Cooker hob safety

[GASMAN10]

I've been called to go to a job tonight, the hob is an arrow hob, having looked on the internet I think that this company has gone bust.

Customer has said it was sparking every two minutes and the ignition has now gone bang with sparks!

Customer has turned gas off, can anyone help me as to what this may be please as I haven't got the MI?????

Many thanks.

[Mbear]

If the company have went bust and no other manufacturer has taken on the parts then I don't suppose there's alot u can do. If the punter doesn't want a replacement fitted then they could just use a lighter or match to light the hob. If the hob is fed by mains power for the sparker, i may be a decent idea to check polarity at the appliance just to prove no issues at the switch or further upstream

[Blackcatgas]

This usauly happens when the custard has cleaned the hob with a very wet sponge, I bet its not doing it when you get there as its dried out.

[Puddle]

Arrow was surprise, surprise a B&Q import ,you can no longer get parts, how a big company like that can shirk its legal responsibility of after sales service, when they decide to stop cheap imports, who am I to ask
The ignition is probably sticking due to a degreaser used in cleaning, try a grease around ignition to allow to move freely
Failing that, the ignition is an optional extra and not part of the gas safety of the appliance, therefore cut off power supply and give home dwelling operatives a ignition gun or torch, maybe give them a slight discount if required and claim it back by accidently walking through the auto pay machines at said store,with a few mistakenly placed items in your pockets

imho

[Bernie2]

Do you like sugar or salt on your porridge?

I am sure B and Q will help you get it, if you purloin some of their expensive stuff.

They should be made to support people properly not charge what they like and do what they like. I often wonder if they are not getting mixed up between the gems industry and the construction, the prices they charge for their stuff seem more in line with the gem than the construction :-) :-)

[prs1]

Agreed bernie once over B & Q were the cheapest of the lot by far.
NOT NOW!
Cant realy see a differance in the quality either-main offender for punting out millions of FOCAL POINTS -UGHHHHHHHHHHHH! would sir like a catylitic converter on that

[GASMAN10]

Hi

Went there and disconnected the elect to the hob, all safe now. Is replacing the hob in future, so will fit it.

He had phoned on Friday a national 24/7 company, who quoted him £125 and someone would come on Monday!!

I charged him £20 for 1/2 hour work, got the job to fit new hob and service his boiler in future!!

Many thanks for your help

[Puddle]

Hi



He had phoned on Friday a national 24/7 company, who quoted him £125 and someone would come on Monday!!

I charged him £20 for 1/2 hour work, got the job to fit new hob and service his boiler in future!!

Many thanks for your help

Do not know were you are and you can charge what you wish, your business but would think £20 a bit cheap in this instance, don’t under sell yourself, however hope you get future works from good charge and service given

[tamz]

Was about to repeat what puddle said. Minimum charge for me is 54 + vat. Don't undersell yourself.

[Bernie2]

What does under sell yourself mean?

Any human is worth a fortune.

As to what your labour is worth? The market will decide what they want to pay. You can of course fix your own rates and of course you can get no work if you want.

But the less you get can make you more efficient in how you manage your costs and so more competitive.

Easy money can make you lazy and cause people to have to pay more than they should, raising the cost of living all round.

Fair enough as a company you are obliged to work in its best interests all the time, which basically seems to mean pay out least, get most.

Perhaps though, there is a point where that becomes self defeating and customers turn their noses up at your charges and try DIY instead.

And lets be honest with the law on their side, gas fitters have got the public in a no win position when it comes to prices haven't they?

I feel a more considered approach is required to doing business today, considering what appears to perhaps be the sort of cut backs the country is facing.

One way would be to bring a companies training overheads and insurance premiums down to a reasonable level. So if the running cost base is lower, then they can afford to lower prices and still maintain profit margins.

