First-time house renovation

andrew-b

TomsMom, i had a search through your blog looking for thermostat just in case you'd missed it (i'm sure you know your walls way better than me though lol!) but no sign of one - also was looking for suitable location. I'd get one fitted in your lounge or hall if i were you. A basic hardwired one like ours will cost less than £20 - i'd get your original people back to install it maybe it just got forgotten which may have been easily done with the amount of work going on in your house at the time (we all make mistakes but what sorts the gooduns out from the bad guys is how they go about correcting them!) - check your paperwork to see if it mentioned thermostat - if it does you have a bit of ammo to use against them..if not some persuasion might be required. Whether you can get a hardwired thermostat installed without mucking up the decor might be more of a problem now...hopefully there will be a suitable wiring route (i wouldn't let them surface mount the cable with trunking as it'll spoil the look) - if not you might have to go wireless but if you have to i'd be trying to get them to not charge you the extra!

Anyway i'd get onto them straight away and see what they say and take things from there. Sometimes these things are easily sorted - not always unfortunately as im finding with my door!

Andy

TomsMom

Thanks Andy. I'm not sure who is responsible for this. The central heating system was already in when we moved in and I don't remember seeing a room thermostat then but OH may remember. The boiler conked out the next day.

In comes Corgi bloke 1 (friend of son and works with him sometimes) to fit a boiler ASAP as the builders were moving in, it was November and too cold to camp out without heat. He did the work evenings and weekends and gave us mates rates. Boiler fitted OK, working fine, no problems. It was agreed that surface mounted pipework would be hidden as renovation progressed and Corgi bloke 1 did some before builders arrived .

As the renovation progressed we couldn't get Corgi bloke 1 out on demand to suit the builders so they did what was necessary. It was decided to change the old style radiators so this was done by the plumber in the builder's team, as was some new pipework here and there. At the very end we had a difference of opinion as they didn't change the two bedroom rads as they said we didn't ask them to. We said we did ask them, why would we have all the others changed but not them. So their plumber came back a couple of weeks after they finished and fitted the two rads.

After we moved in we asked Corgi bloke 1 to come and fit gas hob, install the timer and tidy up the pipework to the rad in the downstairs WC as it had been left (by the builders) on the surface and was touching the floor. He said he'd ordered some bits but after two weeks of chasing him he admitted he didn't have time to come and do the work. He put us on to Corgi bloke 2.

Corgi bloke 2 came out two days later, fitted the hob, chased the pipe into the wall in the WC and left it neat and tidy, drained down the system, put inhibitor in and fitted the timer and set it all up.

So we didn't have a complete new installation, we had a new boiler and a titivation of the old system with new rads, valves, etc. So we never had any paperwork from one person setting out the job, as such, 'cos no-one did everything. I suppose Corgi bloke 1 was the "original" person although none of them mentioned a room thermostat.

Bit of mess isn't it. Can't imagine what OH is going to say! I've not told him, he's upset enough at the moment 'cos his stem cell harvest is being delayed as his blood isn't yet good enough and he's got to stay in hospital longer than originally thought. Oh happy day!

Canucklehead

TomsMom wrote: »

Thanks Andy. I'm not sure who is responsible for this. The central heating system was already in when we moved in and I don't remember seeing a room thermostat then but OH may remember. The boiler conked out the next day.

In comes Corgi bloke 1 (friend of son and works with him sometimes) to fit a boiler ASAP as the builders were moving in, it was November and too cold to camp out without heat. He did the work evenings and weekends and gave us mates rates. Boiler fitted OK, working fine, no problems. It was agreed that surface mounted pipework would be hidden as renovation progressed and Corgi bloke 1 did some before builders arrived .

As the renovation progressed we couldn't get Corgi bloke 1 out on demand to suit the builders so they did what was necessary. It was decided to change the old style radiators so this was done by the plumber in the builder's team, as was some new pipework here and there. At the very end we had a difference of opinion as they didn't change the two bedroom rads as they said we didn't ask them to. We said we did ask them, why would we have all the others changed but not them. So their plumber came back a couple of weeks after they finished and fitted the two rads.

After we moved in we asked Corgi bloke 1 to come and fit gas hob, install the timer and tidy up the pipework to the rad in the downstairs WC as it had been left (by the builders) on the surface and was touching the floor. He said he'd ordered some bits but after two weeks of chasing him he admitted he didn't have time to come and do the work. He put us on to Corgi bloke 2.

