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Electrician's work 5 years ago - new heating installation


mogs
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It is a DeDietrich system, under floor heating with an outside pump chaleur.

After turning it off for the summer, today I tried to turn it back on low and it's coming up with an error. We've always had problems trying to restart it after turning it off and have had the original leccy's boy around to sort it out. I've repeatedly asked for a service and it has not been serviced. So now we are told it wouldn't be covered under the guarantee as it hasn't been serviced.

However, we couldn't get hold of the original electrician so had to call out another one who deals with the same system. He's told us that it hasn't been installed correctly as there should be 3 interrupter switches, he checked our main fuse box and clearly there is nothing that works the De dietrich unit. We've always just turned on and off via the unit itself.

So the new electrician contacted the project manager, who employed the original electrician to do the work for our new build, but the PM is telling us we have to deal direct with the original electrician and it's nothing to do with him. We never exchanged any contract or money with the electrician, just with the PM.

So, sorry for long background details but we need to know who our gripe is with - him as the PM whom we paid OR the electrician who didn't do the work properly?

The original electrican has already been bankrupt and then set up as a new company and we don't have his number now but I'm sure we could find this out.

We have a new electrician coming to give us a devis of what should have been done when the installation took place.

Have no idea how we stand and can see a lot of expense trying to get the situation put right.
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You are (once again) being taken for a ride, the new electrician has done nothing to find why the pompe à chaleur will not start up and is just trying to line his pockets saying that the electrical connection does not meet the normes and wanting to take your money to correct that but still leaving you with a boiler that will not light.

 

I doubt that the normes would insist on 3 interrupteurs, maybe one disjoncteur and possibly a secondary interrupteur for local isolation.

 

Forget the electrician and the project manager, find a chauffagiste, I"ll bet you a pound to a piece of **** that he will trot out the old line that it canniot be repaired machin truc and want to take you for a brand new pompe à chaleur, thats just the way it (generally) is.

 

They will say that they have to replace everything, they cant be responsable for someone elses work blah blah but its funny how they are more than happy to take over the unpleasant unprofitable parts like the underfloor coils etc, they will insist on replacing the parts that bring them the greatest profit for the least installation time like the pompe and also where they can re-sell the old perfectly good unit.

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Did you get a copy of the original installer's insurance? Probably not, I know I never did and thus worry. I already had a failure on a plumbing job where the plumber had shut down and left the area, and then found he did not have the 10 year insurance.

If you do have a copy, approach them on the basis that his work does not meet the 10 year insurance requirement, since it has failed. Even though he has gone bust, his insurance is still valid (if he had any of course).

If that fails, try contacting your own household insurance. I doubt they will pay up, but it is surprising that the local agents seem to know who has the necessary insurance and with which company - worth a try anyway.
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Thanks for replies. It is all sorted, a reliable electrician has been around (used and recommended by a friend) and he found the 2 interrupter switches on the main fuse board.

So after he rebooted the system the heating is now working.

However we still have the issue of finding someone who can service the system.

Just out of interest, what exactly should a service incorporate for this system, ie. pump a chaleur?
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