Advice please

[Lorna]

Hello

I had some work done by a plumber today but I am not satisfied with the job

I have a Glow Worm FLEXICOM24CX system. When it was installed I had radiators in all the rooms downstairs and two upstairs. I have had it about 5 years and decided to have the radiator in the hall put upstairs in one of the bedrooms and have a bigger radiator put in the hall. I first had the boiler serviced and said what I would like doing with the hall radiator which the plumbers said would be fine.
I had already told them when they serviced the boiler that the radiator in the back room downstairs was not heating up as it should and that I had bled it and just water,not air, had come out.so they said they would drain the system when they came . They did that and did the job with the radiators as planned. When they finished the work and the radiators were put back on some of them were not heating up as they should and they said they hadn't opened ' them properly and did them again. They then said that they would be alright and give them a few days. They then said that the ones upstairs should only be turned on halfway as they were taking the water from the downstairs ones...I was getting rather fed up by this time and was quite upset because my heating was not as I wanted or expected. I expected all radiators to come on full when they are turned up full (all at once) but they are not!!!!!
I will be calling them back (hopefully they will come) so was wondering if any of you can tell me what to say to them if it is still not done to my satisfaction. Not too much to ask is it that all radiators are working properly?

Thanks for any advice.

:smile5::smile5:

 

[Dotty]

Get them to balance the radiators properly.

 

[Lorna]

Get them to balance the radiators properly.

Thank you for your reply,croppie.
That sounds so simple ..makes me wonder why they didn't just do that there and then. I think they were in a hurry so perhaps didn't have time.

The boss did say to call them back if I wasn't happy.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

Thank you for your reply,croppie.
That sounds so simple ..makes me wonder why they didn't just do that there and then. I think they were in a hurry so perhaps didn't have time.

The boss did say to call them back if I wasn't happy.

sounds like a reasonable firm then,air can be a pig sometimes when systems are disturbed ,call them back ,sounds like there capable of sorting it

 

[Leo21]

So were they all heating up before they were moved? Did the latest plumbers just service the boiler?

 

[AWheating]

you were having problems before the work on just one rad not getting warm? are the radiators and pipework only 5 years old? do you thermostatic valves?

It does sound like a balancing issue which should be easy to sort in 10mins, does seem strange on a tiny 5 rad system.

Did they comment on the condition of the water in the system? make sure they have put inhibitor in the system when it was filled back up.

 

[Lorna]

sounds like a reasonable firm then,air can be a pig sometimes when systems are disturbed ,call them back ,sounds like there capable of sorting it

I'm going to this morning ...the radiator in the back room downstairs isn't coming on at all this morning.
Thanks gasman.

So were they all heating up before they were moved? Did the latest plumbers just service the boiler?

The one radiator that was moved was working fine before it was moved. A I have said to gasman the radiator in the back room that wasn't heating up properly before is now not heating up at all this morning!

you were having problems before the work on just one rad not getting warm?.

Yes.

are the radiators and pipework only 5 years old?

Yes.

do you thermostatic valves?

Yes (I think so) you mean valves you can turn up and down on each individual radiator?

Did they comment on the condition of the water in the system?.

I heard one of them say that the water that they drained from the system was crystal clear

make sure they have put inhibitor in the system when it was filled back up.

I am guessing you are a plumber ...would you be happy to be asked (by a customer who has no idea what she is talking about)if you have put inhibitor in the system? ( That's not meant to be glib by the way ...it is a serious question) And would any of you mind a customer going on the internet to ask questions when they're not happy with the job you've done?

Thanks to you all for taking the time to reply.

 

[Dotty]

Having a customer ask about inhibitor doesn't faze us at all, in fact it shows that they're willing to look after a vital part of their home.

And it is your home, and your responsibility.

Now't wrong with a drop of research.

 

[andyplumber2009]

Hi Lorna
Just to be clear that balancing a system is an easy but possibly time consuming job heance why a lot don't do it when finishing off a job.
Crank the heating up
Basically they have to shut off all rads down to frost settings on TRV's except the one furthest from the boiler whish you leave full open.
When this is nice and toasty move to next furthest one and repeat but this may only be set to "4" rather than full open in order to get toasty... repeat until all are hot, constantly checking that the furthest ones are not getting colder. This may mean that upstairs near the boiler are only part open and downstairs full open but all should be hot.
As you can imagine, this is not difficult but is time consuming as you have to wait for each to get to a a nice constant temp before opening the next one. the bigger the system the longer it takes....
Andy

 

[Lorna]

Having a customer ask about inhibitor doesn't faze us at all, in fact it shows that they're willing to look after a vital part of their home.

