Who Is Responsible For Installing A Faulty Shower Unit?

thehorselady

I bought a new shower (Redring) from a reputable hardware store and had a qualified plumber install it. The unit appeared to be leaking and the plumber spent some time trying to trace the fault but without success.

He contacted the store where the unit was bought and they said ‘bring it back.’ The exchanged it without question..

The second shower was installed and again the exact same problem arose. Concerned that it might have been his fault in the first place the plumber spent a considerable period of time trying to trace the problem. He rang the company, tried a few suggestions but again no success! Between fitting the two showers and going back and forth he must have spent a good four hours working on the installation!

Back to the store. Understandably they said contact Redrings service department. Redring are sending out a service engineer within the next few days. What I'd like to find out before the service guy comes is where do I stand and indeed where does my plumber stand (he is a friend of the family).

Am I responsible for paying the plumber for the time he spent installing the shower units it they were not faulty? I’m assuming not.

I’m also wondering what happens if the shower people call out and find out that the shower unit wasn’t faulty and that it was my plumber who was at fault. Who becomes liable for the call out charge?

But assuming both units were faulty who then becomes responsible for paying the plumber for his time? Redring, the store where the units were bought or myself? Or is he just out of pocket?

I’d appreciate your feedback

paulpud

I would then ask the plumber to issue 2 invoices - the 1st for installing a shower then a 2nd invoice for installing the replacement shower and any time spent attempting to rectify faults. If it turns out the showers were both faulty, in the first instance you will need to pay these invoices as the plumber was employed by you and we can assume correctly installed the items that had been supplied to him by you. I would then contact Redring regarding the 2nd invoice and see if you can get them to cover the cost of it.

If the fault lies with the way the showers were fitted, it would be unreasonable for you to be expected to pay any extra because of any mistakes made during installation, although any charge made by the service engineer will initially be your responsibility. In this case I would deduct any service engineer charge from the 1st invoice and pay the remainder to the plumber.

It will become a lot clearer once you know where the fault lies.

SuzieSue

I know it is too late for you, but I have had a similar problem in the past so now I always ask for my workmen to supply as well as fit anything I want installed. It is usually a bit more expensive than buying the item directly myself, but if something goes wrong it is up to them to resolve it and not me. Obviously this isn't possible if you are on a tight budget.

thehorselady

paulpud wrote: »

?..If it turns out the showers were both faulty, in the first instance you will need to pay these invoices as the plumber was employed by you and we can assume correctly installed the items that had been supplied to him by you. I would then contact Redring regarding the 2nd invoice and see if you can get them to cover the cost of it.

i understand your logic regarding paying the plumber BOTH invoices. But if both showers were faulty why ask Redring to cover the second shower and not both if both were faulty?

paulpud

Had the fitting of the first shower unit been successful, you would have ended up with a working, leak-free shower and have paid the plumber accordingly, as per the 1st invoice to be issued.

The 2nd invoice would be for the plumber's additional work in tracing the cause of the leaks on the 1st unit, for having to return it and obtain a replacement, fit it and then trace the leaks on that one as well.

Providing the service engineer rectifies the problem free of charge and you are successful in getting Redring to cover the cost of the 2nd invoice, the net result is that you will have paid for one shower unit, one installation charge to the plumber and ended up with a working, leak free shower, as you would have if the job had gone to plan originally.