€50 to fix a loo that isn't flushing - reasonable?

NIMAN

Including plumber having to go and buy a new syphon.

Is €50 a fair price?

enricoh

Call to house, got to the merchants to get n pay for siphon, return and fit - 50 quid.
Do yourself a favour and delete the thread

delahuntv

Bargain imo.

kirving

NIMAN wrote: »

Including plumber having to go and buy a new syphon.

Is €50 a fair price?

Plumber has to drive to your house, check the problem, drive to get the part, drive back, do the job, and stand over it. Part would be a few quid too. €50 isn't much when you consider it.

my3cents

The price is right the reasoning is probably wrong. All most toilets that fail to flush need is a new diaphragm valve (can't think of the actual name) and they can be cut out of a sheet of plastic for nothing. So I doubt the whole siphon will be replaced if a free part is all thats needed.

Still a fair price just for labour.

LeBash

That sounds like you got a reasonable deal actually.

K.Flyer

my3cents wrote: »

The price is right the reasoning is probably wrong. All most toilets that fail to flush need is a new diaphragm valve (can't think of the actual name) and they can be cut out of a sheet of plastic for nothing. So I doubt the whole siphon will be replaced if a free part is all thats needed.

Still a fair price just for labour.

In the past when "Low Level" cisterns were the norm that would have been the usual repair. Nowadays with the "Close Coupled" cisterns being the norm it is more prudent to replace the complete syphon as 90% of the time you have to remove the cistern from the pan to undo the syphon in order to get the diaphragm out.
Newer push button systems usually don't need any of that trouble as the flush valve just clips out.


@O.P.


50 euro was a cheap price, nothing unfair about it.

joebloggs32

This should be posted in Bargain Alerts

2Mad2BeMad

if anything the plumber is doing you a favour....

Miaireland

I would have thought that €50 would be quite cheap. I know I have paid my plumber more money for a smaller job.

BrianBoru00

Providing part and replacing it : 5
Knowing how to replace it : 45

The Sidewards Man

€50 cash no doubt, is he a qualified plumber or some lad on the rock and roll?

ScouseMouse

The Sidewards Man wrote: »

€50 cash no doubt, is he a qualified plumber or some lad on the rock and roll?

So what? If you want to add VAT go ahead. Start with your own bill.

uck51js9zml2yt

I'm not sure why you consider it unfair!

I had leaking water pipecand the plumber came down and charged me 70. Thought it was a fair price.

imitation

Id agree, calculate the driving he had to do to get you and ask a taxi to do it.

endacl

NIMAN wrote: »

Including plumber having to go and buy a new syphon.

Is €50 a fair price?

If you consider €50 to much for the job, it's a simple enough one to do yourself. You'll have to drive to pick up the parts, though. How much is your time worth? You might not need the full siphon though. Maybe just the washer. There's the guts of twenty quid wasted. Perhaps there's somebody who's put a few years training into knowing how much needs replacing?

Can you see where I'm going with this...?

Pawwed Rig

Sounds very cheap to me. A call out alone would normally cost €80.

Atlantic Dawn

I'd keep his number safe, a plumber at those prices is hard to find.

Jellybaby1

My experience with plumbers tells me that €50 is very reasonable indeed. Who and where is this wonderful plumber, and his phone number please?

The Sidewards Man

Pawwed Rig wrote: »

Sounds very cheap to me. A call out alone would normally cost €80.

Professionals like myself have a business to run, expenses like insurance etc. I would have had the part in stock in the van.

Jellybaby1

The Sidewards Man wrote: »

Professionals like myself have a business to run, expenses like insurance etc. I would have had the part in stock in the van.

Every plumber that ever came to me over the last 40 years had to 'go and get the part'.

The Sidewards Man

Any plumber that wouldn't have a stock of parts in their van and in this case a basic toilet part needs to hang up their tools.

uck51js9zml2yt

The Sidewards Man wrote: »

Any plumber that wouldn't have a stock of parts in their van and in this case a basic toilet part needs to hang up their tools.

Mine had to check the length of armoured pipe he needed and went off to get it. He's in business a long time

Your remark is foolish!

Sam Kade

I had a leak the n the house s few years back, I couldn't even get a plumber as they were too busy. In the end I found the leak myself and dug up the floor to repair it.

the_syco

The Sidewards Man wrote: »

Any plumber that wouldn't have a stock of parts in their van and in this case a basic toilet part needs to hang up their tools.

Generally speaking, I find the quicker the job is done, the less Joe Public thinks that they should pay you, if they view it as a "small" job. Added to that, there's also a chance that their plumber is a "jack of all trades", and thus may not have plumbing parts on hand. Could also be that he doesn't know what to charge for the "smaller" jobs, as opposed to kitting out an entire kitchen, and thus the OP got it done cheaply.

