English speaking plumber

[Angie]

Hi, anyone know of an English speaking plumber near Quillan please. Need toilet moved and installation of replacement bath. Thank you

[NormanH]

There is a Facebook group

https://www.englishspeakinggroup.com/

and I know that one member's partner is an English builder/plumber in Quillan

[alittlebitfrench]

Without causing a ruckus, are English speaking Plumbers cheaper than ones that don't speak English ? Or do English speaking plumbers just do a better job ?

What is the motivation here not to employ one of those French types ?

Asking to move a toilet and a bath is hardly rocket science French to be fair. In fact you can just point your fingers LOL.

[NickP]

It's difficult to find an English speaking Plumber in England these days.

[Gardengirl]

In our part of the Gard you try for a Belgian first, then Spanish, English and finally, if you really have to, a Frenchman.

But be prepared to have your place flooded out like my 95 year old French neighbour last week. That's the third time French plumbers have let her down in 9 years! The other times my husband (definitely not a registered plumber but has replumbed our own properties and sorted out any problems we've ever had) sorted it out for her.

This time neighbours had to bale her out at 04.00 and wielded their mops and buckets. Many of her treasures were ruined and she had to wade through cold water to alert neighbours, then was upset that she had to get them up in the night.

I know a good English plumber who lives nearby - can be pricey but good. I'm not sure that that French plumber will be leaving old people in such situations again after her only relative, her grandson, finished with him..............

[alittlebitfrench]

In 'surreal' France Betty, we employ French plumbers. They turn up, do a job, you pay and we all live happily ever after.

Must be a SW France thing. Or the clientele. What is wrong with the plumbing down there what makes life so difficult ? Plumbing is not exactly rocket science. Even I could unscrew and move a toilet. Installing a bath , I could do that in my sleep. What is going on down there ?

On the right side of this forum there is an article asking your choice between the Dordogne or Lot. I read the article and they don't mention plumbing. LOL

[grumpyaudeman]

Hi

Go to the English Library open most days I am sure someone will know

http://www.network-news.com/eng_lib/librarynews.asp

[Angie]

Moving a toilet and bath may not be rocket science but when we had our bathroom originally installed the French plumber either shrugged his shoulders at everything we asked saying he didn't understand or just said it wasn't possible. Three times we asked him to put a toilet in our en suite. His reply was that they didn't do that in France, it was unhygienic! Came back after a week to see that he had totally ignored us and the bathroom was fully tiled and no toilet fitted. Because he had not installed a soil pipe either we have been lumbered with an electric macerator toilet. That's why I would prefer either an English plumber or one that speaks good English.

[YCCMB]

[quote user="alittlebitfrench"]In 'surreal' France Betty, we employ French plumbers. They turn up, do a job, you pay and we all live happily ever after.

Must be a SW France thing. Or the clientele. What is wrong with the plumbing down there what makes life so difficult ? Plumbing is not exactly rocket science. Even I could unscrew and move a toilet. Installing a bath , I could do that in my sleep. What is going on down there?

On the right side of this forum there is an article asking your choice between the Dordogne or Lot. I read the article and they don't mention plumbing. LOL[/quote]

I have no clue why you have replied to me, ALBF...I haven't even contributed to this thread.

[alittlebitfrench]

LOL, it is just that sometimes take me to task sometimes for calling 'none expat areas' real France.

So I have to decided to call it surreal France instead.

Anyway, back the OP, yes I can believe all the hassle you have had with your French plumber. Furthermore, the French hate having toilets in the bathroom. I have come around to that way of thinking myself although sometimes there is no choice. Given your plumber has not installed a soil pipe I am guessing it is going to be a very expensive headache to do it retrospectively.

Whenever we employ French tradesman, we make sure they are under the age of 30-35. Preferably around the 25-28 years mark.

Never would I employ any one older than 35. To much hassle. Always goes wrong. They tend also to be alcoholic which reflects in their quality of work.

[Patf]

Just be chance we chose an english speaking plumber to install our central heating. His estimate came out best.

We didn't know he spoke english, he's french, but has an english wife.

Too far from you though, and anyway he seems to have gone out of business now. ALBF, strange you say older french plumbers are often alcoholic, I think that's the problem with this one.

Angie, don't you know someone bilingual french english that could communicate for you?

We have a different french plumber now.

[alittlebitfrench]

We wanted some work done so asked 3 local plumbers for a devis.

