]

in my mind your a winger with nothing better to do than find fault, good luck let us know where you are so we can avoid you.

East Anglia.

 

[lame plumber]

I really like croppie's post, really really really like