Gas fire coals blown off???

[Thoggy]

Hi guys
looking for some advice, i fitted a Richmond plus gas fire 2 months ago everything fine, coals placed correct, it was for a neighbour.
Gets a call tonight she says she lite the fire went to the kitchen and heard a noise and came back and coals were on the hearth and the heavy ish fire plate at the front had fallen a good foot onto the carpet, I asked her the obvious has the cat been near it and she's gone mad at me saying I'm questioning her and insulting her for thinking it was her cat, I got on really well with this person but she has just kicked me out the house and says she doesn't know what to do.
I'm obviously now worked up and questioning myself but I know it I fitted it right, ruled out delayed ignition as it was lite, don't know what to do I rang the manufacturer up and they said £100 call out if it's no fault of there's, thought about ringing gas safe but obviously don't want to make myself look like a idiot.
Thanks Martyn.

 

[villa_tom]

My money is on her doing something wrong.

In my experience, the only time people get worked up when you question them is when they are trying to hide something.

Its been in for two months and not a problem, I know it probably hasn't been used but if they where going to fall, they would fall even when it wasn't on.

 

[rpm]

As always, it`s not what you say but how you say it. I find most people get narky when they know they`ve done something they shouldn`t in this case dusting the coals?

(must type faster) lol

 

[Millsy 82]

My guess is she removed the front all the coals fell off because she knocked them and she knows that's why she kicked off.

 

[Atouchofgas]

The heavy metal piece I presume is the fret. Is the fire manual? I would bet if it is manual she has moved the fret to light the fire as she couldn't remember. Forgot to put it back, it fell and dislodged the coals

 

[Thoggy]

Thanks for the replies guys, it's a slide control fire not that it makes any difference, I'm in total shock she was giving me the impression I didn't know what I was doing, said she wants the fire removing and it's not safe and would I have it in my house, what would you do from here??
thanks Martyn

 

[villa_tom]

Thanks for the replies guys, it's a slide control fire not that it makes any difference, I'm in total shock she was giving me the impression I didn't know what I was doing, said she wants the fire removing and it's not safe and would I have it in my house, what would you do from here??
thanks Martyn

Charge her to remove it and make safe

 

[zeebeedee]

I fitted an electric oven for a woman once turned out to be a bad ****head. Got a voicemail at 3 in the morning saying she had unscrewed the oven to clean it and she had smashed it on the floor and could I come round and clean up the mess as I should have informed her not to unscrew it.

She got ignored

 

[Leo21]

You know you've fitted it correctly. Write a letter stating your willing to inspect it, and let her know if she's not happy with your diagnosis/opinion she can call the manufacturers at her cost. Put it in writing!

 

[Thoggy]

Can anyone think of any reasons why the coals would apparently fall off taking the grate/front with them whilst the fire is on? It's driving me crackers to think I would be accused of any wrong doing, I pride myself of doing things correctly else what's the point in running a business and playing with people's life's, if I'm ever at fault I will do my best to sort the situation rather than have bad feeling with customers, guess some people just don't think like others and just want to blame anyone but themselves.

 

[Atouchofgas]

Be what happened in my earlier post vibration when the fret fell knocked the coals off

 

[Leo21]

Only the fret not being located properly, on some fires the coals sit on the fret at the front. While the fire is on that,d be a no. She,s fiddled with it, took the fret of herself. Not relocated it properly, turned it on and it's fell off at that moment. Pure coincidence it being on when the coals and fret fell off.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

Hi guys
looking for some advice, i fitted a Richmond plus gas fire 2 months ago everything fine, coals placed correct, it was for a neighbour.
Gets a call tonight she says she lite the fire went to the kitchen and heard a noise and came back and coals were on the hearth and the heavy ish fire plate at the front had fallen a good foot onto the carpet, I asked her the obvious has the cat been near it and she's gone mad at me saying I'm questioning her and insulting her for thinking it was her cat, I got on really well with this person but she has just kicked me out the house and says she doesn't know what to do.
I'm obviously now worked up and questioning myself but I know it I fitted it right, ruled out delayed ignition as it was lite, don't know what to do I rang the manufacturer up and they said £100 call out if it's no fault of there's, thought about ringing gas safe but obviously don't want to make myself look like a idiot.
Thanks Martyn.

being a richmond i take it its a flavel or a kinder ,i just happen to be one of there service engineers,there is no way in hell that fret can land a foot onto the carpet without being hit,coals dont tend to fall out on there own,its near impossible

 

[Thoggy]

Gas man can you think of any reason of error on my part in fitting it or a manufacturer error that would cause what she said? Don't really want to ring gas safe on myself.

 

[Thoggy]

Flavel

 

[tamz]

can you think of any reason of error on my part

Doing work for neighbours would be your first error :wink:

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

Gas man can you think of any reason of error on my part in fitting it or a manufacturer error that would cause what she said? Don't really want to ring gas safe on myself.

no unless coals or fret incorrectly positioned,is the fret loose on that or part of the facia or threaded bolts?

