Is the plumber telling the truth?
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blissfulbabe
Posts: 162 Forumite
Looking for a bit of advice re a cloakroom renovation.
The plumber has replaced my very old avocado green suite with a new white one. But... he has done a rubbish job and is trying to tell me I'm being unreasonable. The basin leaks from the waste trap. Where it's attached the basin the plumber has used a load of white gunk because the trap is attached at an angle. The water's not coming from there - it's coming from where the waste attaches to the original pipe, which is now at an angle because it's been pulled to make it fit. This means there are two old joints on the pipe which look like they have been pulled apart slightly to make it all fit and they look like the joins will probably fail over time. And when I say there's a leak the water gushes out.
The toilet has been fitted a good six inches away from the wall - the plumber has said modern toilets are not meant to fitted against the wall. As he has only used one screw to attache the WC to the floor the whole thing moves. He has told me the solution is to box the loo in - I think the solution is to fit the toilet properly.
I paid for the materials up front but he is chasing me for the payment for the work. I have said I'm not prepared to pay until the problems have been fixed.
Could someone with knowledge confirm if the toilet should butt up to the wall as well as be firmly attached to the floor?
The plumber has replaced my very old avocado green suite with a new white one. But... he has done a rubbish job and is trying to tell me I'm being unreasonable. The basin leaks from the waste trap. Where it's attached the basin the plumber has used a load of white gunk because the trap is attached at an angle. The water's not coming from there - it's coming from where the waste attaches to the original pipe, which is now at an angle because it's been pulled to make it fit. This means there are two old joints on the pipe which look like they have been pulled apart slightly to make it all fit and they look like the joins will probably fail over time. And when I say there's a leak the water gushes out.
The toilet has been fitted a good six inches away from the wall - the plumber has said modern toilets are not meant to fitted against the wall. As he has only used one screw to attache the WC to the floor the whole thing moves. He has told me the solution is to box the loo in - I think the solution is to fit the toilet properly.
I paid for the materials up front but he is chasing me for the payment for the work. I have said I'm not prepared to pay until the problems have been fixed.
Could someone with knowledge confirm if the toilet should butt up to the wall as well as be firmly attached to the floor?
Don't judge people on they way they look, the way they speak or what they're called because they can't help that.
Only judge people on what they say and what they do.
Only judge people on what they say and what they do.
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Comments
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Waste should not leak, and kind of forced pressure against pipes and joints preventing a natural angle will leak. The solution is often to fit a couple of connection (street) elbows to enable things to line up better. The toilet should be against the wall - use one of these if the pan connector pushes it away from the wall ..
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Sounds like a bodge job man to me.
Pipes should not be forced out of the natural angle or will likely leedk. Sounds like he just tried to get away with replacing less so he had more profit.
As for the toilet. Is is a closed coupled one. If so the cistern should be screwed to the wall. Did he try to reuse bits again. I had to change the waste exit for a flexi one when I replaced the toilet in my current hopuse 2 days after arriving! Otherwise nothing would have fit right. And yes two screws or as many as the toilet has holes for should be screwed down. The previous toilet here however was not attached to anything! Some plumbers are idiots. New one was two screws into the floor, two into the falase wall because the hole is on the floow and I can;t site the toilet any further back and it's only to window cill height and has a extra cill for toilet rolls!
Well I'm babbling on irrelivently here! White goo can help depending on the type but it probably an additional bodge that will fail over time! Only goo I used was some sealing putty around the exit pipe because the old pot was slightly damaged so needed something to seal to avoid bad smells.0 -
Post some pics...No free lunch, and no free laptop
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The toilet should be secure. If it moves the inlet and waste pipes will start to leak. Waste pipe fittings for a sink are very cheap and cover all eventualities. There are flexible fitting for difficult connections.0
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As above. We fit about a dozen bathrooms a year. The issue with the toilet is partially correct. They are designed to go against the wall, but the modern toilets have narrower cisterns and can sit off the wall, especially if you have waste that sits at 90 degrees to the toilet. The option is to build a small wall behind the cistern and get it properly plastered/tiled etc so that the cistern has something to be attached to. The offset pan connector, above is one option, but is always possible to use, especially if the 4" waste is already set against the wall. Regardless of that, he needs to come up with a better solution, and it needs to be properly secured.
In terms of the basin waste, he is talking sh$t. There are telescopic traps to allow for adjustment, or worse case, a 32mm flexible connector from McAlpine will deal with difficult angles.
He sounds like a cowboy and is by and large, lying to you.Eat vegetables and fear no creditors, rather than eat duck and hide.0 -
blissfulbabe wrote: »Looking for a bit of advice re a cloakroom renovation.
The plumber has replaced my very old avocado green suite with a new white one. But... he has done a rubbish job and is trying to tell me I'm being unreasonable. The basin leaks from the waste trap. Where it's attached the basin the plumber has used a load of white gunk because the trap is attached at an angle. The water's not coming from there - it's coming from where the waste attaches to the original pipe, which is now at an angle because it's been pulled to make it fit. This means there are two old joints on the pipe which look like they have been pulled apart slightly to make it all fit and they look like the joins will probably fail over time. And when I say there's a leak the water gushes out.
The toilet has been fitted a good six inches away from the wall - the plumber has said modern toilets are not meant to fitted against the wall. As he has only used one screw to attache the WC to the floor the whole thing moves. He has told me the solution is to box the loo in - I think the solution is to fit the toilet properly.
I paid for the materials up front but he is chasing me for the payment for the work. I have said I'm not prepared to pay until the problems have been fixed.
Could someone with knowledge confirm if the toilet should butt up to the wall as well as be firmly attached to the floor?
Mine does, and was only fitted about 7 months ago, I must have got a not modern one from B&Q,
The sane toilet downstairs doesn't go right against the wall, however its secured by a piece if wood secured in behind it0 -
blissfulbabe wrote: »I have said I'm not prepared to pay until the problems have been fixed.
Shrewd move .... don't weaken!
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The items installed have to be installed as per the makers instructions,Did the plumber supply the white goods?0
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hmm using imagination as no photos.
Nope no good, please post photos.0 -
Thank you all for your input.
Plumber was around first thing this morning - toilet is moved (and attached to the floor!) and the basin swapped out for a more appropriate size, which means all the plumbing fits and looks good, with no leaks.
Have agreed to pay 30% of his labour today, 30% in two weeks time and 40% at the end of August, all on the proviso there are no problems.
He's not happy, but since the first job was so poor I'm sticking to my guns. The annoying thing is you can see that he has done a much better job this time - if he had done this the first time roundthen we would both be much happier and he'd have made a profit!
I have photos - when my daughter is home for the holidays she can show me how to load them!Don't judge people on they way they look, the way they speak or what they're called because they can't help that.
Only judge people on what they say and what they do.0
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