Isn't it funny how a small problem can start to take over your life!

joemardo1

HI folks,

Just over a week ago the downstairs toilet started to put water out on the overflow pipe outside the house. Ok I thought I'll ring my electricain (good so far) who might know a decent plumber. The plumber comes around changes a washer on it, and also checks the toilet updtairs where its constant drip drip inside the cistern. I ask what I owe him and he says to me. "Ah its only a washer...you don't owe me anything" But not wanting anyone to work for nothing I gave him £20. After he goes I notice that the toilet upstaris is still drip drip gradually filling up and I'm not 100% happy with downstairs either as still a bit of a drip in it even when it reaches the required water level.

So I figure I'll get a different plumber as I dont want to put upon the good nature of the previous one, and he had asked me to go through the electrician if I ever wanted him again anyway.

So I get another plumber out, a young guy and ask him what it will cost to put a new ballcock on each toilet and to change the taps in the bathroom basin as one of them is cracked. £70-75 he says and I say ok.
He starts the job and I hear him cursing from my kitchen. He then asks for a small sauceman as he proceeds to work on toilet upstairs replacing the ballcock. After he finishes I have a look and the corner of the bathroom downstairs is soaking wet! (good job its old carpet) "ah dont worry it will dry out he says" I pay him what he asks for now its £80 and he leaves.

I check around what he has done. The taps on the basin downstairs have not been properly fitted, so that any water at base of tap on basin downstairs run down in drips though the incorrectly fitted seal. Upstairs he has not reconnected pipe to toilet correctly and water is slowly beginning to drip over floor. He has also put the empty sauceman into the bidet...lol.

I call him out again to tighten connections on toilet upstairs, (had to tighten them even more myself after he goes) and he tells me just to put silicon around taps on downstairs basin to to stop leaks which I do. But it is a messy job and is not right, so I decide after a while (as the young guy is completly incompotent, probably just did a course in plumbing at the local tech and then puts ads in local paper) that I will get a third plumber this time a registered one

The registered guy comes and quotes £35 for fixing leaky taps +£5 for changing a radiater valve. So I say ok. Turns up 1.5 hours late next day to do work, finishes it gets money and goes.
I check taps on basin, still one is leaking. Call him and get the impression he doesn't want to take my call, so say I will give him an extra £10 to come back and do it right. Hours later he turns up again and I think I finally got all probs sorted this time. Why don't I complain more about poor service you may ask. Well probably because I'm living in an area where that mightn't be a good idea...enough said on that! The work in total has now cost me £150

Isn't it funny how a small problem can magnify itself till it really gets to annoy you badly. Certainbly did for me.

nearlyrich

I am so pleased my DH is good at DIY, we have never needed to employ a plumber, hope it's all working OK now!!

sooz

little drips cause such huge headaches....my tenants never seem to bother telling me when something is dripping, until it's gone on for a year, the joists are all rotten and i have to change the floors/ceilings etc.

from now on i will only install outside bathrooms....it's refreshing and alternative.

only can suggest that you find a decent plumber, who knows what he is doing, and hold onto him for dear life. pay him promptly and make him feel loved. i've known mine for 20 years, and though he calls me by my first name, he will always be mr '......' - can't disclose for fear he'll be pinched.

oh, also get the external overflow chaged into an internal one...overflow goes back down the pan...saves your outside walls from getting damp if it happens again.