And it is your home, and your responsibility.

Now't wrong with a drop of research.

Hi Lorna
Just to be clear that balancing a system is an easy but possibly time consuming job heance why a lot don't do it when finishing off a job.
Crank the heating up
Basically they have to shut off all rads down to frost settings on TRV's except the one furthest from the boiler whish you leave full open.
When this is nice and toasty move to next furthest one and repeat but this may only be set to "4" rather than full open in order to get toasty... repeat until all are hot, constantly checking that the furthest ones are not getting colder. This may mean that upstairs near the boiler are only part open and downstairs full open but all should be hot.
As you can imagine, this is not difficult but is time consuming as you have to wait for each to get to a a nice constant temp before opening the next one. the bigger the system the longer it takes....
Andy

Hi croppie and Andy..

This is what happened...

I rang the plumber and he said he would come as soon as he could.Credit where it is due he arrived this afternoon. He is quite a hyper young man who doesn't really listen to what you are saying. I told him I had been on the internet for some help and mentioned
inhibitor and he just shrugged it aside. I then mentioned balance and he said I was absolutely right... I said I wasn't right it was what you people had told me. He breezed around the house saying he knew just what was wrong before he came to the offending radiator that hadn't come on and he said that he had fixed it (all in about 5 minutes) and then said he had done something inside the thermostat of that radiator and that I could not turn it up nor down but had to leave it alone because of what he had done to it! He then took the thermostat off to remind me not to turn it up or down. He left it on the windowsill and said it would remind me,sometime in the future, that something (?) needed doing! I said I didn't expect him to do it there and then because it was New Year's Eve but that I wanted it doing next week so he said okay just give him a ring!

He is a very jolly chappie but I think because I am not in the first flush of youth :teeth_smile: he thinks being jolly will suffice. Perhaps I'm being cynical there but I am rapidly losing confidence in him. I chose him because he is in a directory that the council have of tradespeople that are recommended by them. I am now feeling like I am nagging him although he says if I'm not happy then he's not happy!

 

[Dotty]

I think to be honest Lorna he was looking to get away for a NYE beer. I fully accept that you want your heating working fully and properly, and quite right that it should be.

Is it liveable until monday? He does sound to me a bit pressed but concientious at the same time.

 

[Destroyer2813]

Sounds like the trv pin could of been stuck if the offending radiator is now hot

 

[AWheating]

hi,

it may be that your valve was sticking in the closed position, does the radiator now get hot?

As for inhibitor its important that the system has been refilled with some added to help stop corrosion. The fact you got a shrug of the shoulders makes you think it was not added. Seems your plumbers needs to learn how to talk to his customers better.

If your unhappy and want a second opinion you could post your location and one of the forum members may live near by yourself.

 

[Dannyparty92]

Try turning all working TRV's off and see if that gets the rad hot.

 

[Lorna]

I think to be honest Lorna he was looking to get away for a NYE beer. I fully accept that you want your heating working fully and properly, and quite right that it should be.

Is it liveable until monday? He does sound to me a bit pressed but concientious at the same time.

Yes,croppie ,it's fine to live in and that's why I said to him that seeing as it was working okay I was more than happy for him to leave the thermostat thing until next week.I didn't expect him to be messing about on New Year's Eve...it was just that he didn't seem to think it warranted coming back for. I asked if him and his mate were going out and he said ,to my amazement, that he didn't think he would be...his mate was. I told him to get himself out.
:sorcerer:

 

[Dotty]

Gotcha. Call him next week, he'll probably be in less of a rush.

Happy New Year!

 

[Lorna]

hi,

it may be that your valve was sticking in the closed position, does the radiator now get hot?

Hi!- Yes it's fine now but the thermostat from it is currently residing on the windowsill ... I will phone the plumber next week for him to do whatever he has to do before he can put it back on and I can turn it to whatever position I like.