[tamz]

Bernie

I beg to differ with you. Undersell yourself means in this case £20 is too cheap. He may only have been there for half an hour but unless it is the house next door, he also had to travel there so his time was more than that.
Do you think £20 for perhaps an hour less overheads is a fair rate. It may be the only job he did that day so around £15 for his days wages? How does he manage his costs on that? 2 pot noodles for the dinner? He could get £15/hour working for someone. The customer is paying for not only his time but for his knowledge.

I was speaking to a joiner friend recently and he told me of a customer who had come to him for a price to mitre 2 worktop joints. He quoted £120 (£60 a cut). The person decided he was too expensive as he could hire a router and a jig for £25. Fair enough. 2 days later he was back, could he have the job done. Joiner went to the house and customers wife told him her man had hired a router and wasted 3 worktops. Total cost for the job was 180 for the extra worktops + 25 to hire the router + 120 for the joiner. You pay for the knowledge and the experience too.

A company (or sole trader for that matter) has to base their prices to cover their costs plus profit. Training and insurance overheads are only a small part of that.
A one man band may have small overheads with just have himself to worry about, gas competencies, public liability, advertising, an old van to run, tools and plant to buy, accountant to pay etc etc and will base his prices to cover his costs but you can be, no matter how tight he runs things his overheads are over £100 a week.

A Small to medium sized company will have higher overheads. Perhaps an office/workshop to run and staff, public and employers liability, training costs for every employee, pensions, trade affiliations, health and safety management etc etc the list grows and grows plus you can guarantee that not every employee is making money all the time ( they all like a skive or an early finish) but still require paying. Prices then have to rise accordingly.
Some sections of the market may decide they want to pay less and less and they will get the type of work done they deserve, but others will pay for quality work.
I don't cut my prices to compete with anyone but i do charge a fair rate for the job and i am never short of work, at the moment i am starting to book jobs in for September. I don't make vast amounts of money and have at the moment 3 employees.
People get, on the whole, what they pay for. Pay peanuts and you will normally get monkeys.

[wards]

Bernie

I beg to differ with you. Undersell yourself means in this case £20 is too cheap. He may only have been there for half an hour but unless it is the house next door, he also had to travel there so his time was more than that.
Do you think £20 for perhaps an hour less overheads is a fair rate. It may be the only job he did that day so around £15 for his days wages? How does he manage his costs on that? 2 pot noodles for the dinner? He could get £15/hour working for someone. The customer is paying for not only his time but for his knowledge.

I was speaking to a joiner friend recently and he told me of a customer who had come to him for a price to mitre 2 worktop joints. He quoted £120 (£60 a cut). The person decided he was too expensive as he could hire a router and a jig for £25. Fair enough. 2 days later he was back, could he have the job done. Joiner went to the house and customers wife told him her man had hired a router and wasted 3 worktops. Total cost for the job was 180 for the extra worktops + 25 to hire the router + 120 for the joiner. You pay for the knowledge and the experience too.

A company (or sole trader for that matter) has to base their prices to cover their costs plus profit. Training and insurance overheads are only a small part of that.
A one man band may have small overheads with just have himself to worry about, gas competencies, public liability, advertising, an old van to run, tools and plant to buy, accountant to pay etc etc and will base his prices to cover his costs but you can be, no matter how tight he runs things his overheads are over £100 a week.

A Small to medium sized company will have higher overheads. Perhaps an office/workshop to run and staff, public and employers liability, training costs for every employee, pensions, trade affiliations, health and safety management etc etc the list grows and grows plus you can guarantee that not every employee is making money all the time ( they all like a skive or an early finish) but still require paying. Prices then have to rise accordingly.
Some sections of the market may decide they want to pay less and less and they will get the type of work done they deserve, but others will pay for quality work.
I don't cut my prices to compete with anyone but i do charge a fair rate for the job and i am never short of work, at the moment i am starting to book jobs in for September. I don't make vast amounts of money and have at the moment 3 employees.
People get, on the whole, what they pay for. Pay peanuts and you will normally get monkeys.

totaly agree with you tamz