Thoroughly Modern Minnie's new boiler

[berniedicters]

Blimey, I'm not doing that

Think I'll have to call an engineer

Maintaining the pressure in a combi central heating system isn't really an engineer task - you should feel competent to do it. All you have to do is turn a little tap, and watch the pressure gauge. Nothing catastrophic will happen if you get it wrong, but if you overdo it it can trip the overpressure vent in the boiler, which may cost a bit of money to replace.

You shouldn't need to call out the plumber every time your system pressure gets low, really. But if it happens every couple of weeks (allowing for the fact that your new system will need to bed in for a little while), you may want to call someone in in case there's a leak.

ETA: OK, so now I see that the story's moved on a bit...including a leak, hem hem hem.

Fingers crossed, Minnie - I hope they get this sorted ASAP. To plumb in a boiler backwards...now that's really, really stupid. I hope the plumber gets ridiculed endlessly by his colleagues for being so stupid.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Were they Gas Safe registered?

I assume so. These are L&Qs contractors

http://www.smithandbyford.com/

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Maintaining the pressure in a combi central heating system isn't really an engineer task - you should feel competent to do it. All you have to do is turn a little tap, and watch the pressure gauge. Nothing catastrophic will happen if you get it wrong, but if you overdo it it can trip the overpressure vent in the boiler, which may cost a bit of money to replace.

You shouldn't need to call out the plumber every time your system pressure gets low, really. But if it happens every couple of weeks (allowing for the fact that your new system will need to bed in for a little while), you may want to call someone in in case there's a leak.

ETA: OK, so now I see that the story's moved on a bit...including a leak, hem hem hem.

Fingers crossed, Minnie - I hope they get this sorted ASAP. To plumb in a boiler backwards...now that's really, really stupid. I hope the plumber gets ridiculed endlessly by his colleagues for being so stupid.

a manager has now just been round as well and says he's going to send someone round first thing tomorrow to re-do the pipes.

I asked if he was going to send someone round who knew what they were doing and he said "to be fair, your system does seem confusing" and talked about how the red and blue markings on my taps were something or other and that my washing machine seemed to be plumbed in wrong as well and that the washing machine would be heating the water rather than getting the water directly from the boiler

I then said, well suppose he changes the pipework tomorrow and the flow switch is damaged, can you make sure he's got a new one, to which he replied to the effect that he wasn't sure they had any in stock.

 

[PacificOcean]

You have had no hot water since the 12th of August?

Is that even legal? Or a break in L&Q's contract with you?

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

You have had no hot water since the 12th of August?

Is that even legal? Or a break in L&Q's contract with you?

Well this is what I'm thinking, but the fact that they know my b/f lives 2 minutes away probably makes them think I'm not so urgent and can use his, but that's irrelevant as far as I'm concerned

 

[berniedicters]

Well this is what I'm thinking, but the fact that they know my b/f lives 2 minutes away probably makes them think I'm not so urgent and can use his, but that's irrelevant as far as I'm concerned

And so it should be. If I'd had time to respond to your response to me, I'd have suggested you DEMAND that Mister Manager had got on the line and ordered a replacement flow switch just in case, not fannied about with prevarications. It's always the same with showers like this (though S&B are a big cheese in the SW London plumbing game, and should bloody well know better) - they never want to put themselves out to rectify their own fuckups, which of course means they're never all that bothered about making the fuckup in the first place. I think you should be making some carefully disingenuous phone calls to a) the housing department, and b) your local MP.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

And so it should be. If I'd had time to respond to your response to me, I'd have suggested you DEMAND that Mister Manager had got on the line and ordered a replacement flow switch just in case, not fannied about with prevarications. It's always the same with showers like this (though S&B are a big cheese in the SW London plumbing game, and should bloody well know better) - they never want to put themselves out to rectify their own fuckups, which of course means they're never all that bothered about making the fuckup in the first place. I think you should be making some carefully disingenuous phone calls to a) the housing department, and b) your local MP.

My b/f told me to report them to Dominic Littlewood

I will be making a complaint to L&Q pointing out that if you're left without gas/electricity, you're entitled to compensation and that I've also lost money due to the time I've taken off work. OK, my b/f has let them in lots of times when they've come in the afternoon but that means he has to go and sit in my flat confused and wondering why he's there in the first place, and when they've come in the mornings, I've been late for work as I wait for them to finish as I don't really want to leave them there on their own as I don't know what they're doing and what the problem was.

Do they seriously think that I can afford to take all this time off or that my b/f should have to keep going down there babysitting my flat because they're incapable of doing the job correctly

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Woo hoo

I now have hot water and they've changed the pipes in the washing machine as well so hot water goes into the washing machine (they had also been put on backwards/upside down/wrong way

They then had to change the white pipe thingy that goes outside as they said if it's that thin it should either be insulated or a bigger pipe put in, due to risk of freezing which they reckon was improbable but they work to guidelines.

Turns out the guys who installed the whole system were sub-contractors of Smith & Byford. The two young lads that came in fixed it "said it was an embarrassment to them" 'til they found out they were subbies

 

[PacificOcean]

Woo hoo

I now have hot water and they've changed the pipes in the washing machine as well so hot water goes into the washing machine (they had also been put on backwards/upside down/wrong way

They then had to change the white pipe thingy that goes outside as they said if it's that thin it should either be insulated or a bigger pipe put in, due to risk of freezing which they reckon was improbable but they work to guidelines.

Turns out the guys who installed the whole system were sub-contractors of Smith & Byford. The two young lads that came in fixed it "said it was an embarrassment to them" 'til they found out they were subbies

Who hoo indeed - finally!

But really. A month without hot water?

I bet L&Q would be first to screw you over the most minor thing.

Payback time!

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Who hoo indeed - finally!

But really. A month without hot water?

I bet L&Q would be first to screw you over the most minor thing.

Payback time!

quite, the engineers kept looking at me slightly bemused when they were outside refitting another pipe and I kept turning the kitchen tap on to make sure the water was hot.

I thought flat was on fire at first when I saw smoke coming out the back 'til I realised it was steam

 

[PacificOcean]

quite, the engineers kept looking at me slightly bemused when they were outside refitting another pipe and I kept turning the kitchen tap on to make sure the water was hot.

I thought flat was on fire at first when I saw smoke coming out the back 'til I realised it was steam

So to keep us up to speed, does the Minx household now have hot water?