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

[EPH]

Sounds like the owner of the business was giving you plenty of bluff unfortunately as they've had more than enough time to sort this. Get down to CAB and see about getting the work put right by someone else.

Some others might know better than me, but don't know if Gas Safe will be that bothered in poor workmanship. I'm not for one minute suggesting that they shouldn't be, but not sure if it's the case.

I feel sorry for you, you've had a very bad experience here that's out of your control and they should be bending over backwards to accommodate you, I think that tells you all you need to know about this company.

 

[Dotty]

Which forum member was it Shaun? His screen name, not his real one.

 

[Shaun_sdw]

Which forum member was it Shaun? His screen name, not his real one.

Not sure of the forum name , I actually phoned him as he has just done work for my brother , when he came around I was talking to him about it all and he said he was a member on here 🙂

 

[lame plumber]

The thing is because the window doesn't open and if there isn't permanent vents on the window then the being too close to window reg is fine. Like Steve said it's mostly older boilers that can be mounted onto wood. We have to do this on many occasions but even though there standard of work is terrible.

Not true, an engineer has been jailed for doing just that when it was later converted to an opening window, treat that situation as an opening and keep the distances if you dont want to be sharing a cell with mommy one day.

 

[Millsy 82]

I think your first thing to do would be get the lintel looked at on Monday if possible as it will be weakened to the point that it will probably be useless. Also who ever came out can they give you a report of what needs doing to bring it up to standards (not necessarily to make it look good though. Then go back to the company with this and say this is what needs doing and give them a timescale to sort it (you have to give them reasonable time to sort it your local CAB will be best to advise you though). If they fail to do that then get someone else in to sort it.

 

[Millsy 82]

Not true, an engineer has been jailed for doing just that when it was later converted to an opening window, treat that situation as an opening and keep the distances if you dont want to be sharing a cell with mommy one day.

You cannot fit a boiler for what may be done you have to fit it to what is there now. Otherwise you will never fit a boiler because they may get someone in to fit a window at a later date etc. If they then replace the window it will have to be picked up on the next service/ repair then dealt with.

 

[Shaun_sdw]

I think your first thing to do would be get the lintel looked at on Monday if possible as it will be weakened to the point that it will probably be useless. Also who ever came out can they give you a report of what needs doing to bring it up to standards (not necessarily to make it look good though. Then go back to the company with this and say this is what needs doing and give them a timescale to sort it (you have to give them reasonable time to sort it your local CAB will be best to advise you though). If they fail to do that then get someone else in to sort it.

I suppose i have already done this ,
the owner of the company came our almost 1 week ago , 1 week after they started the job .
he admitted to the mistakes and problems and agreed in person to resolve the issues .

he was going to do his own report , they know exactly what needed done as I've sent them multiple emails with all of the problems , they have pictures , they have physically seen it . They have then had now six days to even just properly respond to this and haven't even done that .
They ( the company ) will not get back into my house , they have had ample time to resolve this situation but it's obviously not a priority for them .

i wouldn't care if I had been nasty with them , I've been nothing but nice , I feel they are thinking I'm a soft touch and have just played it along .
I've had enough !!!
I have took legal advice and sent them a email this morning with two options , I'm sure they won't like either of them . I've asked for them to respond to me ASAP and then when they do someone else will get the business .

i get the feeling from them now that they are trying to some what deflect the blame to me that they have done a really really poor job .

Its almost as if
I should have turned the water off
I should have drilled the hole for the flue
I should have lifted the floor boards and replaced them
I should have fixed the boiler to the wall
I should have made sure the boiler they brought was the correct one before they installed it

This is like one of those jobs you see on watchdog or them cowboy trader program's
I'm just so glad that I have not give them a Penny yet .

 

[stevetheplumber]

lots been said on here regarding structural damage but i truth it isnt as bad as made out there is probably no lintel above that window as the arch makes it self supporting i would get a bricky to remove the arch and fill the window in with matching bricks removing the now damaged arch as well
you will need the boiler of the wall to do it

 

[kris]

Not true, an engineer has been jailed for doing just that when it was later converted to an opening window, treat that situation as an opening and keep the distances if you dont want to be sharing a cell with mommy one day.

