Archive for the ‘Cowboys’ Category

Berserk Pipe Work Quirk

Saturday, July 26th, 2008

Cowboy Gas Fitter - DANGER OF THE WEEK AWARD This pipe work and the cables were boxed in behind a panel in a rental we went to look at recently. I would have hidden this work too if I had done it!! In fact I would have hidden the pipe work, ...

Mind The Gap!

Saturday, July 19th, 2008

Cowboy Plumber - DANGER OF THE WEEK AWARD We recently moved our clients bathroom from it's existing location to another room in the house. As we pulled up the old bathroom floor to remove pipe work we found this!

Hidden Junction Box A Crock

Saturday, July 12th, 2008

Cowboy Electrician - DANGER OF THE WEEK AWARD The first picture (it's a bit grainy) is of a switched spur on the wall and underneath that is a double socket. We were on site to modify the electrics for a kitchen refurb and when we opened the existing electrics we knew ...

Retailers Help Drive Out Illegal Gas Installers

Wednesday, July 9th, 2008

I hammer away relentlessly at cowboy builders, electricians, gas fitters and DIYers who attempt, and fail to work to CURRENT Building Regulations. So I have to applaud Plumbfix as well as Wolsely (Plumb Centre and Parts Centre) for their stand on supporting CORGI and CORGI Registered gas installers by ...

Burn Baby Burn

Saturday, July 5th, 2008

Cowboy Gas Fitter - DANGER OF THE WEEK AWARD The good news this week is that I was only witness to one poorly done installation. The bad news is that this is the worst type of short cut and I see it frequently. A past winner here. The reason I feel ...

Uh Oh, Six Inches Short!

Saturday, June 28th, 2008

Cowboy Plumbing - DANGER OF THE WEEK AWARD Unfortunately the cowboy who extended this house didn't extend the waste pipe to match! Whoever did the work was already awarded a previous Cowboy of the Week Award for an unsafe boiler installation. See the May 3, 2008 Cowboy Award.

The Amorphous Shape Of Green Tape

Saturday, June 21st, 2008

Cowboy Electrics Fitter - DANGER OF THE WEEK AWARD Whilst removing a gas fired air heating system we found this mess of connector blocks and green tape. At the time it was installed twenty or so years ago a flue had to be run through the house and apparently these cables ...

Bad DIY, We Won’t Turn A Blind Eye

Saturday, June 14th, 2008

Cowboy Electrics Fitter - DANGER OF THE WEEK AWARD After years in the business you can read a house like a book. Sometimes it starts as you drive up the the property and sometimes it's once you get inside. Sometimes issues show up unannounced. But sometimes there are so many issues ...

My own tears scald me…

Saturday, June 7th, 2008

Cowboy Gas Fitter - DANGER OF THE WEEK AWARD There is something wrong with this picture. Can you spot it? Well, if you can't it's the rubber hose connection that is hooking up the Pressure Relief Valve on the boiler to a bit of copper pipe which sticks out of the ...

Go Ahead - Pull My Cord

Saturday, May 31st, 2008

Cowboy Electrician - DANGER OF THE WEEK AWARD A client of mine asked if I could replace some pull switch wall sconces with a light switch above the bed before they had the bedroom skimmed. Due to scheduling issues I couldn't get them done quick enough so they made other arrangements. ...