Another update, my Linkedin purge instantly got some traction, with a number of MMA employees responding, especially one very pleasant lady director promising to forward my grievance to the Complaints Team, she did. They immediately contacted me and appointed a Complaints Officer as my point of contact.
I explained, I’m very unhappy at the speed at which the claim is being dealt with. We first notified MMA on the 2nd of January, assessor visits 13th January and contractor (CBS) visit is not until 15th February.
MMA did not appoint anyone to repair the water pipe or install dehumidifiers to remove the water and damp, the damage has worsened since the assessor visited.
We’ll see what she comes back with. But the speed thing is their normal procedure apparently although she said someone should have visited to fix the pipe, clean up water and install dehumidifiers which never happened.
Some firms just have this policy. It makes life easier for them as otherwise any future problems could be complicated - was the fault with the object the customer bought or the way it was fitted?
I’m not overreacting am I, this is indeed pretty slow? I recognise that circumstances vary etc but at this rate it’ll be April before any work is carried out.
Not sure if we are at cross purposes Jane, but my knackered heater is very old, I bought it from Leroy-Merlin I think and can’t even remember now which plumber fitted it, but whoever it was he certainly had no problem insurance wise as this bloke has, with fitting something I bought myself. There is no dispute as to why it has failed, past its sell by date for sure,
But if it is a general thing that customers can’t buy their own stuff, for insurance reasons, how come the likes of Leroy-Merlin have so many on public sale, rather than solely to professionals?
@David_Spardo
It varies across the country and possibly across all professions. Some workers are happy to use products supplied by the customer… but some will only fit what they themselves supply.
Locally, it will be known just who will do what you want … ask around for a name…
Yes I will Stella, but I will consider what he has to offer money wise first, plumbers are not exactly easily available round here. Even this one let us down badly in the distant past, causing me to miss a good friend’s funeral and supporting his widow, which is why he wasn’t the first I called.
I intended to ask them when I was in the store but they were so short staffed and when I did get someone to attend to me I paid and went round to the collection point where they gave me a different model. As it was just as suitable, the same price, and I was short of time for another appointment, I left it alone.
But some years ago I bought some tilt and turn windows from there and made all the arrangements with them for the artisan, but when push came to shove they said we were too far away.
If the fixing on the wall is the same, and I think it is, how hard can it be? And if I am a bit wary about the electric connections I do know a reliable friend who is in business as an electrician and has done good work for us before. Funnily enough, I wanted him to supply and fit a cooker extractor fan some years ago but he said he couldn’t supply, only install.
I just changed my water heater and did it myself. The reason I changed it was because the existing unit was a)very old and probably very limescaled an inefficient and b)far too large for my needs, so I was heating alot of hot water that I never used. The new unit didn’t have fixings in the same position, but was easy enough to drill the wall and chemically anchor to the blockwork wall, and then all I needed to do was buy new flexible hoses to connect the hot and cold water supplies between the existing pipework and the new water heater + a new safety valve. If I’d had to start installing new copper pipework the job could have taken all day, but instead, it took me about 3 hours. So I would say the job to replace your old water heater isn’t really a plumbing job as such, if you’re keeping existing pipework, more a diy type job that I’m sure you’re handy electrician friend could conquer quite easily. For info, I’d never done this before in my life, but just looked on youtube specifically to see how I drain down the existing tank.
I have done the job a few times and if the tank is well calcified and quite big, watch as they can be quite heavy compared to a new one, the last one I left in position and installed the new one right next to it and swapped the fittings over.
Thanks both, I might have a crack at it after I’ve heard from this bloke, if I do. The only advantage of his tank is that it is 80 litres compared to our 30. We can manage fine with the 30 I’ve bought to replace it but it would have meant more leisurely showers with the bigger one. One disadvantage was that it would have to go on another wall with all the extra pipework that involves.
That’s not what I’m saying. Just that some artisans prefer not to as they don’t want the potential complication. Plumbers seem to have enough work to be able to pick and choose.
We were thinking of gettimg Leroy Merlin to fit a shower……read the small print!!
Depending on how far away ‘the other wall’ is, I saw a great selection of flexible hoses when I picked up mine, so you may even find ones that are long enough to reach the new location, if that’s the route you go down - good luck
It’s not that far but it is round a corner, under a window and the sink to come up between it and a doorpost through a 10cm gap. But if that was the choice it would be for the plumber to work that out.
I am more coming round to the fact that I would be better to fit the new heater I have just bought and do it myself. The only help I would need is from my leccy friend to make sure that side is safe before I start.
Especially as the plumber hasn’t got back to me with his quote , or answered my message asking for an email address so I can send him the tax document (he says there would be a grant) he asked for.
You might find this leroy merlin quick guide helpful. The one point it doesn’t go through is draining the existing tank, but that’s pretty straightforward to release into the safety valve drain off point
Thank you, yes, that will be useful in the event. It will be straightforward here if the new tank has the same mountings as the current one, and I think it does, then it is a simple transfer (or replacing with new) of the existing flexibles and connections. The only thing I will need my electrical friend to check is his area of expertise…
