New build problems...

charleyroo

Hey all


I bought a brand new house from Persimmon just over a year ago.


I have two main issues - my en suite and general plumbing!


We noticed a slightly drippy toilet about 5 months ago which coincided with a £500 water bill for 2 of us (no dishwasher/power shower/baths/hose pipe etc). I had a plumber out via Persimmon, who fixed it. I enquired about the high water bill with Persimmon who said send us the bill and we'll look into it.


Being stupidly busy this year getting married and sorting general life out, I decided I might take that bill on the chin (I should have reported the leak about a month before I did.... I accept this). However, as far as Persimmon is concerned, the issue is still 'open'


However, I got another bill this month, this time for £600! I've started to try and listen to my other toilets (am I going mad... maybe) and the other two are slightly drippy, but not running constantly or anything ridiculous.


Persimmon sent another plumber out last week but he had to order some parts - our neighbour came out when my OH was with the plumber and had a bit of a stare-out.


OH asked neighbour and apparently same plumber has been out for same issue and promises to come back with a part but never comes back (I can see this being an issue for us too)


Second issue, our en suite shower seal is leaking it's a corner shower and I can see around the front where the wall is crumbling from the water damage. But there's no telling what the damage is around the back wall.


I've emailed Persimmon a couple of times and tried to talk to them about both.


Anyone know where I stand with the water bill, and how long I should give Persimmon before I keep going to get something done?


My water bill is going to go up and up, and my wall is going to get worse

System

A good question and it would concern me, too - NHBC warranty/ house insurance....how long should one wait before serious damage is done (the worst sort being the one you cannot immediately see)?
The warranty suggests getting them involved if the builder doesn't repair the fault - I know it's obvious, but an initial fact-finding question to NHBC about when/ how to approach them may be advisable.
I hope for your sake someone knowledgeable on here comes back to you soon.

MillwallGaz_2

A slightly dripping toilet is not going to give you a £500 bill. Typically a tonne of water costs around £1 which would fill your bath a few times over.

I would guess you have a hidden leak on the supply pipe feeding your house. Are there any obvious damp patches outside or maybe very luscious green grass?

charleyroo

Both,


thanks for the responses. There is a funny flooded bit at the bottom of our garden which seems to get very squelchy when it rains.


I have relentlessly pursued Persimmon over the past couple of days (1 email, 1 phone call, a couple of twitters!) because they are like scarlet pimpernels and miraculously just had a response back from the same lady who told my OH there was no way they'd pay for our water bills saying, plumber will be in touch "this week" about the parts and to email an email address about our water bills....


sort of a result but my lovely en suite is still [EMAIL="!!!!"]!!!![/EMAIL] so sent her some nice photos of it....

nidO

charleyroo wrote: »

Second issue, our en suite shower seal is leaking it's a corner shower and I can see around the front where the wall is crumbling from the water damage. But there's no telling what the damage is around the back wall.

This is usually a straightforward fix for them (or you) or at least, would be if you deal with it promptly, if it's been dragging on and letting the wall get damaged, the amount of work needed to fix it is going to skyrocket.

In terms of fixing the actual seal, your corner shower is on little plastic stilts from the floorboard - If these aren't all exactly the correct height, or one of them has sunk into the floorboard slightly, you get a shower floor which drops down fractionally when weight is put on it, pulling it down and away from the seal.

The direct fix is to get under the shower floor (the skirting should usually come off easily), identify which stilt is slightly too short (should be easy to see which one isn't solidly in contact with the tray when there's no weight applied) and lengthen it until it's correct, then remove the duff mastick seal and re-apply it. Should take a bathroom fitter no more than 5 minutes.

charleyroo

hi nido, appreciate the insight. I am no bathroom fitter, and OH isn't massively handy with the DIY side of life (more so than me!) the cause makes sense though.

charleyroo

for some reason the quick reply wouldn't let me write anymore


some of this stuff begs the question though.... what is a snag?


is it the squelchy bottom bit of my garden?
or the 6 feet high mud splatters that came as a result of the above?
or the mortar that is crumbling in places in my brick work?
my creaky stairs?
my leaky toilets?

Lord_Baltimore

You must be a nice person. If I'd had those water bills I'd be ringing them daily and quite probably, throttling someone .

p.s. can I have some of your money please; I have a better use for it than pouring it down the drain.

maninthestreet

Where is your water meter in relation to the funny flooded bit at the bottom of the garden??

charleyroo

Lord B, it probably does sound like I like switching the tap on (or flushing the pee pee) and gleefully waving goodbye to my money buuuut I did accept that £200 of the first bill was probably my normal use (having not had a water meter before I don't know about these things) then as I said I did try and have a balanced view that I should have reported it about a month earlier and following that we were away for a solid 5 weeks getting married, honeymooning, then Christmas, then a new job, and life took over as it is prone to doing sometimes.

However my second being even higher after the problem was "fixed" isn't something id accept readily, laid back as I am sometimes

Jon_B_2

Is your persimmon home one of their timber framed ones? I'd be wanting to know sharpish if there was any internal leak....