Combi boiler pump starts when cold water drawn

[Catkin]

Hi, I am new to the forum and hoping you can help.

I have just had a new bathroom and central heating fitted. The old storage tank type heating system has been removed and a new condensing combi fitted will all new pipework and radiators. The plumber has been quite a pain and I have no confidence in him so I am torn between getting someone else in to fix the problems obviously at more expense or insisting he comes back and sorts the issues.

On the plus side I have plenty of hot water and heat.

On the negative side every time cold water is drawn from any tap, flush or washing machine the boiler pump fires up for a few minutes.

One of the radiators will not heat up unless some of the others are turned off or it gets hot at the top and stays cool at the bottom.

Before speaking to the plumber I want to feel confident enough to know what the problem is so he cannot try to pull the wool over my eyes.

In addition to these specific issues I would appreciate advice with regards to moving the boiler, The plumber has fitted the boiler in the wrong place, he installed it in the same location as the old boiler was in even though at the time he quoted he agreed to move it 7 feet along the kitchen wall, he denied he agreed to this and says he cannot move it to the location I want it but would be prepared to move it upstairs to the now empty airing cupboard which is in a bedroom directly above for an additional cost of £200. When I said to him that if I was going to have to pay to get his mistake rectified I may as well get someone else to do it he looked quite worried and said if I got someone else to do the job it would cost a lot more as they would have to inform the council they had moved it and this would cost a lot of money whereas he as the original installer could do it without incurring these extra fees.

This guy has fed me bull right from the start and I feel really stupid that I have allowed him to get the better of me. It took him 17 days to put the bathroom back in when he stated 5, I have the wrong boiler, I wanted a valiant or a Worcester but I allowed myself to get bullied into having a Biasi advance plus 25c although it does have a 5 years parts and labour warranty which I suppose is some help, and he made loads of mess, damaged a skirting and a plug socket but insists it was like that before which it wasn't.

So what should I do? find someone else to put the boiler where it should have been? because I do not want it where it is now. Is he lying about the fees to the council to advise them of the boiler move? and is it possible without incurring too much extra cost to have the installation checked for safety as he seemed very concerned at the prospect of someone else moving the boiler which makes me feel concerned as to whether he has something to hide. He is registered with Gas safe and APHC as I checked before hiring him but.

Any advice you can give would be much appreciated.

 

[Simon F]

Welcome to the forum Catkin.
from your description the plumber you employed sounds like a cowboy,
however we only have the benefit of one side of the story, there are usually 2 sides.
From his side you might be a nightmare customer??

Anyway, the pump running could possibly be caused by old pipework to the hot and cold now defunct tank being still in place and capped of.
why did you not stop the work when the boiler was being fitted in the wrong place??
£200 to move it to upstairs, thats cheap, but then not if it is to rectify his mistake??
The radiator is from your description a balancing issue.

 

[jtsplumbing]

Why did you let him fit a Biasi boiler ? you could have got 7 years on a Vaillant & 10years on a Baxi, As Simon F ! why let him fit boiler in same place ? maybe it was an issue with position of flue, Boiler turning on could be a pressure problem, he may have to fit a reducing valve and shock arrester. Have you done any of this work yourself ?

 

[Catkin]

Yes very true there are always 2 sides to every story and I am sure there are as many awful customers as there are tradesmen but in truth I am a single mum and not very good at being assertive and he has pretty much walked all over me and I feel such an idiot allowing it happen.

He fitted the boiler whilst I was at work, when I came home and told him he had installed it in the wrong place he denied being told I wanted it moved and insists it cannot be placed where I had asked, which is on the same exterior wall 7ft further along with no obstructions or windows which could interfere with the flue.

£200 to move the boiler does seem cheap but then again maybe he is offering a lower price because he feels a little bit guilty knowing he installed it in the wrong place, however this is £200 to move it to where he wants to put it and not where I wanted it. He has already been paid £5100 and I really don't feel I want to put anymore money in his pocket.

 

[Catkin]

No none of the work has been done by me, its all his work and I have no idea how I let him talk me into a Biasi or why is so keen to push them but its done now and I will have to live with the consequences.

 

[Ermintrude]

He fitted biasi as it was massively cheaper than the valliant.

Have you paid him in full? Did you feel pressurised into getting the different boiler? Did he give you 7 days to check you were ok with the change in boiler - he is required to do this if he elects to alter contract or get you to sign a disclaimer. Did he knock any money off for the the difference in boiler price? I would research door step selling and cooling off period. I would then send him a sternly written letter. If nothing comes of it contact citizens advice.

He sounds a douchbag! Where are you some one may come and give you a review of his work.

 

[Catkin]

He is still owed £300 which I have told him he can have when he comes to balance the radiators since then I noticed the issue with the pump but I have not been able to get hold of him to tell him about it.

I don't know if it would be fair to say I was pressured but I was strongly persuaded. I told him that I would be willing to pay more for a better boiler but he insisted that both Valiant and Worcester were very overpriced, overrated and unreliable. I know I have been an idiot and there's nothing I can do to change that but I want to be prepared to take him on if he tries to tell me that the pump operating when cold water is drawn is normal or not his problem which I suspect he may try to do.

I am in Bristol.

 

[lame plumber]

being that there is nothing in writing it is hard to prove one way or the other. you could write a letter puting it all in writing first and get him to confirm in writing. Also list any snagging problems. this would give you some leverage if things were to go wrong idc. £5100 for all you had done is cheap in my books, so another £200 might be worthwhile. But you could go to trading standards and seek their advice as there are various contractual routines he should have carried out and he may well have breached the doorstep selling regs!

 

[Scott_D]

Have you got a written quote? What does it say?