New boiler incomplete job and charging extra

t45

I am based in London/Surrey areas and I had a wide range of quotes and this was not the cheapest but it seemed to be the best in terms of what was offered, accreditation and warrenty etc

southcoastrgi

Unfortunately it is too late for you but for anyone else, it is near on impossible to do a heat only/hot water cylinder change to a combi in a day by one person, the price was too high to start with I wouldn't be paying him any more, what boiler (make & model) has he fitted ?

silvercar

Do you have the correct paperwork? You should have a minor works electric sign off and a gas installation sign off.

bris

For anyone who doesn't know an accreditation is simply going on any of the manufacturers one day free courses and then you become an accredited installer. You can then usually give an extension to the warranty with the boiler. You do nothing important on the course however, it's just really the manufacturers way of getting as many installers as they can to sell their boilers for them.


You do however have a problem though OP as without the benchmark you have no warranty so getting the commission done properly is a very important thing. Did he do any tests before he left?


I am also curious as to what he has left to do, have he actually left you with a working boiler? Seems strange your boiler is working yet he still has pipes to do.

jingles8384

Admittedly I'm on the other side of the country (South West) but we've been quoted £2.5k for new pipework throughout the property (3 bed bungalow), new top spec WB combi boiler (with relocation from kitchen to loft) new rads in all rooms and removal decommissioning of the old boiler and pipework.

If the original quote states exactly what is covered, the additional hours shouldn't matter (unless it's expressly stated on the quote that it would all be done in one day - and even then you could argue it as it's his lookout that he didn't get it finished in time).

I agree with Chanes and that you should seek legal advice (even if it's from CAB or similar)...

TheCyclingProgrammer

Did he commission the boiler, including filling out the Benchmark form properly? As somebody else has said, you won't be covered by warranty if it hasnt been commissioned properly. You should also have received a Gas Safe certificate indicating the installation has been signed off for building regs. If you haven't got one yet you can check he's submitted the paperwork by ringing Gas Safe.

Did you get a receipt for the cash? An invoice?

teddysmum

Is he actually listed on the Gas Safe database ? If not he is open to prosecution.


The men who fitted our WB boiler, radiators and did other plumbing work told me that they were considering going for WB accreditation, but probably would not, as the fees charged would mean they'd have to increase their prices.


Our boiler comes with a handbook, on whose back pages the fitter and subsequent service engineers have to sign. It has details of the fitters business contact, registration number and readings taken.

t45

Thank you to everyone who is helping me and advising me – this is why such forums are invaluable – they are so helpful and help those who lack the knowledge to proceed.
To answer the questions:
Nothing has been signed – the benchmark checklist HAS NOT been completed so yes I do not have a valid warranty – could i pay for another accredited installer to finish this work (I should not have to do this) could they complete the benchmark or does it have to be completed by the original and one only installer?
I have received no paperwork such as certification nor have I received a receipt/invoice and definitely no Gas Certificate – but the pipe work remains incomplete but he left the property with a boiler that worked (albeit with some pipe work that he says he must charge me for).
Yes the boiler works – he did run it once and that was it but within 2 weeks had pipe leak and shower box still leaking (i know this can happen – i paid another plumber for this as the water seeped through the floor).
I am not sure if he is registered on the Gas Safe Database. I will check this.
The boiler is a Worcester Bosch Greenstar Compact
He left without fully explaining the controls – i have not yet run the system since he left as I don’t know what to expect and to be honest it was such a 1 minute quick switch this one etc that i dont want to make a mistake
The work he left to do and said he would complete is pipe work in my kitchen where the old boiler was located. Basically he has put a pipe above floor level (its hidden behind a large cupboard which I will be removing) – there are 3-4 pipes that need to be moved and fixed onto the back wall – he said that he will have to charge me to do this plus labour and materials – really he should have carried this out before leaving but he looked fed up and said he would come back to do this...only to email me recently to say yes he can come out to do this but he will have to charge me!
I don’t like to say it but I think he could see that i have no idea about boilers and pipes and that i could be taken for ‘ a ride’! almost exploit my lack of knowledge. I have paid and placed trust in the skill and professionalism of an installer who is really just trying to get as much money from the installation as he can and if that means saying he’ll come back to do this and that and that he would charge me extra then that’s what he is doing. I informed him about the leaks and he avoided addressing this.
I have contacted Worcester Bosch and will also contact Check a Trade where I sourced the installer – he had decent reviews and testimony so i would never have expected this.

TheCyclingProgrammer

OK, I hate to say this, but I fear you've been ripped off by a cowboy.

Firstly, without a completed Benchmark, you do not have a properly commissioned boiler. Your warranty will be invalid and you have no evidence that the boiler has been installed properly.

If it were me, I wouldn't use the boiler until I knew it had been correctly fitted.

I can't comment on whether or not another engineer would commission the boiler. I suspect not, at least not without a thorough examination of the installation from top to bottom.

Was the engineer Gas Safe registered? If he claimed he was have you checked his registration with Gas Safe?

If he is Gas Safe registered then your next step might be to speak to them. However I would start by putting your concerns in writing to the engineer.

You need to tell him in no uncertain terms that he must:

* Return and finish the job he was paid to do, including any outstanding pipe work and most importantly to properly commission the boiler including all paperwork.

* Register the boiler with Gas Safe and register any warranty with the manufacturer.

If he fails to do so tell him that you will need to consider further action including taking him to small claims court to recover any further costs you incur in rectifying the work to leave you with a safe, legal and working installation and notifying Gas Safe and the manufacturer he claims to be accredited for. You may also consider reporting him to trading standards.

If you have any legal cover with your home insurance now may be the time to use it.

If he refuses to finish the job try and mitigate your losses as much as possible - obtain three quotes to rectify the work and keep all records and paperwork.

Good luck.

southcoastrgi

Phone Gas safe & ask for an inspection, no decent gas safe installer will commission someone else's install