Plumbers Gripes. for young plumbers.
Just a few pointers from a very cynical old plumber.Beware the client saying "While you are here "
Just finished a job and packing up the tools ?
Beware the casual mention of that ancient
siphonic suite not performing as it should.
Perhaps, having already been told that it
cannot be fixed without replacement of
expensive parts.
Some will happily watch you go on the same voyage of discovery as the last plumber, hoping that just maybe you will fix it with the twist of a screwdriver.Or the phone call that starts
"Since you fixed that xyz"----and you only
looked at it on the way out the door
two years ago !
-----------------------------------Before touching, check for disturbance
or damage. How well did the heating
function before you carried out a
conversion ?
Corroded Tank and cylinder connections. Remember
-Last person to touch it gets the blame.
This corroded steel bush was pulled
apart with the tips of the fingers.
After the cylinder was very carefully drained.
A common find in the Dublin area.Like the very experienced plumber
who had changed a bathroom radiator,He re-filled and tested the system.
The client complained.The radiator in the garage some distance
from the house was not working.Opening the vent produced neither air or water.
"Are you sure this radiator was working?" he enquired."Oh! but of course. It is wonderful for keeping the car
warm in the cold weather." She said.After much effort he dug up the concrete around a pipe
to find that it wasn't connected to the heating at all.
"Oh! but I was sure it was working " she protested hopefully._________________________________________
Changing an immersion heater?
The householder being fear-full of extra costs may give the
impression that a storage tank was recently replaced.
The recommendation that a corroded tank be replaced may be forgotten
and alluded to years later as. "Oh I thought you done that"
A connection waiting to be disturbed by the unwary plumber.
Use a good hand torch and shaving mirror.
Visually check the condition of both the tank and cylinder
connections before working on either.Mobile Phone calls can be expensive. Text messages are occasionally used by stingy people to get others to pay for their mobile phone enquiries.
The appropriate response when convenient is a reply text reminding them that they can speak to you directly.
Worse than being grilled at length about quoting to fix a leaking radiator is the realization that you paid for the call.
Emergency call out. It's a cold winters evening and you are called out to a badly installed or neglected heating system.
To give them heat you replace the clogged pump.
When the cheque books out Beware the question
"Will everything be all-right now? "Of course the fitting of a replacement pump on a badly sludged up system does not warrant a guarantee that all will be well.
The original installers guarantee may have ran out over fourty years ago.
The presence of excessive sludge may invalidate a new pump guarantee.And do explain that you cannot fully vent radiators on a sealed system without being certain the pressure vessel is functioning properly.
The expansion vessel may have been neglected and be solid with water while the air / gas in the radiators has taken over the vessel function.
That handy call to vent a radiator on a sealed system can quickly turn into a nightmare for the plumber and his insurers.Certainly ensure that some handy fool has
not plugged off a weeping boiler safety valve."Bleed your radiators once a year" is the advice I have seen in some property magazines. No mention of checking the condition of any pressure vessel that may be present.
PTFE joint tape in the thread of compression
fittings is a common sign of uninformed DIY.Tape on the thread of a compression joint may
hinder free travel of the nut and compression of the ring.Faults! try to be tactful.
Plumbers should be cautious when pointing out installation faults. It may be the work of the householder, a friend or relative.
By the time some workmen have finished a job they have become like family. Do not assume that the client will be grateful for your observations.Most customers do not like to be told that essential heating parts are missing and the system is severely corroded.
Or that they are only using part of a large room because the radiator is poorly located.Reactions can range from being appreciative to downright hostile. Do not expect to be paid for ruining someone's day.
I was asked to do something with an old heating circulator.
It was installed on a plastic hot water / vent pipe to defeat the laws of physics. The main cold water storage tank had been installed underneath the kitchen sink.
No! Donīt do it or anything like it..The cowboy gallops off leaving the client possibly a little annoyed . They call in Mr Registered plumber who can only then leave them both enlightened and devastated.
They had perhaps thought it a simple matter of adjustment. We are expected to reach into some dark corner with a small screwdriver and say "Got it!"The trick is learning when to keep your observations to yourself and move quickly on.
A reasonable charge should be made for a detailed written estimate as it is often used as a basis for corrective work carried out by others.
Sometimes it is the person who installed the whole sorry mess in the first place.
Spewed washer on tank connection.
There are lots of tank connections like this all over Dublin
just waiting to be disturbed by the unwary plumber.
Especially difficult to address in apartment blocks where
cost of maintenance is shared by many.
