why would a plumber remove 1.3 m of pipe

[Mr English]

A plumber removed 1.3 m of copper pipe on a straight run(he said there was a leak) and replaced it with 2 No push fit 300mm flexible connectors, when asked why he used this method he would not reply.
Can anyone throw some light on this for me.

 

[Mr English]

Why are you overlaying concrete floor with chipboard in a bathroom? (albeit ply now)
Surely better to put tiles on concrete, or self levelling then vinyl?

You are correct but the chip board was obviously a cheaper option when the property was built, the joiner working with the plumber and agent laid the plywood on his own accord. We were away at the time and the agent reported that the floor was collapsing, which when we found out it was concrete construction made a lie of that . There is more going on at the moment .

 

[steadyon]

1. In my experience, letting agencies don't have the first clue about plumbing, or very much else for that matter. So often don't have the knowledge to select the right people for any given job. This from experience as a landlord and plumber.
2. If you can, avoid anyone recommended by agents, and insist they use people you trust. Get the work billed to you directly if you can to avoid the agency uplift and possibly the addition of VAT.
3. That flexible hose:
3a. Is unlikely to be rated for constant hot temperatures if it is part of the heating circuit, although it doesn't look as if it is.
3b. Will restrict the flow .
3c. May well have left the copper at each end unsupported.
4. If the floor overlay of chipboard was previously wet then:
4a. The wet came from somewhere.
4b. Copper in contact with concrete or plaster, particularly if the contact material gets wet, can develop pin holes. So I wouldn't dismiss the claims of multiple leaks, although it would have been sensible for the "plumbers" to have kept, or at least photographed, the evidence.
4c. One could envisage the situation where a leaking waste soaked the floor, wet the concrete / plaster, and caused pin holing of the copper.

 

[Mr English]

There are two sides to every story. If you are concerned, raise it with your Letting Agent. In my experience Plumbers who work for Letting Agents are looking for continuity if work

1. In my experience, letting agencies don't have the first clue about plumbing, or very much else for that matter. So often don't have the knowledge to select the right people for any given job. This from experience as a landlord and plumber.
2. If you can, avoid anyone recommended by agents, and insist they use people you trust. Get the work billed to you directly if you can to avoid the agency uplift and possibly the addition of VAT.
3. That flexible hose:
3a. Is unlikely to be rated for constant hot temperatures if it is part of the heating circuit, although it doesn't look as if it is.
3b. Will restrict the flow .
3c. May well have left the copper at each end unsupported.
4. If the floor overlay of chipboard was previously wet then:
4a. The wet came from somewhere.
4b. Copper in contact with concrete or plaster, particularly if the contact material gets wet, can develop pin holes. So I wouldn't dismiss the claims of multiple leaks, although it would have been sensible for the "plumbers" to have kept, or at least photographed, the evidence.
4c. One could envisage the situation where a leaking waste soaked the floor, wet the concrete / plaster, and caused pin holing of the copper.

Thank you for your reply which is most helpful.
The original copper pipe work was supported by fixings to the timber skirting.
The plumber provided photos of the plastic waste pipe in poor condition, this is where the moister that decayed the overlay came from. But no photographic evidence of any problem with the copper pipes .
He actually did a repair to another pipe in the same room, so many leaking pipes in one room at the same time but with no sign of any water in our property of the one directly below it, which I found strange. The second flexible hose repair, I discovered leaking when I could eventually access the property. I will provide a photo of the second repair.
As I said we were away when the report from the agency came that the floor was in a state of collapse due to water damage. Its a long story !. But we thought the floor was of timber construction and so gave the go ahead for the work to be done, we had visions of the bath going through the floor. As it turned out the floor is of concrete construction.

 

[Scott_D]

So you are the landlord not the tenant?

 

[Mr English]

Thank you for your reply which is most helpful.
The original copper pipe work was supported by fixings to the timber skirting.
The plumber provided photos of the plastic waste pipe in poor condition, this is where the moister that decayed the overlay came from. But no photographic evidence of any problem with the copper pipes .
He actually did a repair to another pipe in the same room, so many leaking pipes in one room at the same time but with no sign of any water in our property of the one directly below it, which I found strange. The second flexible hose repair, I discovered leaking when I could eventually access the property. I will provide a photo of the second repair.
As I said we were away when the report from the agency came that the floor was in a state of collapse due to water damage. Its a long story !. But we thought the floor was of timber construction and so gave the go ahead for the work to be done, we had visions of the bath going through the floor. As it turned out the floor is of concrete construction.

Further to my last post, please find attached photos. photo No1 shows the pipe work entering the bathroom, you can just see the end of the pushfit connection to the 1.3 m length of repair in question.
Photo No 2 shows the area of degraded chip board overlaying the concrete. Photo No3 shows the chipboard trimmed back to unaffected chipboard and the dry concrete. Photo No 4 shows the waste from the bath . Photo No5 shows where the pipes tee of and the second .300mm flexi repair which is leaking with a rag rapped around it by the plumber, photo No 6 shows a waste pipe they have appeared to have disconnected.
Both reapairs are to the same lower pipe, which appears to me to be of a narrower diameter, will one be cold and one hot?. None of the copper pipes were in contact with the concrete they were fixed to the skirting. I asked the plumber about the so called leaks and he would not reply, the flat below had no water ingress at any time.



plumbing, or very much else for that matter. So often don't have the knowledge to select the right people for any given job. This from experience as a landlord and plumber.

2. If you can, avoid anyone recommended by agents, and insist they use people you trust. Get the work billed to you directly if you can to avoid the agency uplift and possibly the addition of VAT.
3. That flexible hose:
3a. Is unlikely to be rated for constant hot temperatures if it is part of the heating circuit, although it doesn't look as if it is.
3b. Will restrict the flow .
3c. May well have left the copper at each end unsupported.
4. If the floor overlay of chipboard was previously wet then:
4a. The wet came from somewhere.
4b. Copper in contact with concrete or plaster, particularly if the contact material gets wet, can develop pin holes. So I wouldn't dismiss the claims of multiple leaks, although it would have been sensible for the "plumbers" to have kept, or at least photographed, the evidence.
4c. One could envisage the situation where a leaking waste soaked the floor, wet the concrete / plaster, and caused pin holing of the copper.

 

[gpbeck]

I wish I could say I’d seen worse!

 

[Mr English]

I wish I could say I’d seen worse!

I am no plumber but it looked bad to me.

 

[WC1]

No one has ever done anything right in that bathroom and some guys will take that as a cue to carry on the tradition.
If they're a bottom of the barrel tradesman and / or giving a cut to the agency you can see their point. There's no excuse for a bathroom in a let property not to be done right. Suggest you cut the agency guys loose and hire a proper plumber.

 

[Mr English]

No one has ever done anything right in that bathroom and some guys will take that as a cue to carry on the tradition.
If they're a bottom of the barrel tradesman and / or giving a cut to the agency you can see their point. There's no excuse for a bathroom in a let property not to be done right. Suggest you cut the agency guys loose and hire a proper plumber.

I intend to cut the agency people loose completely