RobsyUK

iTrader: (2)

Just wondering on your opinion on labour charges....

Had a plumber come round today to do as I quoted on the phone:

replace both inlet & flushes on both toilets NOT WITH TORBECK RUBBISH!

man on the phone said no problems, I'll come round Friday and price up.

He came and didn't price and just got to work... Ok the downstairs toilet all has been replaced and works fine. (ITS RUBBISH (edited to delete a word) TORBECK) but hey what ever it works...

Now the problem. The system in the upstairs toilet is so old they can't replace like for like. The guy didn't tell the wife this, he said he put a seal in it that should work for a few weeks, and if it failed call them back - but left the water hammer sound.

We were left with a bill for £214 (with vat). fortunatly the wife said he hasn't done as asked (upstairs) and therefore we are not paying it.

The guy left and said fine speak to the back office..

I called the office who informed me that as the park upstairs would take 3weeks to deliver they just repaired it. I replied saying I don't care if it's like for like or takes months to order, I don't want what we have repaired I want it replaced. Surely you shouldn't repair it but inform us of the delay.

I am so wound up with jokers!!!! Turns out the guy I talked to on the phone sent someone else to do the job.

The woman said she would call me later and I guess by now they are closed.

Mine opinion is simple. If it should take an hour but your a newbie then you should cut your losses and only charge the hour...

I'm thinking of saying take your parts back out of upstairs and I will only pay for downstairs... - temped to pay nothing but I know the law states you have to pay something.

So what's your view? same price reguardless of time?

tony de wonderful

I'd ask to see an invoice and thus the price breakdown. Is the charge commensurate with what is the going rate?

RobsyUK

iTrader: (2)

The charge is for 2.5hrs of labour (parts are included in the above) I think it's about £140 for labour.

As they havn't called me back I'm thinking of calling them and saying I'm only paying for downstair's - half the labour. so £70. I'm just wondering if changing a cysten internals should take half hour tops but being a newbie it took forever and therefore the 2.5 hrs. - If the book says 40mins and it takes you 2.5hrs would you charge the book or your time (that's what im asking)

On the system our customers are charged £150 for the call out reguardless weather I'm there 10mins or 2days. Obviously anything after 1.5hrs the boss is wondering if everything is ok. (the times when it's been 2days is because I was new and he said I needed to learn)

Chip

Book a good DIY book, it will save you £ssssss.

RobsyUK

iTrader: (2)

couldn't agree more. Thing is I didn't know what type of system went in the upstairs toilet and I didn't want to buy something that I couldn't return after fitting, snapping etc...

thought this time it would be easy. clearly not

Busterbulldog

iTrader: (1)

mate im a plumber,run my own business for 20 plus years,i would non average charge 80/120 per wc to replace ALL the inner bits regradless.Worst case scenario the cistern will need cutting off,doughnut replaced and possibly close coupling kit.If you called out guys who specialise in call outs yr gonna get hurt.Better off getting a local firm/guy. Theres no set time for doing these jobs there are too many variables. btw the nowt wrong with equalibrium floatvalves,the older ball and 3inch float days are over,if they pack in you either repair or put in one of these new fangly things,which normally dont fit the best....out of interest,how have you cocluded the Torbeck has made the wc stiff...sounds improbable to me seeing as it only fills the tank....do you have flush(lever) or flushing valves (press button)?

RobsyUK

iTrader: (2)

Buster, I don't know how the word stiff got in there

I wouldn't have minded the price if the upstairs inners were ALL changed as asked.... tha's what winds me up. I asked one thing and they have 'bodged' repaired the upstairs with the garentee it will fail soon. .. They are a local company which winds me up even more. My local cash guy (yes he does the vat blah blah) couldn't do it for a month. Kinda wish I waited.

Busterbulldog

iTrader: (1)

plumbers eh...sometimes they cant be changed as the new inners wont fit cistern style/shape,repair only option then

RobsyUK

iTrader: (2)

but surley he should say I can't replace only repair ??? and not just do it.
I'd rather have the entire toilet changed then have the crap that's in there now.

