Post Completion Plumbing Problem

Hi,

House finished - all good. Plumbing in bathroom sink discovered to be leaking. We supplied the sinks we chose. Builder arranged for plumber to fix, but it still leaks. Now has washed hands of it. Claims that its the faulty sink and that plumbling install is good.

Our only option is to remove the sink (and damage the bench), get a plumber to figure out if it's faulty or not. At our cost. And then get it put back in, at our cost!

What is builders liability here?

Thanks in advance.

G.

where is it leaking from, have you identified the location of the leak.

This is a typical case of split responsibility that can crop up and bite you. Most people don't realise that excluding items from building contract and or using your trades (relative doing the wiring or similar) gives builder "potentially" get out of jail card.
Of course builder will blame your sink, did you expect anything less?

The reality is that if indeed the sink you supplied is faulty then builder is within his rights to charge you full cost of replacement and reinstallation.

But is it? That's the trick question. You will need independent professional opinion and that will cost you (probably more than the value of the sink).

If then the findings are that the sink is not faulty then it becomes builder's defective installation and his liability to fix.

I hope this helps you understand the issues and also the risks of splitting supply and or work from the main building contract.

B STAR - it's leaking from underneath. Plumber came in and squirted loads of extra silicone around.

building-expert - Thanks, pretty much sums up what i thought someone mite say! If i remove the sink and it's found to be not faulty, that would mean that the install definately was and i can claim costs from builder? Even if via small claims, which would be a shame, as he was a reasonable bloke during construction.

G.

Silicone should seal it as there is no pressure but it hardly qualifies as a proper solution.

Unless the sink is cracked and leaking I would have thought that any plumber could have fixed the leak faster than you can eat ice cream. For the best paid trade in the building business it is sad that this complaint lingers on.

Bodgey as all hell. You do not fix leaks properly with "loads" of silicone. You've been done, sorry to say.

Jeezus, who are these tradies? Im no plumber, but I can install a sink without it leaking, so why cant they?

THey should be cleaning everything and starting from scratch. The plumbers should be more specific and sya why its faulty. I bet though its leaking from due to the seat where the outlet sits not being true.
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