David J Ford: Newburgh, Fife. Plumber... Abernethy, Lindores

David J Ford plumber

Keeping it local...
Newburgh, North Fife

Time: £25/hr.

Emergency call out: £30. Emergency time £35/hr

Keeping work local has many benefits for the customer & myself & this is something I am keen to nurture:

It keeps the customer relationship more trustworthy
I have more to gain by delivering a quality service (or loose by not)
Keeps travel / time / fuel costs down & helps the environment
Returning to base for parts & specialist tools is easy
Trouble shooting and after sales service is easier to manage
Emergencies can be attended to more quickly – even whilst on another local job
Customers can bang my door if they’re not happy

I therefore take on work only in Newburgh, Abernethy & Lindores. Time is charged at £25/hr. I don't charge when I'm having lunch but include a 15 minute tea break in every 4 hours.

Whilst I have a list of locals waiting, I will not take on work outside this zone. As there usually is a list, it’s rare for me to. Where I do, time & travel for folks in elsewhere is charged at £30/hr. This includes estimates which are free to locals.

Due to recent doctors orders & other commitments I generally work short days. At a push I'll go to 8 hrs but aim for 4 hrs. Consequently I'm only able to tackle a limited amount of work & my customers usually have a wait a wee while for me to be available.

Parts are charged at ~ cost +:
100% for items < £5
70% for items £10 - £30
50% for items £31 - £100

30% for items £101 - £300
20% for items £301 - £500
15% items > £500

Bathrooms & Kitchens: You are encouraged to acquire your own items for fitting. This means you get exactly what you want. Free advice can be given on this within the Newburgh area. You will find that by shopping around, you are able to command very similar discounts to trade discounts.

Most plumbers mark up their ware so clearly you'll be saving this. I benefit from less office work, hassle if you don't like what I produce for you & stretched cash flow.

General advice when shopping includes:

Check out Screwfix. I have found their customer service to be outstanding and value for money has been hard to beat though prices have been going up more recently perhaps due to their success.. Unfortunately you can’t see before you buy but their returns policy is good. Formerly exclusively an ‘e-shop’ there are now direct outlets but no showrooms.

Although primarily a retail store, I have also found B&Q to be excellent for price & service.

But the best advice is the old advice - shop around. Tool Station are a growing e-shop worth checking out too. Site not as user friendly yet as screwfix but will get better I'm sure. £10 minimum order for free delivery!

Treat plumbers merchants with suspicion. Good discounts can be had but you’re in a lions den. Service is often shocking. Many treat their customers with indifference or contempt & that includes professional plumbers.

You get what you pay for…try to go for trusted brands. You’re less likely to find problems in fitting & performance. Mira & Triton are probably the best for showers.

Central Heating:

Again I'm happy if you obtain Boiler, radiators etc yourself but as many customers can be daunted by this I'm happy to source them for you too. If obtaining your own please be aware that the sizing of the boiler is critical for efficiency so please contact me or get specialist advice. There is a boiler sizing page at: IDHEE. Just click on Boiler Size on the left panel.

There is a culture of over-sizing boilers in this country. No-one wants to be cold on the coldest days of the year. Plumbers don't want to be called back in protest so often 'a bit extra' is added to the figures. Consequently most boilers 'short cycle' & run inefficiently. Short cycling is where a boiler quickly reaches it’s temperature & shuts down in a short time frame. It's far better if your boiler runs for longer periods. If you use the IDHEE calculator, you might be surprised how small their boiler recommendations are. That's because their job is to optimize design efficiency & they are at the forefront for the message that boilers should not be routinely over-sized, as your existing boiler probably is. Remember too that a 25/30kw modern condensing boiler will put more heat into the radiator water than your old one did due to it's greater efficiency. A non condensing model would have wasted a good deal up the flue pipe. Condensing boilers are now mandatory in Scotland.

Grant & Worcester Bosch are solid for boilers.Many cheaper boilers to be had. The installation instructions are often cheaply produced & the general package can be less comprehensive & can demand more time in fitting so it can be a false economy. In the longer term a known brand is likely to serve you better.

Consider risking having to use an electric back up if you need to on the 11 coldest days of the year, to save money on the others, or better still, beef up your insulation. The money you save on having a smaller boiler could well pay for it & the chances are you won't actually need the back-up.

Remember also that whilst your saving your money, you’re saving the environment on two fronts. 1st you’ll use less fossil fuel. Next you’ll form fewer emissions as your boiler will be running more efficiently.

I am new to Newburgh. I hope to prove worthy of Newburgh’s people's regard.

David J Ford June 2007. Updated Oct 2008

Burgher Chapel
3 Clinton Street
Newburgh, Fife, KY14 6DP

email: dave
mobile: 07970 744986
landline: 0131 672 1983