One turned up who was over fifty and spent the time during the visit talking about his forthcoming trip to America...like you do. Never sent a Devis. Possibly still in America.

The second one turned up, I 'remotely' opened the gate from inside the house (it is a small walk from the gate to the front door) but we were sure he would never make it given how pisséd he was. We showed him what we wanted doing but never took any measurements. Thought at one time during the visit he would start singing.

He never sent a devis because he probably forgot where we lived.

Last bloke (under 30) gave us a price for the work, we agreed, put a date in his phone, turned up on date and on time, did the work (impeccably), got paid and went on his merry way.

Vivre la France

[Gardengirl]

That third chap was just like any Belgian we've had to do work for us; on the ball, competent, turn up on time, do a good job and leave everywhere clean and tidy.

In fact, the (Belgian) boss of one company phoned us up after another member of his team had quoted for our aircon; asked if we'd been told that there was a cheaper version of the unit we'd chosen, almost as good. We had been told, but we'd opted for the whisper-quiet option in case we needed to leave it on all night - which we've done a fair bit in June and July most years. That was great service, has never happened before or since in either country. Though we do have a great plumber in England.

That company had been recommended to us by Belgian neighbours and French and English friends, and we've recommended them to a lot of friends and neighbours.

Neighbours who had French companies had problems with mess left behind and outside plaster falling off where the pipes went through the walls - which they didn't know about until afterwards - and couldn't get them to turn up to repair it. It's a fairly bright orange-ish wall, and the damage showed right from the road even. But they did turn up on the right date initially.

[Alan Zoff]

Last year I asked 2 local plumbers to look at our broken boiler. Both I would say are in their late 30s; neither speaks English.

The first ummed and ahhed about the boiler's overall condition, said some expensive bits needed to be replaced and quoted over 2,000 euros. The second said it was a good boiler, identified the problem in less than 5 minutes, took the details, came back with a new burner nozzle, fitted it, adjusted the boiler settings and charged me 50 euros. He also gave me a fact sheet he had printed off his computer relating to the new part, marked to show how he had reset the boiler, for future reference. It has worked fine ever since.

I think I know which of them I will call if ever I need a plumber/heating engineer again. But he might want a little more than 50 euros to do a job in the Quillan area.

[Judith]

First one we had was German, good, but always busy.  Did what we needed, and came quickly as we had a leak. Second time we used an Englishman -  after frozen pipes burst with the thaw -  he came quickly, as he was already doing other work for us.  Third time, we acted on a recommendation of a friend - Frenchman, came, looked, said he'd send a devis, never did.  Fourth time we tried another English plumber, for another leak, he came quickly and did the job.

I think you now see why English plumbers are preferred down here in rural France.

[Angie]

Thanks all for your very amusing comments and stories! Glad its not just me that has had bad experiences. We do have a soil pipe fitted in our other bathroom which is where we want the work done. Its the en suite that the plumber refused to fit a toilet, hence the electric one!

[suein56]

[quote user="Angie"] Glad its not just me that has had bad experiences.

Its the en suite that the plumber refused to fit a toilet, hence the electric one![/quote]

Our retired friends in Rennes have a super flat there, bought off plan, though when they saw it for sale the building was up and the flat merely needed finishing off by fitting out with kitchen, bathroom and shower-room and all associated tiling.

They had such an argument with the plumber re the proposed plumbing for the ensuite which comprised on paper : bath behind partial partition wall and a double sink unit.

As neither bathes but both shower they asked if the bath could be replaced with a walk-in shower, lose one of the sinks and connect a toilet, using the toilet plumbing for the cloakroom which was just on the other side of the wall.

Such a palaver over this as the plumber kept insisting that it was not hygienic to have a toilet in a shower-room so refusing to add one. Our friends kept their counsel merely saying that they would withdraw from the sale if they couldn't have what they wanted.

They won, in the end. And it all looks splendid and works very well.

All the parties involved were French, so sometimes even the French want a loo in their bath/shower-room !

Sue

[Patf]

I just want to add, that mostly our experience of french plumbers has been very good.

At our first house here, also in the Gers, we had a local french plumber to do work on the gas supply. No complaints at all, except he never sent his last bill ( even though I had reminded him we still owed about 100€).

And the company who installed our gas central heating here did perfect work. Made sure we claimed tax back because it was eco-friendly etc. It was only when we had a problem after about 8 years, the boss  came at last and couldn't work it out. We got another plumber and he found a fault on the outside thermostat!