Please HELP with new combi boiler , possible nightmare on my hands

[Shaun_sdw]

Hi guys I'm just wondering if anyone could please offer me some advice please .
i do apologise if I'm in the wrong section


i won't go into to much detail including company names etc but I feel that I'm getting something fitted that's costing a few thousand pounds and its going to turn into a total headache , it started off really bad and has seemed to get worse throughout the day

I'll list a few issues so far after day one of the installation from today ( they are coming back tomorrow )
info is a conversion from a old back boiler to a new combi boiler .
this is day one but I'll keep it updated

ok here we go

1) fitters didn't turn off the water but started to drain the system , resulting in all of the radiators up stairs to disperse water all over my bedroom floors and eventually through into the living room .:dead:

2) I find out the boiler they have pretty much fitted is totally different to the one that was ordered , I don't claim to know what is good or not but what I was expecting was a vokera vision c30 and when they have started to install is a alpha Eco boiler !!
Any advice on what is better ???

3) the boiler flue is coming out directly through the vertical brick window lintel !! Should this happen ? The window does not open for your info but the flue is very close to the double glaring panel .

it was going to be a one day job but because of what is going on the guys finished early as I'm awaiting to speak to the manager of the company tomorrow . Hopefully they will be back tomorrow to finish the job , or maybe not

 

[village idiot]

i have not posted up in the wanted as I already have had a gassafe registered engineer around to view and price up for corrections . He is also a member on here

ok Shaun. Just that in an earlier post, croppie asked for the screen name of the member who called round but nothing more came of that? We will leave it at that. Have a wonderful week.

NB: I will stop looking now.

 

[Shaun_sdw]

Sorry I thought I had already posted up

 

[stevetheplumber]

are we ever going to see the defects list?

 

[Shaun_sdw]

I'm at. Work at the moment , when I'm home I'll get gassafes report and type it up

 

[Shaun_sdw]

1) gas piping has no earth bonding
2)redundant gas pipes have been left uncapped
3) boiler flue cut too short
4)flue terminal discharges to close to internal wall
5)flue terminal located within 25mm of a frame or opening into building should be no nearer than a frame of 150 mm if closed
6)no notification of install or boiler to relevant of building control authority
7)clearance of boiler insufficient from top of compartment
8) flue has pe nitrated load bearing element of building
9) 13 amp fuse fitted , should be 3 amp as MI
10)benchmark book not completed or even started , nothing filled in
11)external pipes uninsulated
12)condensate pipe not discharging below ground level or in drain ( discharging on wall and foundation)
13)condensate pipe too small only 22mm should be 32mm
14)new circulating pipework situated within boiler compartment has no insulation
15) incorrect power wire used for spur to boiler supply

+ many many more other points they have noted inc but not the end of the list

Inc bare wires under boiler
loose cables
boiler unsecure to wall
no electrical certificate for connections made
damage to carpets
damage to ceiling
unfinished pipework
unsecure radiators

and more.......

 

[stevetheplumber]

strange i would have put an unsecured boiler at the top of any list if it falls of the wall it is possibly catastrophic
and my pet hate the 13 amp fuse

 

[Fph]

sound like absolute amateurs

 

[ambrosia]

my two pet hates

11)external pipes uninsulated
12)condensate pipe not discharging below ground level or in drain ( discharging on wall and foundation)

note they havent mentioned "no self tap in screws in the flue," they must have done them, that means they couldnt have been that bad (or maybe inspector just ran out of room)

 

[Shaun_sdw]

There was more points noted , I would have just copied and pasted but it's a pdf an I can't post it as it names the company involved

 

[Rickster123]

Thanks for all the updates Shaun. The stress must be taking its toll by now. I hope you get things resolved. Please be aware we're not all like this!

 

[Dotty]

Item 6 is the only one that doesn't worry me. It's standard practice not to notify until final payment has been made.

The rest is inexcusable.....

 

[Millsy 82]

Item 6 is the only one that doesn't worry me. It's standard practice not to notify until final payment has been made.

The rest is inexcusable.....

I also don't fill out the benchmark until the very last thing.