As for inhibitor its important that the system has been refilled with some added to help stop corrosion.

The fact you got a shrug of the shoulders makes you think it was not added.

The way he acted when I mentioned that made me think that he didn't think it was important.

If your unhappy and want a second opinion you could post your location and one of the forum members may live near by yourself.

Thanks for that but I'm hoping that all will be well with this one.

 

[Lorna]

You have all been so kind with your time and advice ... thank you so much.
I'm off now to get ready to go out to a party.

Happy New Year to all.... 😛arty:....hope it's kind to us all...

 

[Dotty]

Have a great time Lorna, I've just stoked up the fire for Mrs Croppie and about to pour myself a cheeky wee G&T.

 

[rpm]

Have a great time Lorna, I've just stoked up the fire for Mrs Croppie and about to pour myself a cheeky wee G&T.

You stopped with the cuppa then croppie?

 

[IDCHAPPY]

You have all been so kind with your time and advice ... thank you so much.
I'm off now to get ready to go out to a party.

Happy New Year to all.... 😛arty:....hope it's kind to us all...

Lorna, we love to help on here as customer service and satisfaction is our No1 priority....
should I lay off the stella yet?
😀

 

[Dotty]

You stopped with the cuppa then croppie?

Normal service is resumed....

 

[Lorna]

Hello again!

Firstly,sorry about the length of my post.

Well I am not a happy bunny today.

In fact I am quite upset.

The plumber has just called me a liar!*

The last time,before today, the plumbers came the boss said that the downstairs back radiator thermostat was broken and he would have to take the thermostat off and leave it off. I said you will come back and fix it and he ummed and arred and said give me a ring if it bothers you!

Seeing as it was over the Christmas and New Year period I thought best left for then as I thought they would be very busy.

Since then a number of the radiators are not working properly eg not heating up all over + the water upstairs runs lukewarm at times. I left it for a week to see if it would right itself and I didn't want to keep bothering them.

I called them last week and asked about the thermostat and told them about the other problems I was having and they said they would come today which they did.

As soon as they came (by the way there are two of them plus an apprentice) so I haven't been dealing with the same person all the time which makes it difficult when you are phoning explaining things as you don't know if one is telling the other. Anyway the one who came today (not the original) said I would have to have a new thermostat which would cost me a further £60 ( I have already paid them £325 for the job (?) they have done. The said it would have been £45 more if I had paid by cheque instead of cash) In the meantime he (and the apprentice) went upstairs and came down a few minutes later and said all was fixed .. he said he had balanced them. ( The other one was supposed to have done that the first time round) He said have a think about having the thermostat done and call them back and they left.

About 15 minutes later I felt the back radiator and it was cold!!! I phoned them and got the original plumber and he said it was because the thermostat was broken and I said to him that before his colleague had come today it had been mad hot. *This is where the accusation of lying comes in. He then said to me that I had told him that the back radiator had never worked which I did not!! what I said to him was that it wasn't heating up as much as the others and he said he would drain the system (which he did) and it would be fine. After the accusation of me lying I more or less gave up because I don't want to be dealing with someone like that and said goodbye to him. I will have to contact another plumber to have the thermostat fixed as I live in that room during most of the day and there is no heating in there now

It has been a most unpleasant experience which has left me very upset.

Well done and thank you if you have got to the bottom of this rather lengthy post.:smile5:

 

[PhoenixServices]

Post your location in the [DLMURL="http://www.ukplumbersforums.co.uk/im-looking-plumber-gas-engineer/"]I'm looking for a Plumber or Gas Engineer[/DLMURL]
and hopefully one of the guys can sort it out and restore your faith in plumbers.

 

[Leo21]

As above, most of us are very good. Unfortunately you got the minority.

 

[Lorna]

Post your location in the I'm looking for a Plumber or Gas Engineer and hopefully one of the guys can sort it out and restore your faith in plumbers.

As above, most of us are very good. Unfortunately you got the minority.

Many thanks to you both for your replies and advice

 

[Dotty]

As the boys said Lorna, post up your location and hopefully one of us is near to you.

 

[Lorna]

As the boys said Lorna, post up your location and hopefully one of us is near to you.

Will do..thanks croppie.