Charge for plumber

[Sonicboom]

Hi there

My shower is leaking, coming into the kitchen, and I have a trading standards approved plumber from the buy with confidence website coming out on Tuesday. He is charging £100 inc vat for call out inc first hour and then £60 an hour inc vat after that. I have looked online but can’t determine if this is a good price. I have no idea how long this job will take. Online I see that some people charge fixed amounts for jobs, even leaks. I wanted to go with this guy because he is trading standards approved so hopefully he is not a cowboy. Is the charging amounts about right? I have no idea.

Please help, thanks 😊

 

[Sonicboom]

So I thought I’d give an update. The company came out yesterday - two guys. They are on the buy with confidence website and also on checkatrade. The guys turned up on time, friendly but no chit chat, got straight on with trying to identify the leak. They identified the problem within 5 minutes of being here that the leak was coming through the silicone in one corner and then through the tray. This was a bit frustrating because previous to this, a property services guy came out to assess who said that it wasn’t the silicone and that the leak was coming from under the shower tray (although he didn’t take the shower tray off). I feel like if I’d have had correct diagnostics, I could have got someone to replace the silicone for less than £100 or even do it myself?! The property services guy was also from buy with confidence. I guess maybe he was having an off day? He was here with me for a while helping determine where he thought the leak was coming from and he didn’t charge for his help (as he thought it was a plumbing job , that was something he didn’t do). Anyway, back to the plumbers, they also sorted out my waste pipe and kitchen sink issue in less than a minute. The u bend was full of gunk so I’d cleaned it out but couldn’t get the washer and the waste pipe to sit without leaking. Based on their work yesterday, I’d have no hesitation recommending them. I thought the job was going to be a lot more involved but that goes to show that they were honest about what was actually involved. They looked so young though! Maybe I’m just getting old but one guy looked like he could still be at school! Still, I would definitely use them again if I had plumbing issues so win win

 

[WC1]

Sounds good, ask them if they would like you to leave them a review and let the neighbours know you've found a good local plumber. 👍

 

[Chuck]

They looked so young though! Maybe I’m just getting old but one guy looked like he could still be at school! Still, I would definitely use them again if I had plumbing issues so win win

Could have been an apprentice. If you've found a good plumber and had two problems fixed for £100 you've got a bargain.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Yep good for reference the silicon around the tray should be done every 2-3 years depending on the type and quality of the silicon

 

[Knappers]

Sounds good.
A very common installation fault on showers is when they're sealed after screen has been installed, this leaves a gap in seal behind screen profile.
Not that yours is like this but I usually quote a days work to remove screen, all silicone and usually scrape first couple of rows of grout before re-grouting, re-sealing and refitting screen (over a couple of days or longer if damp).
I've tried other less drastic measures but with varied success so now I go straight for this.

 

[Sonicboom]

Do unfortunately I’m still getting a leak into the kitchen. I’ve sent a text to the plumbers and told them Im going to stop using the shower and use the bath instead and check the bowl under the leak in the kitchen day to make sure it is the shower that is the problem. I guess I need to get them back to look further but they couldn’t see any issues under the shower tray. I just wonder what they will look at next? I haven’t had my invoice through yet and don’t know whether it will be £100 (call out inc one hour) or £160 (call out with two hours) as they were here literally just over an hour but should I be paying for that if the problem isn’t fixed?

 

[Ric2013]

Do unfortunately I’m still getting a leak into the kitchen. I’ve sent a text to the plumbers and told them Im going to stop using the shower and use the bath instead and check the bowl under the leak in the kitchen day to make sure it is the shower that is the problem. I guess I need to get them back to look further but they couldn’t see any issues under the shower tray. I just wonder what they will look at next? I haven’t had my invoice through yet and don’t know whether it will be £100 (call out inc one hour) or £160 (call out with two hours) as they were here literally just over an hour but should I be paying for that if the problem isn’t fixed?

On the one hand, time spend investigating, even that spent not quite getting it right, is fair to charge for.

On the other hand, if the agreement was to identify and remedy leak and that's why the invoice is being written, then the work hasn't been done. I'd expect them to hold fire on the invoice and to come back and continue the work without it involving a second callout charge, although if the work done thus far was needed, it's fair to charge for it.

There may be other ways of looking at this.

Good shout on not using the shower to check that is definitely the source. Elimination is often the best way of identifying faults, and I've had cases before where customers simply won't accept that it may be a good idea to avoid using a shower for a few days (even when the customer had other options in the house) and just expect me to be able to work magic.

 

[Sonicboom]

On the one hand, time spend investigating, even that spent not quite getting it right, is fair to charge for.

On the other hand, if the agreement was to identify and remedy leak and that's why the invoice is being written, then the work hasn't been done. I'd expect them to hold fire on the invoice and to come back and continue the work without it involving a second callout charge, although if the work done thus far was needed, it's fair to charge for it.

There may be other ways of looking at this.

Good shout on not using the shower to check that is definitely the source. Elimination is often the best way of identifying faults, and I've had cases before where customers simply won't accept that it may be a good idea to avoid using a shower for a few days (even when the customer had other options in the house) and just expect me to be able to work magic.

Haha yeah I really hate not having a shower but to be honest there are far worse things in this world right?! 😊

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Did the re do the silicon in the shower ?

 

[king of pipes]

Pictures help us give a more accurate advice ?? Kop

 

[Chuck]

It's possible that there's a pond of water under the shower left from when there is a leak. On the other hand, if the leak starts and stops in a manner that correlates with usage you've still got a leak.

If it's possible to get the shower to spray down the drain without wetting anything above the tray, you might be able to deduce whether the problem is with the seal around the tray or something to do with the waste. It's possible for both tray seal and waste are leaking at the same time!

These stories often end with the tray being taken out and reinstalled on a better support because the original allowed too much movement.

 

[Sonicboom]

I have attached some photos of the shower and the kitchen

 

[Sonicboom]

The photo of the outside is included because I wondered if it was a damp issue rather than a plumbing issue but both the property services guy who visited and the plumber think it is coming from the bathroom (shower). The toilet is dry at the back so toilet has been ruled out.

 

[Sonicboom]

@ShaunCorbs yes they redid all the silicone around the tray (pictures above)

@king of pipes put a few pics up to help illustrate

 

[Sonicboom]

@Chuck that is very interesting and good information, thanks

this probably doesn’t help as I’m sure it’s standard but these are photos of the shower drain. What would be great is if I could get the shower tray off and photograph that. I will have a look. I have to clear the drain but from debris about once a month. I know this probably means nothing but just trying to give as much info so please don’t laugh at me! (much!)

 

[gmartine]

It was the plumber that done it with the lady razor in bathroom.


Errr...sorry been playing Cluedo.

 

[Sonicboom]

😊 I have managed to take the tray off but not a lot to report...I guess I could run the water and see what happens?

 

[Sonicboom]

I’ve just run the shower full pelt all over the tray and nothing is coming through.

 

[Chuck]

I’ve just run the shower full pelt all over the tray and nothing is coming through.

If the photos in the previous post are representative I think the search needs widening as what you've shown under the shower doesn't look wet.

Is it a pressurised heating system? Are you having to top up the boiler frequently?

Can you get a camera and some light in to the space where the pair of copper (heating?) pipes is?

What you want at this stage is someone with an endoscope that can be poked into the voids to see what's going on.

 

[king of pipes]

@ShaunCorbs yes they redid all the silicone around the tray (pictures above)

@king of pipes put a few pics up to help illustrate

I suspect here is your issue is the directly above the hole in the cieling below ??