 

[newcastle phill]

Just seen the photo bucket link.
Just curious it looks like that isnt keyed into the brickwork ???
Hard to tell

 

[Loki]

Just read from first to last post. I have to say sorry Shaun once again for the few so called "tradesmen" who give the genuine decent ones the good reason to to say we are not all in the same boat. Going back to the lintel is it a steel one,concrete etc because I only ask as I caught the end a steel one once while coring (went a lot further than should have done) and boy did I know I hit it. So we'll played to the cretin that went right through it. Looking at the state of the job that must have been the longest part!

once again Shaun I feel for yourself as I myself have had to go and put things right after so called tradesmen and I have heard the custards relief that they could finally put their minds at rest.
i just hope that you can do the same soon?

 

[Shaun_sdw]

Thanks for all the updates Shaun. The stress must be taking its toll by now. I hope you get things resolved. Please be aware we're not all like this!

It is starting to get to me, I'll keep strong and fight them all of the way .
i know you are all not like them especially because of the support on here
th
anks again

 

[Shaun_sdw]

Just seen the photo bucket link.
Just curious it looks like that isnt keyed into the brickwork ???
Hard to tell

It goes all of the way into the wall , what looks like a gap on the bottom picture is actually some plaster board fitted to finish off the window ,
if you look closely on the first picture you will see the screw misses the plasterboard and goes straight into the internal wood lintel , follow the straight edge of that and you see it goes into the brickwork

cheers again

 

[Shaun_sdw]

strange i would have put an unsecured boiler at the top of any list if it falls of the wall it is possibly catastrophic
and my pet hate the 13 amp fuse

I don't think the list was in order of worst to best ( if you can call it that) mistakes but more just what he noted

 

[cdodds2004]

shocking installation from start to finish! I would take photos and document everything. you have a gas safe report. so I would just crack on a get it sorted. I think best option is to brick up opening internally and externally. This will sort the lintel and boiler positioning out. its very poor work what they have done. but I wouldn't worry to much about the structural integrity of your house! you have no external lintel only a soldier course which the window itself is holding up. the internal lintel should be replaced though, but it will only effect possibly 3 to 4 courses of bricks in a triangle above the window as the brick work supports itself and its only a small window!

 

[Shaun_sdw]

shocking installation from start to finish! I would take photos and document everything. you have a gas safe report. so I would just crack on a get it sorted. I think best option is to brick up opening internally and externally. This will sort the lintel and boiler positioning out. its very poor work what they have done. but I wouldn't worry to much about the structural integrity of your house! you have no external lintel only a soldier course which the window itself is holding up. the internal lintel should be replaced though, but it will only effect possibly 3 to 4 courses of bricks in a triangle above the window as the brick work supports itself and its only a small window!

Thats prettymuch exactly what has happend.
After gassafes report i sent them a mail giving 7 says to respond to me if they are interested in any further discussions so I don't take them to court ,, gassafes report stipulates they has 7 days to rectify the work also , I even spoke to their office yesterday to give them one last chance of discussions and said they had until midnight last night to come back to me to negotiate what they are going to do or fitters were coming in to strip everything out that they have done and the new installation and repairs will commence .

no contact from them so that's what's been going on today , I've took pics as they have been removing it and I've boxed it all up neatly down to the last copper bend , it will be all packaged up and returned to Sfs with a bill for removal as well as any damages I claim through court .

they still I think insist that they will be taking me to court for payment even though I don't have anything from them that I actually ordered + all of the issues and **** installation on top of that is beyond belief that they think they have a leg to stand on

 

[newcastle phill]

Good luck I hope you get what you deserve without too much stress.

I find it dissapointing that even with all of todays self certification /competent person schemes for various trades some still feel they can provide a poor and in your instance a potentially dangerous service.

No pride and no shame and even self policing isnt enough to deter the act in the first place...

 

[mo7]

I wouldnt worry about them taking you to court

As you have mentioned they are in breach of contract for carrying out work not of a reasonable standard contrary to the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982.

You can argue you have lost faith in their work and given the delays you have already talked about you should get someone in and rectify all of their work ASAP. Any losses caused by their workmanship can then be pursued through the courts if they refuse to pay.

You could always re-use the boiler and aprts they have given you if you can.

 

[R.Oak]

I suspect this doesnt need to be said but you should be documenting the date and time of every bit of communication with them, no matter how small. You should be able to supply an accurate diary of events showing everything that was said and done.

If it gets to court this will be invaluable.

 

[rpm]

I wouldnt worry about them taking you to court

As you have mentioned they are in breach of contract for carrying out work not of a reasonable standard contrary to the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982.