NIMAN

Thanks for all the replies folks, serious and smart!

Bonzo Delaney

The Sidewards Man wrote: »

Any plumber that wouldn't have a stock of parts in their van and in this case a basic toilet part needs to hang up their tools.

True but 99 times out of 100 Murphy's law kicks in and it's the day you don't have that particular part
Plus it has to be paid for anyway
50 for the job and it's a success... cheap as chips.

play it again

The Sidewards Man wrote: »

Any plumber that wouldn't have a stock of parts in their van and in this case a basic toilet part needs to hang up their tools.

MOD: no personal abuse pretty please

The Sidewards Man

Funny man.

Fuzzy Clam

If the op has managed to get the job done for 50, then they're lucky.
Last time my dad got a plumber in, a 50 pound job turned into a 300 quid job

K.Flyer

The Sidewards Man wrote: »

Any plumber that wouldn't have a stock of parts in their van and in this case a basic toilet part needs to hang up their tools.

All Plumbers should drive around in 40ft Artic Truck with a comprehensive computerised inventory carrying parts for each and every possible job that they may come across. Especially now as we have so many different types of flush buttons, flush panels, flush valves (mechanical, air and cable operated), syphons, flappers, filling valves, ball-cocks, high level, low level, close coupled and concealed cisterns. :rolleyes:


Now where did I put my HGV licence. :

Wanderer78

K.Flyer wrote: »

All Plumbers should drive around in 40ft Artic Truck with a comprehensive computerised inventory carrying parts for each and every possible job that they may come across. Especially now as we have so many different types of flush buttons, flush panels, flush valves (mechanical, air and cable operated), syphons, flappers, filling valves, ball-cocks, high level, low level, close coupled and concealed cisterns. :rolleyes:


Now where did I put my HGV licence. :

jebus you ve just given me a errr emm business idea!

Sleeper12

I'd charge €75 plus the part inc vat.

You got a bargain.

creation mark

I charged a client €60 to change a siphon set & she refused to pay saying I was ripping her off, she handed me €40... ya just can't win. I drove to the job, Tallaght to Crumlin in rush hour traffic then went off to buy the siphon set, fitted it & noticed her hot tap was loose when i was washing my hands so nipped it up for her free of charge. On the way out the door very disgruntled she then asked me could i take a look at her kitchen tap....:eek:

Dtp1979

creation mark wrote: »

I charged a client €60 to change a siphon set & she refused to pay saying I was ripping her off, she handed me €40... ya just can't win. I drove to the job, Tallaght to Crumlin in rush hour traffic then went off to buy the siphon set, fitted it & noticed her hot tap was loose when i was washing my hands so nipped it up for her free of charge. On the way out the door very disgruntled she then asked me could i take a look at her kitchen tap....:eek:

Please tell me you didn't oblige??

creation mark

Dtp1979 wrote: »

Please tell me you didn't oblige??

I politely told her where to go, She was a friend of a friend hence the €60...€40

JustTheOne

Ok lets take it this plumber is self employed.

Overheads.

Paye
prsi
corporation tax
Public liability
personal liability
van for tools
Tax on van
Insurance on van
Diesel for van
parts for van(service, tyres etc)
tools
overalls
Equipment
accountant fees
vat returns

On top of all that he has to make a living.

That 50 Euro covers the time it takes to get to your house and the job.

Do you expect him to drive there for free?

With self employed its generally a 1/3 rule.

Whatever money you get about 1/3 you will keep for yourself after all your overheads.

Walter Becket

JustTheOne wrote: »

Ok lets take it this plumber is self employed.

Overheads.

Paye
prsi
corporation tax
Public liability
personal liability
van for tools
Tax on van
Insurance on van
Diesel for van
parts for van(service, tyres etc)
tools
overalls
Equipment
accountant fees
vat returns

On top of all that he has to make a living.

That 50 Euro covers the time it takes to get to your house and the job.

Do you expect him to drive there for free?

With self employed its generally a 1/3 rule.

Whatever money you get about 1/3 you will keep for yourself after all your overheads.

I can add a few to that list.
Pension
Education & training
Office
Office equipment
Stock of spares
Shed/workshop
Safe parking or garage for the van
Phone
Call backs

JustTheOne

Walter Becket wrote: »

I can add a few to that list.
Pension
Education & training
Office
Office equipment
Stock of spares
Shed/workshop
Safe parking or garage for the van
Phone
Call backs

Wow the list is endless.


Crazy isn't it!