Of course it is , you cant jail someone for abiding by the law thats ridiculous, you put the flue outside regs state away from an openable window, if its not openable then your abiding by the regs ,
If someone changes that windo in the future then under no circumstances can the original installer be blamed it just wouldnt stand up in a court of law, there must be something more to the case your on about lame surely,

 

[ambrosia]

Going back a bit, they did remove the backboiler didnt they? its not still connected to the heating system is it?

That old cast iron heat exchanger wont cope with a pressurised system if it is still attached

Kris I know the case you are talking about, it was in gas safe mag a few months ago,
however in this case to open the window you'd have to move the boiler out of the way

 

[Shaun_sdw]

Going back a bit, they did remove the backboiler didnt they? its not still connected to the heating system is it?

That old cast iron heat exchanger wont cope with a pressurised system if it is still attached

Kris I know the case you are talking about, it was in gas safe mag a few months ago,
however in this case to open the window you'd have to move the boiler out of the way

the back boiler was removed. The system is not up and running and has been turned off as it's not safe

 

[GasmanxxxR1]

Of course it is , you cant jail someone for abiding by the law thats ridiculous, you put the flue outside regs state away from an openable window, if its not openable then your abiding by the regs ,
If someone changes that windo in the future then under no circumstances can the original installer be blamed it just wouldnt stand up in a court of law, there must be something more to the case your on about lame surely,

Correct me if Im wrong but in that case the installer screwed an openable window shut, which was later opened

 

[rpm]

Or new windows were fitted some time after which could be opened, wasn`t it a hotel or B+B?

 

[Millsy 82]

Or new windows were fitted some time after which could be opened, wasn`t it a hotel or B+B?

If it is the one I'm thinking of it was a hotel in Newquay? I think they used a vertical flue terminal on the side of the building under a window that they screwed shut from the outside, because the hotel couldn't get rid of the steam in the bathroom they had the window changed so it could open.

So it wasn't just 1 fault it was a few.

 

[stevetheplumber]

screwing windows shut is not allowed any more it was common practice at one time

 

[Shaun_sdw]

This is still ongoing and I'm still without hot water or heating , looks like its going legal , gas safe earliest appointment is Tuesday coming , after they have been I'm paying someone else to supplier a new boiler and rectify all of the damage done and I will take the company who fitted this shambles through the legal system .

as nothing was being sorted I gave them two options
1) that I would purchase the boiler and thermostats fitted from them at an agreed price but I would pay them for no labour and they could walk away from the job , I will pay for someone to rectify the work , the wall the lintel etc , I thought I was being more than fair as I just wanted it finalised , they then wouldn't have to do anything else other than take a payment off me for the supply of goods only .
or

2) I take them to court and will seek damages , another company will remove their thermostats and boiler , package it all up and return it to them, the new company will be fitting the new system including all fixtures and fittings

They refused both options and decided they wanted to now complete the work ASAP .

Unfortunately because of all of the hassle and lies I've had from the origonal company ,I have now refused them to touch anything in my house again, They keep quoting me that its illegal for me to now refuse entry to rectify the issues due to the sales of goods and service act of 1982 but as far as I am aware they are in so many breaches of contract they won't have a leg to stand on .
they have poor workmanship , dangerous fittings , illegal flue positions , lied to me , tried to rob me of parts they should have fitted , effectively stole my old copper boiler (didn't ask if it was ok to take ) they just assumed and took it plus more things including , not actually ordering the boiler that I ordered and actually fitted a cheaper system but expected to still charge me the same amount .

gas safe is out on Tuesday and then as soon as they have been I'm contacting a socolisitor .

 

[kay-jay]

Hope it gets sorted for you mate. Keep us informed.
Good luck

 

[Dotty]

mmmm. This one is an absolute nightmare for you.

I just hope you don't feel we're all like that.

 

[Shaun_sdw]

mmmm. This one is an absolute nightmare for you.

I just hope you don't feel we're all like that.

Not at all , just you 😉 , honestly though thanks for all of the help from you and the forum guys and girls ,if any are girls 😛

 

[rpm]

There are a few girls on here but they tend to hide under funny names.
Opps! hope I don`t start something here.