What would you have done?

[stratobuddy]

I recently had a new boiler fitted, which needed 14 radiators to be drained down.

On one of them, a double panelled rad, both bleed valves sheared off when the plumber tried to open them (they were old-type rads so the valves could not be replaced).

Therfore I had to have a new rad fitted, which I had to pay for.

I am in no way blaming the plumber, it could have happened to anyone, including myself if I'd tried to bleed it.

But it cost me a lot of extra money over the agreed price for the boiler.

Would this normally be covered by your insurance? BG gave a quote that stated it would not cost any more even if there were unexpected problems, but I don't know if that would include a new rad. In any case, their quote was twice as much (they even charge for delivery of the new boiler, plus another charge to take away the old one!

What would you do in this sort of circumstance ie if you accidentally damaged something?

 

[Dotty]

Bleed screws, as you said, can go any time. Especially when they've been groinched in by a heavy handed householder. Not down to the plumber.

 

[mountainman]

I agree with Croppie.

 

[Mike Jackson]

You have a choice in this instance. Go with BG and pay twice the price but be sure that any eventuality is covered or go with the more reasonable quote and be willing to pay extra for anything extra. I bet with the cost of the radiator extra you still paid less than the BG quote.

 

[tamz]

It is the householders problem. BG or no one else would cover this as it would not be deemed an unexpected problem as it can and does happen.
Can you imagine if someone went round tightening every radiator bleed screw to just before the point of breakage the day before the boiler was swapped because they wanted some new free rads. It wouldn't happen.

He (the fitter) could have filled it if he knew how.

 

[secret squirrel]

Oh dear, why do customers always look for away out?

Why would an insurance company pay out for something that you already said could go at anytime to anybody?

 

[stratobuddy]

I wasn't looking not to pay for it.

But come to think of it, I pay insurance on my whole CH system which covers everything including new rads, although I would not claim for this one. I did have one in the past though that sprung a leak.

 

[Dotty]

That's the difference. A radiator can spring a leak. But usually when a bleed screw breaks it's because the screw's been overtightened.

 

[stratobuddy]

Actually, that one's never been touched for 20 years so probably corroded up. But luckily all the others were OK.

 

[REDSAW]

i hold the customer responsible for over tightening the bleed screw, plumbers only nip them up not crank them down.
if a plumber used the toilet and could not flush it is he deemed to have broken it?....