Numerous problems after new boiler installation

Trying2Bpositive

Dear all

Would welcome some advice from you regarding a recent new boiler installation we've just had.

Because one of us has a major health issue, we qualified for a grant to have a new boiler fitted. Our energy supplier put us in touch with an installation company and we went from there.

However, the work carried out has been terrible. The installer didn't bother to check that one of the existing valves on one of our radiators was leaking, so has left that on. When I asked why it hadn't been replaced, I was told it was too late now as the system had now been refilled and it would take too long to do another drain down. I'm no expert, but would have hoped checking things like that would have been one of the basics? 

There are other issues.

Because we had a very old boiler, the new one has a much smaller flue on the side of our house. But the standard of brickwork the installer has provided is terrible. Bit of a grey area, but should this sort of thing at least look cosmetically decent?

Two of our radiators aren't  getting hot, and we've not had any hot water since the install. We initially told that we could pay extra for new radiators etc, but that was never mentioned again and all the old ones have been reused. 

In fairness to the fitter, they were clearly in a rush (didn't bother to explain how the timer worked, didn't turn on all of the thermostatic valves on the new radiators, etc etc).

Other less important issues include the fuse box cover in the airing cupboard not having been screwed back on safely, a thermostat near the boiler half off the wall because it was sat next to wet cement where the new flue is, and so on. 

The company want to send the same installer back to sort things out, but given the standard of work received so far, I'm not keen. The installer also refused to acknowledge any of our concerns on the day of installation. 

Am I just being picky? And given I'm getting nowhere fast with the customer services team, is there anything else I can do?

All the best, and thanks in advance. 

Jeepers_Creepers

Hi T2BP.

Are you being picky? No, of course not. Are you entitled to the same standard of work as you would have expected if paying out of your own pocket? I don't see why not - these guys should work to one standard only. (But the reality, as you have found, will often be different).

Issues:

1) Two rads not getting hot. Was this also the case before they replaced the boiler, or just happened since? If 'before', then a fair chance it's down to a partial blockage (sludge) in which case this should have been sorted when they power-flushed the whole system, as is required with any new boiler. Did they do this? However, a stubbornly-blocked radiator might not be flushable, so the best solution would be to replace them, and this would be at your cost. I think the main problem here is, these guys are probably working to a tight time schedule & budget, so will be looking to fit in a couple of boiler swaps per day, so they aren't interested in 'wasting' time doing additional work for one house, if they miss out on the other. You have been given a basic & budget installation in most senses.

2) No hot water. I presume this is a combi boiler? You are being picky here - you have no right to hot water.

Only kidding - obviously this is completely unacceptable and needs sorting out forthwith. They are liable.

3) Dripping rad valve. A greyer area, but if you had employed these guys yourself and you were paying them for their work, then you can be pretty certain they wouldn't dream of leaving you with a dripping rad. They may have charged you for the new valve, but they would almost certainly have swapped it for you as part of the overall job. Good chance, actually, that they would have recommended new valves on all the rads anyway.

The guys you were given are simply trying to get the boiler swapped with as little fuss and lost time as possible. (The irony being they now have to waste time coming back out because of other sloppy issues.) Is their excuse for not swapping one valid? Yes-ish. They do have to stop the water flow for this simple valve-swap, but don't necessarily have to drain down for this - they could 'freeze' the pipe instead, for example. It's still time-consuming, and I expect time is not what they have. As to whether they SHOULD (are obliged to) swap it, I simply don't know - I suspect not. But I have no idea what you were told about the deal.

4) Thermostat left hanging off the wall due to wet cement. I think what they should have done here is to assure you it was safe to use, and promise to pop in on the way to/back from a job to screw it up fully once the cement had set.

5) The standard of brickwork around the flue. Again, a greyish area - the guys are plumbers and not brickies. Even if you were employing your own plumber for this job, they may say "You'll need a brickie out to make good afterwards as we don't have the skill required in that area to do an acceptable job", which is fair enough (A brickie wouldn't install a boiler). Since this is a 'freebie', tho', one working to tight budgets and schedules, they just need to 'get the job done', and quickly, and move on - that's what you've ended up with. Any chance of a photo so we can judge how bad/unacceptable it is?

I think, in the first instance, you are obliged to let the same group out to sort it. They need to sort the things they need to sort - end of. Whether that includes swapping the two cold rads and the dripping valve, I just don't know - it depends on what the contract says. I'd clarify this with your energy supplier/ the group providing the grant  before doing anything else.

