SJW Heating, Plumbing & Gas Maintenance

"I wouldn't recommend this trader as I feel he has left us in the lurch with our heating still not working properly after spending £450 with him. He was supposed to come back to take out a chemical solution that he put in but wanted £150 to take it out. At no point when he put the solution in did he say he would be charging to take it out. He also didn't want to commit to arranging to come back. The trader needs to be clearer of what he's going to charge when doing things as I thought the £450 covered it. He was very quick to want payment from us before even knowing if the heating was working properly."

Trader reply: "I attended the property after confirming there would be a £100 call-out fee. The customer reported that the radiators and hot water were not getting hot. After inspecting the boiler and heating system, I found: The pump was performing poorly and needed replacement. The hot water tank thermostat also needed replacing. I provided a written price of £350, broken down as: £200 for parts (pump and tank thermostat) £150 labour for fitting the new parts. On the second visit, I replaced both the pump and the tank thermostat. During this visit I discovered that the system was heavily sludged. The ADEY filter was clogged, which I showed to the customer. To help improve the system, I added two bottles of Fernox F3 cleaner, worth £34, at no extra charge. I explained that the cleaner should circulate for around two weeks to help loosen the sludge, and that the system would require a flush afterwards. The customer agreed to this. I also provided one hour of free labour, as the job took three hours instead of the expected two. In addition, I adjusted the ballcock on the downstairs toilet to stop it overflowing, again at no extra cost. The customer accepted this. After about a week I contacted the customer to check for improvement. She confirmed there was none. I explained that the system needed a full power flush. Because I only have a MagnaCleanse machine—which is not strong enough for the level of sludge—I provided my colleague’s contact details. I explained that the flushing work on my side would be an additional £150. I believe my charges were very fair, considering: I provided free materials worth £34 I gave one hour of free labour I carried out extra work on the toilet at no extra charge I clearly communicated findings and recommendations throughout The customer had previously been satisfied with my work."

• Initial impression Initial impression: 5 out of 5.0
• Punctuality Punctuality: 5 out of 5.0
• Cleanliness Cleanliness: 5 out of 5.0
• Quality Quality: 1 out of 5.0
• Value Value: 1 out of 5.0
• Overall opinion Overall opinion: 1 out of 5.0