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Water shutoff valves - plumber callout fees
Comments
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The OP says the manco went to court to force the installation of these valves. But did the court order actually specify the 10 minute shut off period?
If it did you're stuffed but if not it sounds like some unscrupulous plumber saw an opportunity for a 'cash crop' by setting an infeasibly low time out. Could you (as a group) try petitioning for 20 minute time out, which seems more reasonable and should lead to less call outs.0 -
Surely the most sensible alternative is allowing the residents to reset their own valves?paddyandstumpy wrote: »Whilst I see the uproar that this flow stop system has caused, and fully empathise with the OP; the alternative is no insurer willing to take on the block policy0 -
It may well have been a condition of the insurance company. After all, it was they who insisted on the auto-shut-off, so likely they also specified the time period.The OP says the manco went to court to force the installation of these valves. But did the court order actually specify the 10 minute shut off period?
If it did you're stuffed but if not it sounds like some unscrupulous plumber saw an opportunity for a 'cash crop' by setting an infeasibly low time out. Could you (as a group) try petitioning for 20 minute time out, which seems more reasonable and should lead to less call outs.
Yes.Surely the most sensible alternative is allowing the residents to reset their own valves?
Indeed.Utility cupboards in communal blocks often use "FB" keys which you can get a set of nine standard types for less than £10.
Though this seems to be a room, not a cupboard, so who knows what kind of lock..... worth investigating though.0 -
Allowing residents to reset their own valves is necessary but not sufficient. I'm regularly in the shower for more than 10 minutes and would not particularly fancy nipping naked and dripping to the utility room part way through my shower. I can't believe that the court mandated "10 minutes" rather than just "timed" - a more sensible timer has to be part of the solution...0
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The cupboard should be an FB lock, in order for emergency services to access.
They are easily bought through somewhere like Amazon although there are about 5 types, so check what number it is, or buy the set., and if you know how to reset the valve, you can switch your own water back on.You can tell a lot about a woman by her hands..........for instance, if they are placed around your throat, she's probably slightly upset.
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How long can I run the washing machine / dishwasher for?'How long can I run the taps for?
Just a thought...Peter
Debt free - finally finished paying off £20k + Interest.0 -
This is a bizarre one, not seen anything similar before. The 10 minute timer is nuts. Sometimes people take showers (or use water in other ways) in succession.
Because it’s so unusual it’s hard to give suggestions. I’m pretty sure you could go the legal route and obtain some kind of injunction from interference, if you have to go that far. Because that’s basically what it is.0 -
Indeed yes, good point. 10 minutes seemed a bit short to me.A shower or bath is the most likely cause of 10min+ constant water draw.
We had the same issue in my old flats with insurance. The leaks got reported to the manco quickly. The manco then twiddle their thumbs before doing anything (2 months despite all 10 flat occupiers contacting them every day, in my case!). Glad to have moved from flats to a house finally.Peter
Debt free - finally finished paying off £20k + Interest.0 -
Out of interest, what has actually been going on for the insurers to impose such conditions? Are there leaks being caused by the quality of the plumbing, are pipes freezing, are residents being daft and leaving baths running etc? Or is it just bad luck of having a couple of claims in close succession?0
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