Discuss Plumber Being Unreasonable in the Plumbing Jobs | The Job-board area at PlumbersForums.net

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hulahoops

Hi
im just after some advice please. I recently contacted some plumbers for quotes for a second opinion following the problems we have been living with for ages.

One plumbing company emailed back after I fully explained the problems. He was really nice, seemed genuine enough and explained that I would need an engineer with a good sense of smell who can investigate the cause and would then write out a report in which I could use to,prove to my housing of the problems. He quoted me £99 and informed to contact them when the smell was really bad.

So so the other night, I did when we had the sewage and bleach smell from bathroom. The guy said the person I emailed wasn't there and I explained what the email had informed me to do. He said he would get someone out within 90 minutes. He said I had to pay a charge of £65 call out and £95 direct to the plumber. I told him I was quoted £99 and no call out charge was given. He said if I didn't pay then I couldntn get the plumber out. I had no choice as I needed the report this week to give to my solicitor. He took payment for the 65 and said he would email the receipt.I called there emergency number just after 11 pm Friday. The plumber arrived just after 12.30am.

By by then the bleach smell had gone but the sewage smell was still coming through bath but not as strong as it was when I called them. the young man said he couldn't smell anything, apart from an incense stick which I had burning in one of the rooms with the door closed. The smell would've been when he walked past it. He didn't check or look at any of the fittings and told me this was normal as I live in a flat and when everyone's using their water, it affects me. He told me to run all the taps in the bathroom and flush the toilet as this would get rid of the smell. He told me to leave the tap running when out but I told him I couldn't as I paid for my water via a meter so every drop counts. He told me there was no solution. I explained to him I had email contact with the company and the engineer that was suppose be sent to me, was someone who would be able to detect H2S smells and write a report. He told he didn't do reports. He had a basic and plain invoice book and wrote he had no smell when he arrived and there is no water in the trap. And that we use so often. I told the plumber I wasn't happy as the smell was clearly noticeable when walking into the bathroom and that he didn't look or check anything. I told him the previous plumber had taken bath panel off and said it was wrong fitting in which he said that's not true. i told him what the other guy said in his email but he said that's the only report I would get. My son was awake still so I didn't want a scene so I paid him. He tried leaving without giving me a copy of the receipt and what he wrote, son asked for it. He also told my son to run the taps when the smells come and each time they come.

i then contacted the company, same guy previously as I wasn't happy. Not only did he quote and chase me different, he didn't provide the engineer he said he would. I still hadn't received a receipt by email for the 65. I asked for the receipt and questioned why it had turned out like this. I asked for a refund in which he refused so I asked for the company complaint procedure and informed him I would leave negative feedback. He instantly switched from being professional to a bully by threatening me and warning that he would get his legal team and take court actions against me. He said to send him prof by recorded delivery and he rambled on a bit more. He was so rude when no need for it. i told him to go ahead and take action against me.

Todday hensent an an email with another report from same plumber again saying no smell as customer says from bath in the morning. (We get the smells mornings evenings and some afternoons) he wrote he explained to customer the trap installed is a shower trap instead of bath ( I told him about that and showed him the photo when he said it was fine and not true) then he goes on that all waste pipe is connected to one stake pipe as its depending on the installation of the howl stake pipe in some scenario it will suck out, draw off the water from the waste trap that brake the seal and the smell will come out.

Is this normal? Am I not allowed to leave negative feedback? Are plumbing companies allowed to give a written quote and then charge differently despite clearly stating what I needed and would get.

thanks for for listening and hope some can give me some advice. I can't afford any more plumbers now. I'm already out of pocket and trusetd this company. I can't even begin to describe how upset I am.
 
Sometimes over flows smell,and the immediate pipe leading down to trap,if your trap is full of water,then give the pipes a good bleaching some types of bacteria can have an over whelming wiff ,I had a call a few weeks ago same trouble I cleaned all pipes and trap flushed with bleach ,the customer phoned back she said she was doing star jumps as the pong had finally gone, hope this helps,and if I told you the customers name, and factory you would be flabbergasted .
 
Charge wise l cant see why you are complaining. The guy gave you an estimate, probably with no idea that you would wait till 11.00pm on a friday night. Im afraid I wouldnt be going out at that time to smell a bathroom.

Now the other side of the coin. Sounds like you do have an issue with your wastes. Probably too shallow a seal on the bath, but I'm just guessing. The water is being sucked out of the traps. Could be poor install, maybe worth trying anti vac traps.

Good luck.
 
Steering clear of the issues you've had with your other plumber, I can give you some pointers here.

You say you live in a flat. Are you by any chance on or near the top floor? The soil pipes very often are not vented outside and in place of the open vent, an Air Admittance Valve is installed. Sometimes called a Dirgo.
These devices allow air to be drawn into the system, usually immediately after a toilet is flushed.
The tell tale sign of the Dirgo causing the issue is the time of day the smell is worse/better. Usually, 5/6pm is a bad time, and upto 10/11 at night. Through the day it's not usually as bad.

I've known AAV's to be left hanging off, causing bad smells, and I've also jetted one off many years ago, resulting in my then employer (Drain Doctor) buying a lady a bunch of flowers - more than I ever got!

Unused traps are also a common cause of smells, as someone else already said, the water in them evaporates and leaves the trap empty, resulting in sewer gas entering the property.

The bleach (or chlorine as I often hear it described) smell suggests that the drain is open to the sewer. Do you have any images you could email or other info about the actual job? The other plumber is something entirely different and you could argue that one out til the cows come home!
 
Might be cheaper and better to get some sort of air freshner

In the first thread about the smells the lady said she has tried air freshners and the smell is so bad that her little boy gags hence her frustration at the council and the HA.
 
yes we all know that basic knowledge the drain pipe leading to trap will need cleaning,if the trap is full she certainly should not be getting any smells, thats why i said if her trap is full of water try cleaning pipe above and over flow
 
sounds like martin smith!.

you called an emergency plumber out of hours, the origional plumber may not work 24hrs a day!.
after certain time ie: 9-5pm the rate goes up and most go home so it takes someone to find a plumber to get to you...especially at 11pm friday.

cover the shower trap with a plunger, tape up the overfolw to bath and basin....smell will go!?
now take one off peer day till smell comes back then you will identify source.

then call plumber 9-5pm to fix.

hope that helps.
 
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