UK Damage Costs assistance

[mackatoon]

Hi Guys

Just after some advice as every day is a school day.

So putting some power into a garage using SWA. Fuse board is in a little toilet downstairs so drilled through external wall in line with the consumer unit high up near the ceiling pretty much top corner, within building regs safe zone.

Anyway I've gone through a water pipe. There was no clue that the pipes were there. Anyway I've got the pipe repaired through a mate.

However the question is do you put the repair cost onto the customer? It was the only route through to the board and there was no indication that a water pipe was there.

Interested to see your thoughts.

Thanks

Andy

 

[Dustydazzler]

Depends how much damage , how much time to repair and how much you like the customer

if there is lots of damage , like new plastering and full re-decorating then I might put it though my PL after the job

if the damage is minimal I would talk with the home owner and come up with a plan to put it right , maybe split the cost 50/50 or something like that

 

[James]

If I had done that, the repairs to pipe and decorations etc. Would be covered by myself.

the home owner should be able to assume you have the skills and equipment required to check for buried cable and pipes before drilling the hole.

one to consider as a learning experience I think, take it on the chin and pay the plumbers bill.

 

[Zerax]

I'd be covering the cost myself or claiming on my PL.

Not sure... if I was the customer... that I'd ever entertain the idea of paying for a tradesman's error. Sympathetic maybe, but not out of pocket.

I almost hit a pipe the other week... no indication that it was there, nor reason for it to be there. I just grazed it with the jab saw... one of the benefits of hand tools over power tools... you can more easily feel if you've hit something.

 

[Dustydazzler]

There is a housing estate near me with the horrible microbore plumbing pipe used for the heating pipes and it seems be run everywhere underneath the plaster , diagonal , metres away from the rads etc

Drilling through these walls is like playing russian roulette

 

[MJPD29]

Covered by yourself or insurance. It was your fault, not the customers. Sometimes these things happen. You just have to take responsibility as you were holding the drill and move on.

 

[cloverman]

Yeah ! Take it on the chin Buddy !!! The customer has employed a professional to carry out the work and can't be expected to pay for mistakes/mishaps created by them.

 

[brianmoooore]

By your own admission, you were drilling holes in an electrical safe zone, so you should have been working with extreme caution, in case of cables.
Also, you were drilling on the same wall as a toilet cistern, so you know there are water pipes somewhere.
Odds against either a pipe or wire exactly where you drill are high, but occasionally your number comes up.
Not the customer's fault, so it's up to you to make it all good again. It's all good experience.
Reminds me of the time I was cutting through floorboards with the saw depth stop set to a mm less than the board thickness. How was I to know that some (expletive) plumber had cut a wide groove in the underside of the board for his pipes to cross a beam.

 

[rsgaz]

underneath the plaster , diagonal , metres away from the rads etc

It is tempting to treat myself to a FLIR camera for exactly that situation/problem.

 

[mackatoon]

Cheers for the reply guys. I've taken your comments onboard and covered the plumbing repair cost

 

[Zerax]

It is tempting to treat myself to a FLIR camera for exactly that situation/problem.

So... just pondering this one... would a FLIR camera show up pipes ?

-CH ones would if the heating was on.
-Cold water pipes... maybe, if the water was sufficiently colder than the ambient ?
-Gas... probably not... but I guess if the temp difference was big enough ? Gas flowing and cold gas ? in the winter maybe ?

Anyone had any experience ?

 

[newfutile]

I have a seek thermal camera (which is much cheaper) and it only picked up buried water pipes if they taps they run are used for a while , or if the heating on and they are rad pipes. No idea about gas but i would doubt it.there is also a time before they show up (thermal lag)

 

[mackatoon]

If anyone knows a decent well priced Thermal Camera then please let me know. Definitely may invest in one for the future although i would only use occasionally.

I appreciate your comments guys.

Thanks

 

[UNG]

It is tempting to treat myself to a FLIR camera for exactly that situation/problem.

They are a useful piece of kit but as with a lot of higher cost tools it is whether the return on the investment is worthwhile

I have been using a Flir C2 for a few years now, it's been a good addition to the toolbox and has been useful ( it impresses the customers when you get out a thermal imager ) as to justifying the the cost I don't think it has earned it's keep yet but but don't regret buying it

 

[Pretty Mouth]

Hi Guys

Just after some advice as every day is a school day.

So putting some power into a garage using SWA. Fuse board is in a little toilet downstairs so drilled through external wall in line with the consumer unit high up near the ceiling pretty much top corner, within building regs safe zone.

Anyway I've gone through a water pipe. There was no clue that the pipes were there. Anyway I've got the pipe repaired through a mate.

However the question is do you put the repair cost onto the customer? It was the only route through to the board and there was no indication that a water pipe was there.

Interested to see your thoughts.

Thanks

Andy

I have had similar experiences, and while I have taken the cost of repairs on the chin, it does feel unfair. While you can reduce the chances of hitting a hidden pipe, sometimes it just isn't possible to detect them - eg. plastic in solid plaster isn't going to show up until you've put a drill through it (unless perhaps a change of temperature is present).

The plus side is I am now pretty handy at emergency plumbing repairs