Another_Level

I would let them come back and try to sort out the issues, they may try to repair the leak or check the radiators are heating up. They may recommend other chargeable work.

The hot water needs urgent attention, hopefully its something simple like something not turned on.

Boiler grant work is declined by many installers  there paid to exchange the boiler with only the minimum necessary  alterations.   Unless other work has been added on.

Meet up with the grant installers in the cafe every few days, they have some stories 

Trying2Bpositive

Thanks both for your helpful replies - this is exactly the fair and balanced feedback I was hoping for

In fairness to the installer (and I know someone who used to be a plumber / heating engineer back in the day, so totally get the pressures of the job). I'm just not sure the planning was there beforehand to sort out the ensuing snags.

I think the issue is a lack of joined up thinking from the company who took on the project. During the first call with them, we were advised we could ask for as many extra bits and pieces as we wanted, but there would be a contribution from us regardless and anything extra would incur further costs. That sounded competely fine - but was the last we heard about it. Given our current circumstances, and having never been in receipt of any kind of grant before in our lives, it felt like too fair an offer to miss.

We then had two seperate surveyors come round to inspect the property. I pointed out to them that if any additional work needed doing (valves, new radiators, etc) I wouldn't be against paying extra for those - as it seemed daft having an installer out, only to them have to pay someone else to come and sort out all the loose ends. As you say Another_Level, I do get the sense the installer was absolutely up against the clock from the moment they arrived. It was a bit like that TV show, "60 Minute Makeover" (or, my favourite version from Harry Hill  ) I think though that because they were rushing, they didn't spot that one of the existing valves / joints was leaking. And again, I made it quite clear I was happy to pay extra there and then for any additional repairs. With the radiator that's not getting hot, I even offered to pay to swap it for a new one, on the grounds it might make things easier and quicker in the long run. However, considering than none of the people we had round were local, I didn't get a feeling they fancied popping out to the nearest plumber's merchants and picking up extra parts.There were other things - like for instance the fact we only realised the next day that two of the three newly fitted termostatic valves were set to zero - I have no idea if this was deliberate or another lack-of-time oversight.

Like I say, perhaps if things had been clearer and better defined before it got to that stage, things would have been different.

As for the flue, I'll happily attach a photo - but in the interests of fairness, just want to give it a few more days to see what they come back with in terms of a solution. In the great scheme of things, it's not the worst thing that's happened, although I'd be really embarrassed if it was visiable from the front of the house. Mind you, considering the company have known about us not having any hot water for 48 hours now, I don't have high hopes that anything is going to get sorted in a hurry.

Just to be abolsutely clear, I am very very grateful for the help we've received to install a new boiler. Only hope the sort of experience we've had isn't typical. Wouldn't like to think an OAP or someone not able to stick up for themselves ended up like this. At this stage, I can't help feeling we might have had more power to get things sorted had a grant not been involved.

Thanks again Jeepers_Creepers and Another_Level for your genuinely helpful replies.

Jeepers_Creepers

What a lovely and reasonable attitude, T2BP!

I think that's the crux of it - you were told you could ask for extras, but in reality the guys almost certainly had a fixed time-slot that meant they were very reluctant to do so...

I'm pleased you are prepared to allow them a chance to sort these issues, but you'd obviously want the 2 cold rads to either be brought back to life or be replaced - "so please factor that in to your visit too..."

Best get it all sorted

bris

It depends on what they were employed to do and to what extent. Fitting the boiler is one thing but were they also employed to do your remedial work?

The radiator valve is an existing problem, was it included in the job description, I would doubt it but that's for you to confirm.

The flue, their job is to make safe and fill the gap to the regs, they are not builders and cosmetically it's not their job to match the brickwork.
Making sure you had heating and hot water and explaining how the timer works is.

The radiators not getting hot could be a sludge problem, part of the commissioning is to do a chemical flush to try and fix this but it is limited and may not work like a proper power flush but that is expensive and outside their installation. So if the radiators are bunged up again it's not their fault.

Most of the things on your list are extras you would have to pay anyone for, let alone a grant company who get the bare minimum for the install.

Jeepers_Creepers

The OP understands this, Bris, and has always been happy to pay for this extra work - which he was told he could ask for.

I think the problem is that the installers are just too pushed for time, and don't want 'extras' - just to move on to the next boiler fit.