How to not get ripped off by plumber as disabled woman

[WirelessSilas]

Water is leaking through the ceiling when we have a bath or shower.

Also it takes forever to drain sink or bath.

I have fallen on hard times and a tradesman recently tried to rip me off with a different issue. So I am feeling very vulnerable and lacking in confidence at the moment.

Could anyone please advise me how to avoid getting ripped off and whether they have had a similar issue? What was the cause snd is it DIYABLE?

Could you ask for recommendations from friends, family or on local social media groups? Next door app can be good for this. This is what I did when I had my house and I got some good recommendations. Hope this helps.

I have saved lots of tradesmen from Next Door app, but I still don't know enough about plumbing to know if I am being charged for unnecessary works.

Do you have a hatch that gives access to under the bath which will allow you to take a look at what's going on?

If it takes ages to drain and leaks it could simply be that there is a bit of a block on the drainage pipe, which causes the water to back up and the seal at the join of the bath is not fully tight so when water sits there it comes out.

Have you tried putting some drain unblocker down the pipes?

If water is leaking through the ceiling it could be unconnected to the slow drainage

How does the silicone seal look around the bath/shower tray? How does the grouting look between the tiles? Do any of the tiles feel loose?

We recently had water leaking through due to a loose tile. Re adhering the tile, re grouting and re siliconing fixed it up and its no longer leaking.

Ring a local plumber's merchant and explain your predicament and your concerns. Ask them who they would recommend.

My DH works in one and they know all the local plumbers and who are the kind ones an which are the bastards.

Fingers crossed you get it sorted 😊

I wouldn't assume they're as a result of the same issue. I'd put some drain unblocker down the plughole and check the sealant around the bath before anything else, it might just be that there are gaps in the sealant and water is getting in them. Next time you have a shower pay close attention to where the water's flowing and check those spots first.

Otherwise I'm not sure what you can do really other than take recommendations from friends/family or use a respectable larger company. We always use quite a large local company - you see their vans out and about and they have a showroom for bathroom fittings. I'd aim for something along those lines rather than 'bob' off facebook who's family are tagging him in the comments as reliable.

Unfortunately a leak from shower drainage could mean anything from needing a reseal or a new shower fitted.

1. recommendations
2. learn as much about the basics of plumbing as you can from books or YouTube videos or whatever works for you. The more confidently you can discuss the problem the harder you will be to rip off and the less likely they are to see you as an easy target.

@CatherinedeBourgh Yes, that's what I think it is. We pulled down the bath hatch and looked underneath and there is a leak.

I put that stuff down it and it had no effect. I bought a blockage kit and managed to detach the override tube yesterday without realising. Found it when we looked under the bath today. But that's not the issue, as blockage and leak happened before that.

@Neitheronethingnortheother Yes it definitely needs resealing as there are big gaps. I think that is a cause.

Be cautious of social media recommendations, in our local groups it's juts people tagging their friends. Sure they might be a nice guy down the pub but have you ever seen their work?

@CharlotteStreetW1 that's a good idea.

We did that last time, didn't ask them about local plumbers though, as we were hoping to solve it with the drain unblocker liquid.

Our bung broke (one of those push down ones), they said our bath would need to be replaced due to the fitting being foreign and not be able to source one. So we had to get a normal bung and water drains out of the bath when you're in it slowly as it doesn't fit and there are small gaps!

Therefore, I'm not sure if they will make economical suggestions.

That's exactly what I have been doing. Knowledge is power!

Unfortunately it led me to trying to DIY and pulling the override connection off. So I will stick to just discussing the problem!

@keye and that is exactly what I fear. Sometimes it is so obviously done.

So partner put something on checkatrade and the plumber who phoned up said it would be £250 for a simple unblocking.

Is that right?

I don't trust checkatrade, rate my builder etc.

If you can, get recommendations from people you trust - not just acquaintances on local Facebook etc.

Multiple quotes should flag up if anyone's trying to rip you off.

My local council (Manchester) have a repair scheme for elderly and disabled where they recommend trustworthy trades or do small repairs for you at cost. Perhaps there is something similar in your area.
Other than that perhaps ask trading standards if they have a list of people they can recommend

Speak to a couple of your immediate neighbours and ask them for local recommendations.

If one of your neighbours is a big burly chap, ask him to be present in your home when the plumber comes round to assess the problem.

@ceecee32 That is really good to know. I wonder what the department may be.

I did hear Trading Standards we're the most trustworthy place to ask.

@NoCloudsAllowed I heard that about checkatrade, but got shouted down by "D" P when I said about getting multiple quotes and Trading Stsndards being more trustworthy.

You can also look for long-established businesses, ones with actually open reviews so Google reviews that go back a long way and aren't all just 'a+ job' or reviews they've chosen to post on their site.

Look up on companies house if it's a ltd company, click on the director's name and see if they have a string of dissolved companies in their name. Bad tradesmen often jump from ltd company to ltd company to dodge debts and liability.

@sixteenfurryfeet Yes, I didn't think of that. I did however look up who my neighbour used when she had a blockage problem - the reviews were absolutely horrendous!

The other side would be with asking though.

We recently got screwed over by builders who looked fine on checkatrade.

I've also had guys say 'we give our workers a bonus if you give a good review' which I don't think is ethical. I once posted a neutral review and the guy offered me money to change it. It's also pretty easy for the company to review themselves.

I've found decent companies don't need to bother with the likes of checkatrade because they get enough business from returning customers and word of mouth.

If you have noone to ask personally then you can join a local Facebook community group and ask on there. Just make sure it's someone who has used them rather than linked to their business. I've also heard that age concern have some trades they recommend to avoid older people being exploited. And like other people mentioned your council may have a scheme. If I like the sound of a trader I then Google their name and scam/ fraud/ dodgy to make sure nothing comes up. Reviews from multiple sources are good, but I've had bad experiences of checkatrade