It’s no secret that right now it is important to be careful with your money – whether as an individual or in business. We know that this is rightfully a priority of all of our clients, as they need to allocate their money wisely.
Unfortunately, though, sometimes cutting costs in the wrong places can lead to not only worse results, but actually also leads to spending more money in the long term! This is why we take great pride in our very high first-time job completion rate. Our biggest priority is to ensure that the customer is happy, and the easiest way to do that is to get the job done right with just one or two visits (two if it required quoting in person!).
Recently, we have noticed an influx of customers who reach out to us in need of plumbing and heating repairs or a boiler installation that they recently had completed by another contractor. When you try and cut costs on professional services – especially specialist ones which require years of experience like plumbing & heating – it can often lead to corners being cut, too. In our industry, what you see is what you get.
A Case Study – Boiler Installation Gone Wrong
This client called us out to see what was going wrong with their system, even though the boiler installation had only just taken place, and we noticed a plethora of issues. As it was installed by a different contractor, we had to do a full investigation and identify any possible causes for their issues. They were rightfully concerned that this was necessary after such a short period of time.
This investigation made it very clear that putting a call into us was not only necessary, but it was lucky that they did.
The flue on this boiler had numerous problems, the most obvious being that it wasn’t secured to the wall properly – despite the fact that there was a perfectly reasonable wall bracket hanging from the flue higher up! It was ‘secured’ by non-standard flexible flue clips, which don’t meet regulations.
The diameter of the flue was also undersized for the system. If the flue length is more than 15 metres (including the additional length equivalent for elbows) you need to upsize the diameter, to reduce the resistance in the flue. Too much resistance will put strain on the fan in the boiler and can impact the combustion of the boiler – no combustion, no heat.
On top of these problems with the flue itself, there was also no access to the flue on the second floor of the building. This is dangerous, as it restricts the ability to monitor and react to potentially dangerous issues, should they arise.
Upon a full investigation – including gas readings, as well as internal inspection once the boiler had been turned off – it became clear that we needed to fully replace the boiler, as well as replacing the entire flue system.
We sourced the new system – including a brand-new boiler and the appropriate flue pipe – and then installed it to fit regulations, and meet our high standards, enabling our client to heat their building again.
Now, they are satisfied, and everything is working. However, they had to spend significantly more money than they would have needed to if they called us in the first place.
A job done twice is always more expensive than a job done well
This case study is just one of the many instances that we have recently seen where someone has called us to help undo the mistakes of another contractor who has cut corners on an installation or service.
These unfortunate clients go from thinking they will be able to save 50% of the cost of the work they require, to sometimes spending double the amount of money, to achieve the same result. Obviously, if the discounted price gets you the job done perfectly, that’s great. But is it worth the risk of having to shell out thousands of pounds to rectify whatever goes wrong if it does?
Whether it’s a boiler installation or plumbing repairs, subpar plumbing & heating can have major consequences on a commercial site, leading to damages to your property or even possibly threatening the health of your staff, in the case of an unsafe gas system. If this client had reached out to us in the first place, they could have been confident that the work would be done to the highest of standards and they wouldn’t have needed to call someone else within weeks. Plus their site wouldn’t have been relying on an unsafe, non-regulation system for heating.
We understand that mistakes happen – they do for us, too – but if something goes wrong on a job, we do everything in our power to put it right. And quickly. Because we take so much pride in our work and what we do, it’s very important to us that if things do go wrong, we fix it as soon as possible. Plus, if we were at fault and we feel that the need for a return-visit is due to a mistake of ours, you will not be charged for us fixing it.
You get what you pay for
It sounds cliché but it is true, in our industry, you really do get what you pay for.
If you are offered a large discount in a skill-based profession, where experience and knowledge are essential, you will often find that you are opting into a less reliable option. This is not always the case, though, and you should always ensure that you pick a contractor that you feel comfortable you can trust.
When you work with Plumbing & Gas Solutions, you know what you’re paying for. Highly-skilled, knowledgeable plumbers and engineers who can provide reliable support, that take pride in delivering the services you need.
For all of your plumbing and heating requirements, call 01908 970367 .