Not to pay plumber for work he has done (rather long)

[owlelf]

I called my usual plumber 3 weeks ago about a leaky boiler. The boiler (condensor) was still working fine but water was dripping out of it. He looked at the boiler and said it needed a new part.

He returned the next week, fitted the part and then said that the pressure gauge had broken and needed replacing. He managed to get the boiler working without the gauge somehow and returned two days later to fit new gauge. I noticed over the two days that it was still leaking but when he fitted the pressure gauge he said he had now sorted the leak once and for all.

The next day the boiler was still leaking, he returned and said he could see the problem and had fixed it. That night the boiler pressure fell, I called him and he said to top it up but it just kept falling and also leaking from the outside overflow.

At this point I said I was unhappy and concerned about his ability to fix the boiler. He returned the next day, said he had fixed it (something to do with blow off valve). An hour later the pressure is beyond the maximum into red zone and hot water is pouring out of the outside overflow.

He returned the next day (yesterday) fiddled and said it was sorted.

I came home this evening to find it is still leaking!! I have a bill from him for £270.00, to be fair he hasnt charged for the final 3 visits but the bloody thing is now leaking.

I have told him that enough is enough and that I will need to get an alternative plumber and that I don't see why I should pay the bill given that it is still leaking.

He said he was disappointed in my attitude given that he has done everything to "save" the boiler, and that noone else would touch it. This is the first time he has talked of saving the darn thing, I thought a keak just needed fixing!! I guess he is implying it is beyond repair but I really didn't know that was the case.

He then said I should get a second opinion.

On one hand he has spent a lot of time here and fitted two parts. On the other hand the whole episode has been a shambles and it's still leaking (but working).

I don't want to be unfair, or get in any trouble but am seriously considering not paying his bill-AIBU

wait till you have a 2nd opinion on his work and whether he has compounded the issue - especially as you have note of what he has done at each stage

YANBU my DH is a plumber (self employed) and tbh any plumber worth his salt wouldn't charge for the job (except parts maybe) until the job was finished to customers satisfaction.

When charging for parts, DH will always supply original receipt or copy of receipt so the customer knows they're not being ripped off for parts.

He doesn't charge a call out fee unless it's middle of night or Sunday which is our family day, and he's clear about his rates for labour so customers know what they're expecting to pay (roughly)!!!

So no, pay nothing until you've had a second opinion and boiler is fixed properly.

Ask for a breakdown of the cost because you should pay for parts, if not labour. And get a second opinion before you pay anything.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Apologies for the stupid question but is the second opinion on the original plumbers work or on what the problem is with the boiler?

outraged could you explain why I should pay for the parts that were fitted if they haven't fixed the problem. I'm not disagreeing with you- just trying to get my head around the situation....

I'm not sure. It depends if the boiler is actually fixable or is too old and beyond repair.

How old is the boiler? If it was me and it was 15 plus years old I'd probably pay and get a new boiler. It is true that old boilers at some point become unrepairable.

Only you and a second opinion know if that time has come for yours.

I don't know how old it is . It was here when we moved in 8 years ago.

I can accept that it might be on its last legs. However, noting along those lines has been remotely suggested by the plumber until today. Every time he has been here he has implied that the boiler is fixed.

Sorry noting should read nothing.

Put the make and any numbers you have on it into google and see if you can pin down how old it is.

Ime no bloke one ever says they can't fix it, they just try, fail and then tell you its at the end of its life. At some point they just fail - it doesn't necessarily mean he's a crap plumber.

If it's beyond repair, he should have said so. He didn't. He led you to believe that he could fix it.

If he'd said look, this thing is on the way out, I can try a few things, see if they'll buy you some time, but you're really going to need a new boiler...

Then that would have been fair enough. But he didn't do that.

Get a second opinion and decide how to proceed from there.

YANBU - he hasnt fixed it has he!!!! Bloody plumbers!! I shouldnt say it as my DH is in the building teade (good god though, he says he should have trained as a plumber) - I hate plumbers, they are so bloody unreliable....if you find a good one hang onto him for dear life - they do exist but are a bit like 4 leave clovers :)

Well I'm glad to have not one but two of my very own 4 leaf clovers!
DH and DF are both plumbers and both bloody good ones with scruples. They don't rip people off, they don't create work for themselves they are just good honest tradesmen and I'm proud as punch of both of them.