Corgi bloke 2 came out two days later, fitted the hob, chased the pipe into the wall in the WC and left it neat and tidy, drained down the system, put inhibitor in and fitted the timer and set it all up.

So we didn't have a complete new installation, we had a new boiler and a titivation of the old system with new rads, valves, etc. So we never had any paperwork from one person setting out the job, as such, 'cos no-one did everything. I suppose Corgi bloke 1 was the "original" person although none of them mentioned a room thermostat.

Bit of mess isn't it. Can't imagine what OH is going to say! I've not told him, he's upset enough at the moment 'cos his stem cell harvest is being delayed as his blood isn't yet good enough and he's got to stay in hospital longer than originally thought. Oh happy day!

The plots thickens! Dare I ask if you have received a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate from CORGI (pre GSR) for the boiler installation? If you haven't , you need to chase this up with CORGI #1 as he is responsible for notifying the installation as well as completing the Benchmark (page 52)

Canucklehead

jamtart6

TomsMom - I don't fully understand what has gone wrong but whatever it is, it sounds like a bad day for you. Sorry to hear it hasn't gone to plan/how it should have turned out. If your OH is upset about his stem harvest treatment, maybe you should hold off telling him about the thermostat? Hope you get is solved soon

TomsMom

Canucklehead wrote: »

The plots thickens! Dare I ask if you have received a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate from CORGI (pre GSR) for the boiler installation? If you haven't , you need to chase this up with CORGI #1 as he is responsible for notifying the installation as well as completing the Benchmark (page 52)

Canucklehead

Hi Canucklehead

I did mention the certificate to OH a couple of weeks ago and he was going round to see Corgi bloke 1 but he was away at the time. It's sort of got forgotten with what's going on with OH at the moment, but I've made a note to chase it up. Thanks.

TomsMom

jamtart6 wrote: »

TomsMom - I don't fully understand what has gone wrong but whatever it is, it sounds like a bad day for you. Sorry to hear it hasn't gone to plan/how it should have turned out. If your OH is upset about his stem harvest treatment, maybe you should hold off telling him about the thermostat? Hope you get is solved soon

Yeah, I'm totally pee'd off today. I wont tell OH anything about this until he's home in a few days. Someone is hopefully taking me to see him tomorrow (hospital is 50 miles away so I don't get to visit normally) but I wont mention it. Gonna go and have a cry now.

jamtart6

TomsMom wrote: »

Yeah, I'm totally pee'd off today. I wont tell OH anything about this until he's home in a few days. Someone is hopefully taking me to see him tomorrow (hospital is 50 miles away so I don't get to visit normally) but I wont mention it. Gonna go and have a cry now.

Ah don't cry TomsMom. I would be equally furious and upset but you have to put all your energies into your OH and visiting him :A The thermostat sounds fixable although highly irritating

latecomer

TomsMom wrote: »

Gonna go and have a cry now.

Nah you dont wanna do that. Its only a little thing and when you consider what you've achieved since you started (check your blog if you need a reminder what you started with!), its just a minor hiccup.

Hope OH gets out soon.

I've spent the day stripping paintnoff the bathroom architraves using heat gun (outside in the 20+ degree heat!) and Nitromorse. Had enough and getting too hot now so have retreated to PC for a well earned cold drink and a break

TomsMom

latecomer wrote: »

Nah you dont wanna do that. Its only a little thing and when you consider what you've achieved since you started (check your blog if you need a reminder what you started with!), its just a minor hiccup.

I know. I think I'm being a bit touchy today. When you've put all your faith and trust in people it's a let down but I know it's no really big deal. I'm just having a down day. The nurses have seen more of my OH in the last month than I have and knowing what he's going through, and has gone through this last year, has just got to me today. I'll be fine - there's a bar of chocolate in the fridge .

jamtart6

TomsMom wrote: »

I know. I think I'm being a bit touchy today. When you've put all your faith and trust in people it's a let down but I know it's no really big deal. I'm just having a down day. The nurses have seen more of my OH in the last month than I have and knowing what he's going through, and has gone through this last year, has just got to me today. I'll be fine - there's a bar of chocolate in the fridge .

Agreed, trying to visit/be without your OH is stressful enough without poor workmen adding to your woes!! You are allowed one down day, we will let you Now eat the chocolate and do what latecomer says and read your blog to show you how far you have come.

I'm off to take some snaps of my mini border and will post them on my blog later so you can all marvel at how pretty my plants are (if I do say so myself! :rotfl:- as it is my first ever attempt at gardening, I am quite proud of the little guys!)