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Bathroom - Paying for remedial work in guarantee period

2 replies

oatandraisins · 08/11/2023 17:31

I had a new bathroom fitted early this year. Part of the job included supply (by the bathroom fitter) and fitting of a new extractor fan in the bathroom.

6/7 months later the extractor fan has stopped working (and the insides filled with water - so it was completely broken - needed a replacement). 12 month guarantee on the work so I called out the original fitter, after originally (wrongly) blaming my roof, he went away and worked out it’s due to a condensation trap being needed between the fan and the ducting in the attic, and insulation needed on the fan ducting in the attic. He’d already been up there previously to fit the fan. (For some reason this hasn’t been an issue with my previous fan).

He fixed all this and fitted a new fan, and then once finished the work - stated he would be sending a bill of a couple of hundred (no quote beforehand for this work, so I assumed it would be covered as remedial work for the original job). This will include the cost of the new fan.

It’s not a huge amount, but I’m a bit annoyed this work wasn’t included/ suggested as part of the original job (especially as a quick search online states this is recommended with any fan installation so I would expect a bathroom installer to know) and now I’m yet again paying for a new fan. I would have been more than happy to pay for the insulation/ condensation trap materials as part of the original job if I knew without it the fan could break in a few months.

I tend to be the type of person who just tend to go along with this kind of stuff (and have been taken advantage of in the past) - so wanted to get a sense check, does this extra cost seem reasonable? I already know the fact he didn’t quote this before doing the work is completely unacceptable (though I take the responsibility of not clarifying he considered it part of the guarantee).

OP posts:
Noseyoldcow · 08/11/2023 17:51

An extra charge for the condensation trap and any extra insulation is reasonable. But since these should have been fitted in the first place, and are the reason for the fan failure, any other charge is not.
You are right in that you'd think a bathroom fitter would know this.
I thought our bathroom fitter knew what he was doing too.....but he didn't. If anyone knows how to make sure that your tradesman knows what he is doing, would you please enlighten me.

johnd2 · 08/11/2023 19:30

To be honest it would depend on the balance of humidity and airflow, and all the rest of it, if the previous fan didn't need one then it would be less likely the new one would.
I would personally say you've been unlucky, maybe things could have been done more belt and braces in the first place but it could go either way.

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