Where does the responsibility lie?

[badexperiances]

Introduction:
Recently i asked a friend (qualified plumber) to help me fit a built in shower. It was a fairly straight forward job: connect the taps with hot/cold feed and run a pipe up to the shower head. However during the install we didn't fit any one-way valves to the pipework connecting the taps to the system, effectively joining the hot and cold pipes.

The next day i noticed the hot water quickly turning cold, as cold water was now flowing through the shower taps into the hot feed. So he came back and fitted the one-way valves and we tried again. Now the hot water remained at a constant temperature, but it wasn't hot. The combi-boiler (ferroli optimax) was showing an error code (d1), an internet search pointed to a fault in the diverter valve.

So he came back and had a look at the diverter-valve, half dismantled it and we tuned the water back on to see what the valve was doing. Water began to spurt out all over the boiler, covering the boards, etc. So we dried it off and left it a day to fully dry before turning it back on. (Yes you read right, he turned it on with the valve half dismantled). Now i had no hot water or central heating and the boiler was showing error code "F15" (Fan problem).

So he came back a couple of days later and fitted a new diverter-valve and things started to work again, although i still notice code "d1" after using the hot water, but it goes away after a few mins.



Question:
After all this he has given me a bill for fitting the diverter-valve, which i am naturally reluctant to pay. So where does the responsibility for fixing the boiler lie? Clearly i feel that the fault with the boiler was caused by not fitting one-way valves to the shower taps, disrupting both the pressure and temperature of the hot feed.

I would really appreciate peoples opinions: on the cause of the faults and who's responsibility it is for fixing them. So i can get back to him with an informed response and come to an agreement about the bill, without ruining a friendship.

 

[tamz]

I doubt very much if not fitting non return valves wouldn't have had any effect on the boiler. Diverters are common problems on these boilers.
How you deal with it depends on how you value your friendship.

 

[JCplumb]

IMO, as you say he was 'helping you' install the shower, then you can't hold him accountable for problems caused by that installation. If he was coming to do it himself as a job then it would be different.
However, he should have known better than to fill your PCB and fan with water from the open diverter so you can pretty much 100% blame him for that.
The question is probably more about your friendship than your boiler. If he was a mate of mine, I'd make sure he wasn't out of pocket for parts, but I wouldn't expect him to charge labour for fixing his mistake with the diverter. I would also enjoy the ammunition I now had to rib him about his plumbing 'skills' for many months to come :winkiss:

 

[TBServices]

Lesson to be learnt here. Never do favours for friends or family! Lol, I wish it were possible.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[badexperiances]

Sorry should have been clearer than "helping me", my involvement was making the tea and passing tools.

 

[Leo21]

why dont you work out how much of a labour bill he saved you on fitting your shower, and pay the difference if there is any?

 

[AWheating]

you asked a mate because you thought it would be either free or cheap, now you have had problems you want to blame him..... i would atleast cover his costs and keep your friendship.

 

[secret squirrel]

This is why I never help friends or family, its either a job or get someone else, either way I'm not fussed, simples

 

[tamz]

I don't do anything for "mates" and they never ask me anymore. I like it that way.

 

[diamondgas]

I kind of love doing jobs for friends and family as they never complain! ... Not to me anyways 🙂

 

[Dannypipe]

Working for mates is often a pain. They often expect a cheap job, which means you're paying for them to have a cheap job.

He shouldn't have soaked the internals of the boiler. It was an honest mistake. If you're mates, I think you should discuss it man to man.

Friendships can really suffer over trivial things like this.

My brother fell out with his mate mate over some extras on a job he did for him. (won't go into it, very boring) they don't speak anymore after being really close for years. The total sum of money? About £200.

 

[diamondgas]

I kind of love doing jobs for friends and family as they never complain! ... Not to me anyways 🙂

Said with tongue in cheek of course 🙂

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

I don't do anything for "mates" and they never ask me anymore. I like it that way.

ditto

 

[peteheat]

One of my golden rules is never work for friends, family or neighbours, if pushed my price is so high they soon get the message.

Not that I wouldn't help them out if they were badly stuck such as an emergency but I only do enough to keep them going until they can get someone else.

I never made any secret of that rule because when I get home I want to be finished with work, no ongoing arguments about cost or neighbours knocking on the door looking for "a bit of help".

In your case I would pay the man because that way you can move on with your lives, in reality we are like Doctors and Solicitors, "Practicing" our trade learning something new everyday, looks like your friend learned a lot.

 

[Deleted member 32524]

You should have paid him a decent wage to begin with. Instead you have manipulated him to work when he probably did not really want to in the first place.(Like most he feel obliged to help) Next time do it yourself if you want it done on the cheap or pay someone who will accept full responsibility.