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Original poster

Plumber's visit hasn't helped. Should I pay?

49 replies

toasti · 18/02/2023 09:18

I contacted a plumber about the fact that my loo wasn't flushing very well and he came round a while ago to look at it and give a quote. It had a standard flush and he suggested getting a bigger flush and quoted to supply and fit that. I agreed and he did that yesterday. The loo is not flushing any better than before; if anything, weirdly, it's worse.

I texted him about it and he replied, politely and with technical explanations, to say essentially it's not possible for it to be worse (though it is), and that the reason it's not flushing better is that it has a compact cistern, so the only way to get improvement would be to get a new loo with a taller cistern.

He has sent me an invoice for the full amount quoted. Do you think I should pay it? I recognize that he put the time in to do the work. At the same time, it seems a bit rubbish for me to have to pay for something that has not improved the problem at all, and has made it a bit worse. If he had said initially that it needed a taller cistern then I wouldn't have had this work done.

He is a really nice and reasonable person, and I don't want to be adversarial about this. What do you think would be the fair and right thing to do?

OP posts:
Surewhyknot · 18/02/2023 09:22

Unfortunately, even though the issue hasn't been fixed, he has provided the goods and services he quoted for. You should pay.

HufflepuffRavenclaw · 18/02/2023 09:23

Of course you should pay.

PotKettel · 18/02/2023 09:28

Did he “suggest” changing the flush or did he say that would be an effective solution? How much is his bill?

I would say that you will pay a call-out fee say £50 plus his material costs - a flush is no more than £20. So offer him £70 and say he failed to advise the correct solution or improve the problem so you are not happy to pay for his time and labour.

Dotcheck · 18/02/2023 09:28

Hmmmm

Yes, he provided a service, but he also advised the best course of action, and it was wrong. You booked him based on the advice he gave as well.
Can you send him a video of it not working?

It would annoy me to no end to be told that it’s impossible for it to be worse when it clearly is

Original poster
toasti · 18/02/2023 09:36

"Did he “suggest” changing the flush or did he say that would be an effective solution? How much is his bill?"

I explained the problem and I don't remember his exact wording but he gave me the impression that changing the flush would solve the problem. He did not say: "It might help, but no guarantees - it might be a case of needing a new loo". His bill is £80.

"Yes, he provided a service, but he also advised the best course of action, and it was wrong. You booked him based on the advice he gave as well." My thoughts exactly.

OP posts:
Original poster
toasti · 18/02/2023 09:37

(Btw, I don't know how to copy and paste from other people's comments in a way that makes it clear they're separate from my comments! How to do that?!)

OP posts:
goingtotown · 18/02/2023 09:47

Did you check the flush before he left?

MelaniesFlowers · 18/02/2023 09:49

YABU. It may not have fixed your problem but he provided a service so of course you should pay.

Original poster
toasti · 18/02/2023 09:50

@goingtotown No. When you flush the loo with nothing in it, it appears to be find. It’s when there’s stuff in the loo that it turns out that the flush is not effective at flushing it all away.

OP posts:
MelaniesFlowers · 18/02/2023 09:50

toasti · 18/02/2023 09:37

(Btw, I don't know how to copy and paste from other people's comments in a way that makes it clear they're separate from my comments! How to do that?!)

You press the three dots and then “quote”.

Original poster
toasti · 18/02/2023 09:51

Btw, he did another piece of work in my flat at the same time, so it’s not as if he came round just for this. I will definitely be paying the full cost of the other work. Not sure what to do about the flush.

OP posts:
Original poster
toasti · 18/02/2023 09:57

When I contacted him yesterday and he said the only way to get improvement would be a new loo, I asked for a quote for that. I will probably get a new loo. I wonder whether one way to handle the situation would be to contact him and say I’m disappointed that changing the flush didn’t improve the problem, and would he feel it was fair for me to pay the full cost of fitting the flush but for him to give me a reduction on fitting the new loo?

OP posts:
Original poster
toasti · 18/02/2023 09:58

@MelaniesFlowers thank you!

OP posts:
Frankie412 · 18/02/2023 09:59

He told you no guarantees and you went ahead and did it, accepting it on that basis. Of course you should pay the bill.

PureBlackVoid · 18/02/2023 10:00

I would begrudge paying but I’d still pay.

What kind of flush is it?

I had a similar issue with a new toilet and the plumber told me it was ‘just a low pressure flush type’. I’ll be honest I don’t know if they all work the same but mine has a blue tube thing connected to the valve. I flushed it a few times with the handle off so I could see in the cistern, and found that the valve was catching on a bracket (that couldn’t be moved). So I got the plumber to come and cut back the bracket slightly and it was fine after that.

goingtotown · 18/02/2023 10:01

Check the water level in the cistern, it maybe too low.

Original poster
toasti · 18/02/2023 10:13

Frankie412 · 18/02/2023 09:59

He told you no guarantees and you went ahead and did it, accepting it on that basis. Of course you should pay the bill.

You misread my post. He did NOT say no guarantees. On the contrary, he gave me the impression that changing the flush would solve the problem. He said nothing to indicate that it might not.

OP posts:
Viviennemary · 18/02/2023 10:16

No I don't think its fair to have to pay if the problem isn't solved.

SongforWhoever · 18/02/2023 10:22

Can you ask him to come back and you show him the issue to see if he can improve the flush? I had new "innards" fitted to my toilet recently when it wasn't flushing well. It wasn't working properly after he left so I got him back the next day and he adjusted it and all working well now. I did pay more than double your bill so I think yours was very cheap.

Original poster
toasti · 18/02/2023 10:26

@SongforWhoever He said he could “double check” it, so it sounds from that as though he’s already checked it and there would be nothing further to adjust.

OP posts:
FurCoatNoNickers · 18/02/2023 10:28

Was he an an actual plumber? Or one of those odd job, handy men? His quote seems cheap? And he is now saying he will replace the whole toilet? I guess that will
solve the flush problem...

Original poster
toasti · 18/02/2023 10:40

He is an actual plumber.

OP posts:
ForestDad · 18/02/2023 10:51

I've just fitted a new flush mechanism to one of my toilets. There are different flush volume settings for both flushes (assuming two button job).
The water level should sit about an inch below the overflow on the flush valve and if you need more flushing water then make sure that the large flush is set to the maximum and most of the water in the cistern drains when you engage it.
If all of the available water is going down the pan then either the cistern is too small for the toilet, the toilet design is bad or you need to eat more fibre.

Original poster
toasti · 18/02/2023 11:01

@ForestDad Thank you - I will check that.

I don’t suffer from constipation and other loos I’ve used, at previous places I’ve lived and in other people’s houses etc have been fine, so I don’t think the problem is with me!

OP posts:
incandescentglow · 18/02/2023 11:03

im gonna go against the grain here and say i'm not sure i'd be happy to pay that
he told you what the issue was, quoted you to fix it, and he hasn't fixed it

to me its like taking your car to a garage where say the indicators dont work or something, the garage quotes you to fix it, but then you get your car back and nothing's changed, they still don't work, would you pay that? no because they've not fixed anything. regardless of labour time and costs, it still isn't fixed and you're paying for nothing

its an awkward situation to just be like "sorry im not paying that" though so idk

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