Banging my head against wall with developer

[KingDoey]

hi all

You may remember sometime ago I posted about radiator leaking a year later on new build...

Well the same developer has now been on my case about flow rate. It is poor on the cold services throughout. He mistakenly got the builder to fit 20mm mdpe instead of 25mm when the place was built.

So we connected onto that and piped the place up. The person who bought the place was complaining about flow rate being poor and I suggested it might be because of the 20mm pipe.

Fast forward to my conundrum:

Developer rang tonight. Claims he took stop tap off and blasted mains through at 23/lm (seems quite high to me). Then claims kitchen tap is taking 11 mins to fill his 23 litre bucket. (Not using a weir cup)

I have told him it’s got to be taps. Can’t think what else it could be. All service valves are full bore. Stopcock fully open. He’s saying must be a problem with our pipe work. Which has minimal elbows and the longest run is to the bathroom about 4m from kitchen...

I am at a loss as to what he wants me to do/say and am ready to tell him to shove it up his arse.

Before I do does anyone have any thoughts as to what could be causing the issue? I’m certain it’s the cheap crap mixer taps they chose to have fitted.

Cheers

 

[ShaunCorbs]

wheres the stop tap ? under the kitchen sink if so its not a pipework issue as its direct near enough

and by his calc thats half a litre a min no way even 20mm wont throttle that much so somethings off

 

[KingDoey]

Mdpe comes up under sink. Elbows into unit for stoptap then elbows back into stud wall and off to the left for 4m max in 15mm to bathroom.

Yeah so he claims with stop tap off 23l/m

With stoptap on less than half litre a minute. There’s probably 3 or 4 elbows max before sink tap.

I just can’t see what else it could be...

 

[ShaunCorbs]

i would do my own test how long to fill a 2l bottle off kitchen sink

whats the boiler/ sys?

 

[Welder]

Seems to me that its time to do a few tests.
Firstly, filmed tests of flow rate using a weir gauge and then literally filling a bucket
direct off incoming main.
Second would be supplies to the poor taps. Again filmed.
At that point you say, "Over to you pal"

 

[KingDoey]

i would do my own test how long to fill a 2l bottle off kitchen sink

whats the boiler/ sys?

It’s a glow worm essential 28kw combi A throwaway boiler. Again what they specified.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

bathroom spec ? bath shower drench etc?

 

[KingDoey]

bathroom spec ? bath shower drench etc?

Just a mixers on bath and basin and a bar mixer in bathroom

 

[KingDoey]

Seems to me that its time to do a few tests.
Firstly, filmed tests of flow rate using a weir gauge and then literally filling a bucket
direct off incoming main.
Second would be supplies to the poor taps. Again filmed.
At that point you say, "Over to you pal"

Yes. Trouble is job is probably a 30 mile round trip. Not just round the corner. He’s had his mate in who ‘does a bit of plumbing’ to have a look and reckons we are at fault. Just don’t see how.

Also this job was done nearly a year and a half ago and it’s only really been last few months that owner has brought it up. Despite it being like that from the beginning apparently..

 

[chris watkins]

Is it the same on the hot ? & you say it is on all the cold taps across the whole house.
23L/M down to 2.09L/M has got to be a kinked pipe / hose.
Is there an outside tap if so check the flow rate there yourself.

More than likely sand / grit up against the stop valve or a filter if not a kinked pipe.

 

[Old Account]

I would charge call out and diagnose. Once your install is good charge for calling you out

 

[chris watkins]

Does he owe you any money i.e. retention ?

 

[KingDoey]

He owes me nothing. Although I fixed the radiator which his painter had moved and bodged back on stupidly. I wish I hadn’t...

I put a charge in for that which he never paid, I’m not really bothered about that just want him to leave me alone!. I’m at the point where I’m just going to f*ck him off. There’s nothing he can do is there?

 

[Scott_D]

Say you will go once he pays for the other job.

 

[Best]

Taps have aerators?

 

[KingDoey]

Taps have aerators?

Yes mate I think so

 

[Sharp Point]

Pressure reducing valve fitted anywhere?

 

[KingDoey]

Pressure reducing valve fitted anywhere?

No other valves after stoptap except full bore isolators for each outlet

 

[Best]

Difficult to say if you should go to check it all.
Personally I would be inquisitive and take a quick look to confirm nothing obvious wrong.
I assume the tap aerators were removed and cleaned?

 

[Welder]

Who designed the system? Who specified the taps?

 

[Jim Goodenough]

This is an aside (maybe), I had an issue once with lack of flow, the issue was poor quality MDPE tee - the pipe had butted up in the tee (the 'stops' in the tee didn't stop the pipe)

 

[Scott_D]

Can you remember testing when you did the job?

 

[Millsy 82]

Personally I would go myself and test 1 the pressure and 2 the flow rate from the worst couple of taps then disconnect the stop tap and that the flow rate on that as well.

Only then can you argue with the builder. If there is no problem with yours then charge them for your time.

My guess is the customer will have a whole list of problems and this one the builder can pass off to someone else so they push and push to get it sorted so it looks like something is being done.

 

[KingDoey]

All,

Thank you for your responses. Spoke to him today and he seems to think it affects whole house after stoptap. Outside tap is also affected, which along with the kitchen sink is the first T literally inches from stop tap.

I have suggested that some debris may be caught in the valve. I honestly can’t see what else it could be. He is going to change the stopcock for a full bore lever and let me know.

Fingers crossed then I will delete his number and never work for them again!!

Cheers

 

[Welder]

All,

Thank you for your responses. Spoke to him today and he seems to think it affects whole house after stoptap. Outside tap is also affected, which along with the kitchen sink is the first T literally inches from stop tap.

I have suggested that some debris may be caught in the valve. I honestly can’t see what else it could be. He is going to change the stopcock for a full bore lever and let me know.

Fingers crossed then I will delete his number and never work for them again!!

Cheers

KD I do so feel for you. The guy is a bit of a basket case. Even if it is a problem with debris, this far down the line it's simply not your responsibility. How about just blocking his number and getting on with life? He'll soon move on if he gets no answer cos he only hounds you cos you respond - bless you. 😉

 

[Scott_D]

Has he checked the external stop tap?

 

[hammers4spanner]

Common new build problem grit small stones etc more likely up against stopcock taps etc. I always use to blow the main out through a window before connecting.

To late now though and its 18 months on so past the 12 month defect period. As already stated pay me for last job before i go back. Obviously never go back and block his numbers

 

[mfgs]

I always disconnect the main and flush through after a new connection. The guys who connect it in the road just don't care and always get grit/mud etc down the pipe.

 

[KingDoey]

Was sweet when we commissioned the system nearly a year and a half ago.

I wish him the best of luck because he’s now blocked.

Thanks for all the help chaps