Gas man issues

sweetie

So I found a guy to move my gas boiler thru mytradesman.ie. He was courteous and punctual on the phone and in person looking at the job and his quote was one third less than the only other guy who looked at the job and could do it before xmas. I let the missus pressure me into giving him the job and getting it out of the way. So when he comes on saturday he forgets his kango and instead he uses a vent in the room that was already there so we will have to make a new one ourselves. He reused the old flue and then didn't fill in around the external flue and we had to tell him on monday that the motorised valve should be moved from the ceiling to beside the boiler in the upper bedroom. We also had to insist that the pipes that were exposed on moving the boiler were re-buried in the kitchen wall. He then tells me we will need an electrician to install timer and says he will pick one up at suppliers but forgets to again and then finally picks up the wrong type, I had to go back myself and swap it (plus cash) for the right one even though I pointed the dodgy timer out when he was initially looking at the job. The motorised valve was removed and he tells me that the connection is gone (something about the threads) and he needs another one. I suggest just replacing the connection part and he says it might be possible but comes back with a brand new one although when he leaves the job the old one is gone with him. He finishes (it’s quite a neat job upstairs but the piping through the ceiling joists looks a bit messy as the ceiling is completely exposed) and he tells me he wants 150 euro more as he had to get a new valve and timer. I’m reluctant to give this extra money to him but he wants paying now and I’ve not even tested my heating as I’m still waiting on an electrician to connect up timer to it. I am thinking of paying half the agreed fee before xmas and the other half in a few weeks when I am confident the system is working alright. Is this acceptable do you think? Sorry about the rambling post!

sundula

He sound like he has the memory of a goldfish. I think its only fair that you be allowed test the system out before he gets full pay and your plan to offer him half is reasonable, from my experience any decent tradesman would be happier to be standing beside you while the system was working so you could both be mutally satisfied with the work and he could leave the job satisfied that he saw it in operation with you.

smashey

Don't pay him anywhere near the full amount until you are completely satisfied with the work. There is no better incentive than outstanding money if he has to come back.

patrickolee

Don't pay him until the heating has been running for a while I would say. I paid my plumber when I initially saw the heating working for 5 minutes. It was only after he left that I smelt the gas and saw the 8ish water leaks he left me. Would he come back do you think? Would he f... Had to get another plumber in to fix up the mess. Cost me over a grand and a lot of messing.