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

Doing work for neighbours would be your first error :wink:

or family LOL how you keeping tam,heard of your adventures,good on you fella

 

[kris]

Defo sounds like she's moved the fret probably t clean like previously mentioned. She hasn't put it securely back snug and it's fell over possibly taking a coal with it. Now here's the fun bit. If she's been in the kitchen or simply out the room when this has happened then she'll automatically think the worst . The fact is she didn't see this happen or else she would've been a lot more histerical. Anyone that witnesses a sudden gas surge would've shut it off straight away. You need to ask her to let you witness this to diagnose and possibly fix.

She's just upset as she's got black coal on her bony carpet.

 

[Centralheatking]

Your customers explaination is a load of poo - I would firmly place any doubt about this installation with the home owner. Maybe she is a loon Certainly Do Not take this to heart and keep on with
all your other customers

If you can get a mate with a gas safe ticket to call by and eyeball it
and tell your looney customer were to get off

centralheatking

Can anyone think of any reasons why the coals would apparently fall off taking the grate/front with them whilst the fire is on? It's driving me crackers to think I would be accused of any wrong doing, I pride myself of doing things correctly else what's the point in running a business and playing with people's life's, if I'm ever at fault I will do my best to sort the situation rather than have bad feeling with customers, guess some people just don't think like others and just want to blame anyone but themselves.

 

[Thoggy]

The fret is just sat on the hearth, thanks for everyone's replies it's good to know you guys think the same as me, nothing worse than questioning yourself even though you know your in the right but still trying to find a logical answer.

 

[Centralheatking]

Yup and relatives. close friends, old scholl friends and family
now matter how close --- its a minefield.

I always put that lot in touch with one of my subbies to do the work
and get the gear on my ticket for which they pay me in cash

happy days centralheatking

Doing work for neighbours would be your first error :wink:

 

[Centralheatking]

Dont know how long u been at this game but some of us are experts
and been doin this game years - NEVER DOUBT YOURSELF commercially
you are the boss thats why you are not employed but on ur own and worry

CHK

 

[tamz]

or family LOL how you keeping tam,heard of your adventures,good on you fella

Doing fine Mark.
Just breaking myself into this working lark again. Canny be rsed so i'm off to the Lake District on Thursday night for another wee jaunt

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

Doing fine Mark.
Just breaking myself into this working lark again. Canny be rsed so i'm off to the Lake District on Thursday night for another wee jaunt

hope you enjoy tam,life's for living ,not just for working as i am sure you know to well

 

[tamz]

I'm learning Mark :wink:

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

I'm learning Mark :wink:

started walking the 2 dogs every evening for a hour,find it chills me,bringing the phone with me is a pita though ,tell you what though there's some fit female joggers out there :hand:

 

[Leo21]

started walking the 2 dogs every evening for a hour,find it chills me,bringing the phone with me is a pita though ,tell you what though there's some fit male joggers out there :hand:

?????????????????

 

[Centralheatking]

Mind you UKPF has taught me loads that I did not know I did not know and plenty more

Many of us tend to be men in vans and it can be quite lonely and dis-connected
hence the UKPF on all its different levels - I am lucky in that us old f***Ts do meet up
esp as they helpme out most days -- I cannot say work for me they are too good
for that

CHK

 

[EPH]

Natural gas or LPG?

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

?????????????????

thats your fantasy grandad

 

[Thoggy]

Natural gas

 

[EPH]

Natural gas

Doesn't matter then.

Ive seen very similar with someone trying to badly light an LPG one, if it was natural the excess gas would've more than likely dispersed but as it was LPG it collected around the fire and made a small explosion.

I wont tell tell you which test centre :-D

 

[Thoggy]

Dear


Without prejudice


I thought I would write to you to let you know the findings of the engineer. He has replaced the broken front and replaced the coals.


I attach photographs of the fire before the incident and after. The photo taken before was when it was first installed and I was so proud of it I emailed the photo to friends and family. I can see a definite difference. The large gaps are no longer there and the fire is built not so “top heavy.”


When you built the fire up again and placed the broken piece back into place, my thoughts were it was dangerous and you should not have done that. The fire needed inspecting and the broken piece replaced before using it again.


At no stage did we try to apportion any blame to you however, we felt right away you were looking to blame someone. When I said I do not want my mum upset your reply was “you are upset? I should be the one upset”. What a strange thing to say. You also said that whenever we phone, you come round. You advertise 24-hour callout so of course we phone you. You make out you are doing us a favour but surely that is the nature of your job?


As far as I know we have paid for everything you have done for us, we have ALWAYS paid on time and NEVER quibbled about price. The first time we had a problem your attitude changed. You seemed angry and the way you were pressing the fire ignition up and down it is a wonder you did not break it. You appeared very defensive.


I would like the receipts please for the fire and boiler. I will need them for the guarantees. Obviously, we will not be able to call on you for servicing or if things go wrong.


It seems a shame things have turned out like this just because our fire collapsed and we were not prepared to accept your resolution of building it back up with the broken piece.


Yours sincerely

 

[Thoggy]

Just had this email weeks after the incident, this has made me realise now that my neighbours have some serious mental issues and make stuff up, also talk about clutching at straws with the so called dangerous fire I installed.
Just thought I would update as some of you guys gave me some advice when I felt a bit stressed questioning myself when I knew I'd done nothing wrong.