Plumbing Advice For Professional and DIY Plumbers in Australia

[lame plumber]

just got a call fm a plumber/electrician, retd due to ill health, working on an oil boiler for customer, asking for advice, it keeps firing and dropping out, whats the problem? by the way they want it serviced sometime!!!!!!!!!

Why do people with no insurance or knowledge even touch them!!!!!!!!

 

[Dotty]

Same catagory as "My boiler don't work, can you service it?"

No.

 

[Bunker]

Or,"Hi, Im the guy youve were trying to get hold of a few months back about a boiler service (but I never bothered to return your calls). Id like it done please"
"Certainly sir, how about a week on Thursday"
"Oh, I wondered if you could do it this afternoon"......
"Is it running ok sir?"
"Well, it has been stopping and starting a bit lately"
"And its running now?"
"Oh erm, no, it didnt come on this morning actually"
"No problem sir, Ill come on a very expensive emergency call out this afternoon and then we'll book a service for Thursday week, hows THAT?"
"Can you service it at the same time?"
"Well (of course I could but I wont) Lets get it REPAIRED FIRST"

 

[fubar1000]

Some people seem to think a boiler is like a car, if it's playing up & not running right have a service

 

[peteheat]

Some people seem to think a boiler is like a car, if it's playing up & not running right have a service

You are lucky, in my area it's, the "car" has broken down on the motorway so if you tow it in for me I'll give you the job of servicing it.

 

[lame plumber]

All fresh calls for servicing have a 2 week wait with me, soon sorts them out!

 

[kimbo]

Ihave just been to one which hadnt been serviced for a few years, took me 3 hrs including extending the oil line into the boiler before fitting a new flexi. Set it all up as it was miles out. Got a call next day that the boiler wasnt working and It was allright before I touched it. I diagnosed a central heating pump failure as the boiler was cycling because the heat wasnt being taken away by the pump. Customer threatened to stop my cheque. I went round and it was the pump, it had been in a cupboard behind the boiler for about 14yrs. Anyway the customer didnt have the money for a new pump so I left.

 

[TBServices]

Some people seem to think a boiler is like a car, if it's playing up & not running right have a service

Tbf in the case of many old o/f or b/f boilers, a service will sometimes do the trick. Usually just needs a good clean to stop pilot going out lol

 

[peteheat]

Ihave just been to one which hadnt been serviced for a few years, took me 3 hrs including extending the oil line into the boiler before fitting a new flexi. Set it all up as it was miles out. Got a call next day that the boiler wasnt working and It was allright before I touched it. I diagnosed a central heating pump failure as the boiler was cycling because the heat wasnt being taken away by the pump. Customer threatened to stop my cheque. I went round and it was the pump, it had been in a cupboard behind the boiler for about 14yrs. Anyway the customer didnt have the money for a new pump so I left.

Always ask the customer to fire up the boiler before you start, can be a pain as you now have to work on a warm > hot boiler but it eliminates the "it was working before you touched it"

The number of threads on this site where consumers say they can't trust plumbers???

To quote an American friend of mine "Buyers Are Liars, Always C.Y.A."

 

[kimbo]

I always fire up the boiler first and this one was working fine, worked well after I left but packed up the next day. Customer cant afford new pump.

 

[Bunker]

Always ask the customer to fire up the boiler before you start, can be a pain as you now have to work on a warm

Ill only bother ding this if its stone cold on arrival. I always ask the custard to turn it off an hour before I arrive, if its very warm that suggests its ok.

 

[WHPES]

I just say that if it's a breakdown, I can finish with a full service but it will of course cost more than a standard service. Most of my customers who fall into this category tend to be old folk who are obviously a bit hard up so I'm not too harsh on them.


How many of us oil engineers actually get round to servicing our own boilers annually?

Mine is long overdue but unfortunately I don't get paid for doing it and every time I plan on doing it, a customer rings up!

 

[Kumaras]

We live in the top flat. and we would like some advice concerning the water tank in the loft is ours or it is communal. Thank you

 

[SimonG]

Well. It's one of two. It's either yours or yours and everybody elses.

Not exactly giving us a lot to go on!

Any chance of a piccie or two?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

If it's big more than 2m x 2m its communal but pics would help

 

[Rickster123]

Turn the mains off to it and wait and see if anybody knocks the door..

 

[rpm]

We live in the top flat. and we would like some advice concerning the water tank in the loft is ours or it is communal. Thank you

Not so clever first post imho turning a 3yr old thread on oil boilers in to a thread on cold water tanks, whatever next I wonder.

 

[Riley]

Totally agree started new thread mate you'll get more responses

 

[Dotty]

And as such, this one is now closed.