You can argue you have lost faith in their work and given the delays you have already talked about you should get someone in and rectify all of their work ASAP. Any losses caused by their workmanship can then be pursued through the courts if they refuse to pay.

You could always re-use the boiler and aprts they have given you if you can.

Sorry mo7 but wouldn`t advise using a single screw if it`s theirs, give everything back would be my view.

 

[Shaun_sdw]

Sorry mo7 but wouldn`t advise using a single screw if it`s theirs, give everything back would be my view.

I have had the company redoing this today and tomorrow remove everything including screws ,clips, copper pipe , bends, even a blood covered flue ( they obviously cut themselves fitting it ) and even their bit of plywood . All waste pipes, thermostatic valves , actually everything I can think of

 

[Shaun_sdw]

I suspect this doesnt need to be said but you should be documenting the date and time of every bit of communication with them, no matter how small. You should be able to supply an accurate diary of events showing everything that was said and done.

If it gets to court this will be invaluable.

I have been doing this also thanks though as soon as I realised I potentially had the issue I started to log everything , I also have email from them stating the boiler I ordered with a 7 year warranty , price , timescale etc..
Yet they still delivered and installed a alpha Eco with a 2 year
thanks

 

[mo7]

You should bear in mind though that you should mitigate your losses.

So if they bought a boiler and it can be re-used and you go and buy a brand new boiler the court may question why you did not re-use the original boiler (if it was still usebale). They may then decide to reduce any award by the difference.

I appreciate you probably don't trust using a boielr they have bodged - but you need to be able to argue it - and it depends on what the court thinks on the day.

I understand they bought the wrong boiler initally but you accepted the change.

I should add I am not a plumber but I do have experience of civil law/consumer rights legislation.

Also I don't actually know whether the original boiler was ruined of course.

 

[rpm]

You should bear in mind though that you should mitigate your losses.

So if they bought a boiler and it can be re-used and you go and buy a brand new boiler the court may question why you did not re-use the original boiler (if it was still usebale). They may then decide to reduce any award by the difference.

I appreciate you probably don't trust using a boielr they have bodged - but you need to be able to argue it - and it depends on what the court thinks on the day.

I understand they bought the wrong boiler initally but you accepted the change.

I should add I am not a plumber but I do have experience of civil law/consumer rights legislation.

Also I don't actually know whether the original boiler was ruined of course.

Ah great! The ruddy lawyers are getting involved already! :tounge_smile:

 

[newcastle phill]

Well im a barrista in my spare time...

Lets discuss this over a coffee

 

[Shaun_sdw]

You should bear in mind though that you should mitigate your losses.

So if they bought a boiler and it can be re-used and you go and buy a brand new boiler the court may question why you did not re-use the original boiler (if it was still usebale). They may then decide to reduce any award by the difference.

I appreciate you probably don't trust using a boielr they have bodged - but you need to be able to argue it - and it depends on what the court thinks on the day.

I understand they bought the wrong boiler initally but you accepted the change.

I should add I am not a plumber but I do have experience of civil law/consumer rights legislation.

Also I don't actually know whether the original boiler was ruined of course.

I have never actually accepted the boiler from them , the boiler I ordered was totally different with a different warranty , they tried to scare me into saying that the alpha was far superior, I agreed to consider it but insisted I would only accept if the could confirm in black and white that they would give me a 7 year manufactures warranty .
the boiler I have quotes for was never delivered .

to this day they have still not provided me with this and they can't either . They were offering a 7 year warranty through the company and not the manufacturer , I explained this was not acceptable as if the company goes bust in a year or two then their 7year warranty is usless .

i offered to purchase all parts from them origonal boiler and they walk away from any fitting work and they also refused this . They want and expect a full payment of just under £3000 for the work they done .

ive decided now that every penny of my hard earned cash will go to a local fitter ,a hardworking someone who appreciates values , honesty and who deserves it .

Sfs don't deserve a penny from the work they carried out , the dishonesty , lies , thievery, ineptness, shabby work ,awful customer services to name a few , not a penny will go to them and I will gladly go through court if I need to .

I have all info , quotes , documents , emails , phone logs , calls, voice recordings , photos , recordings of them admitting they are in the wrong . And I guess I will just have to ride this one out .

i have considered contacting watchdog or other program's but I thought they would have handled it better , I might still go down this route , it should make for good viewing .

 

[Gray0689]

If they take you to court just counter sue them for damages
You will win