RobsyUK

iTrader: (2)

Update! Finally settled the bill today.. £102.00 and I have one working toilet and back to square 1 with the other. Wont use them again.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Seriously, its only a toilet.

Not hard to fix DIY.

Admitted the one downstairs has been dribbling out the overflow for two months now....and I have a new valve in teh shed ). Not on a water metre so I can't be arsed to fix it

The only exception is if its a toilet from Wickes with Roca internals and a 3/8" hole for a fresh water connection and a impossible to obtain threaded adapter flange/seal to convert it to 1/2"...of which is the part that leaks due to its crap design (it holds the valve to the cistersn, whilst also providing a connection to the water mains).

Lesson learnt - do not buy toilets from Wickes. Admittedly the duty manager in the store gave me a replacement coupling/flange out of another new toilet....which failed a few months later (its a design fault). And I wasn't going to rip out a new toilet in a newly tiled bathroom, nor was I going to risk wrecking it by drilling out the 3/8" hole in the cistern to accept a British 1/2" fitting. So I ended up getting a complete fitting from Spain and a proper 3/8" to 1/2" threaded adapter...made in solid brass.

Cost €12, plus €120 return fare to Alicante and back...still cheaper than some UK plumbers

Note for plumbers: This was at the time when 3/8" Euro toilet fittings was a rare sight in UK toilets.

RobsyUK

iTrader: (2)

I have a rectangle flush button and just neeed to find a flusher that will work with it... Button looks like this:

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=...72&FORM=IDFRIR

Busterbulldog

iTrader: (1)

thats an odd one lol...if you go to a plumbers merchant...not a diy shed you can buy a complete new close coupled toilet for around 80 quid,may be easier to replace it,other than that go back to where it was purchased, or if you know who made it spares will be available

RobsyUK

iTrader: (2)

it was here when we moved in. i like it as its large.

zip106

Why - are you or the wife prone to doing very big bobs?

Busterbulldog

iTrader: (1)

heres your best bet,you will need to unbolt cistern off the pan...not too hard as its quite recent
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fluidmaste...ht_3207wt_1074

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Without looking at the flush unit itself its going to be difficult to reccomend a direct replacement, as there are typically four types of dual-flush button - one that uses two rods, one that uses one rod, one that uses a cable and one using pneumatics.

The cable operated Fluidmaster linked above should physically work, its the most universal of the lot. But as the buttons are different, it has an adapter/spacer that raises the supplied button up off the cistern lid if it wont fit through the hole in the lid...that could look shyte, depending on the style of toilet and if the button fully covers the hole. But at least the toilet should flush ok.

I'm guessing its another Euro spec toilet....both B&Q and Wickes sold alot of Spainish made bathroom suites without proper parts backup....At least its not a rectangular toilet seat! I've actually picked up parts for B&Q toilets from Spain for a friend who keeps breaking his loo seat (GF has a fat **** and must squirm about whilst sh**ing ). B&Q bathroom suite, parts unobtainable in UK...yet a quick check of the brand and a place called Gibeller in Spain (a local bathroom retailer) is a listed supplier...and they ordered it into stock in about 4-5 days. 2800mile round trip for a toilet seat, you couldn't make it up!


There are lots of different brand and style flush units, all the EU style ones are a bit over complicated IMO (probably why they break/leak). This place seems to list most of them, so maybe worth taking a look at: http://shop.kingswayplumbing.co.uk/t...arts-218-c.asp

RobsyUK

iTrader: (2)

Thanks for the link but my button is rectangle. I think the whole toilet is an imperial

And i like it big as it keeps your cheeks open so stools fall out easily. We had this crap tiny B&Q toilet and i felt the seat would push my cheeks together causing smears on my cheeks

Busterbulldog

iTrader: (1)

the fluidmaster should fit with the spacer if needed, What shape is the hole in the cistern lid? Other than that just buy a replacement cistern and keep the pan