Screwfix towel radiators: absolute crap.

Folks,

I've just received my 3rd towel radiator (cat #16899) from Screwfix.

The first one had rusty marks in the chrome on the top just where the plug screws in, so that had to go back.

A replacement duly arrived which looked fine. I installrd that, and connected up the water. That was when I discovered it leaked at the joint between one of the horizontal bars and the left-hand upright.

So I complained about that one too. A repacement has just arrived and now I'm sending that one back as well. It's obviously been out and rejected before being sent on to me. There are scratches all over it and some of the chrome's chipped. It's been installed once before as you can see marks left by rust-stained water. I just can't believe they've sent me a second-hand (and probably defective) radiator. It reminds me of Dixons.

This time I'm getting one somwhere else. I'm impressed with Screwfix's efficiency but I think that some of their stuff is of very dubious quality. This radiator isn't the first duffer I've had from them.

Has anyone else found the same with this towel-rail is it just me?

TC

Reply to
TC
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Not used the Screwfix towel rail but if it's any help I can recommend the ones made by Jeeves. You can pick them up at Homebase but I got mine from TLC (the electrical wholesalers)

HTH

Jim

Reply to
JimM

OK TC. I am (was)on the verge of ordering the white version. Worried now... Spose there must be a reason why proper (branded) ones have a '1' in front of the price, but I can't run to that. Do I gamble or go for a rad with a towel rail over?

Re other crap from SF. Their "heavy duty" pipe bender started flattening the pipe before I'd finished the plumbing in the bathroom. I'm about to do the CH for the whole house - what now.

Jono

Reply to
Jonathan Webb

In message , Jonathan Webb writes

I got a 'ladder; style one from B&Q a few years ago - I think they are made by 'Hydroline' it was a reasonable price and has been fine.

Use plastic, such as Hep2O ?

Reply to
chris French

I'm about to do the CH for the whole house - what now.

I've already bought the copper tube... Wanted to use copper where it shows, with neat bends. Mebbe use plasket under the floor. Still not sold on it though.

BTW, plumber who came to quote for CH sys looked at some John Guest pushfit fittings (Screwfix) I had used & said disparagingly "where d'you get those?". Any real downers on them, or was he just being snobby for Hepworths? Jono

Reply to
Jonathan Webb

I've used plastic for certain heating applications. Personally I prefer JG Speedfit to Hepworth fittings for two reasons.

a) There is an optional insert with O-ring. This aligns the pipe properly and provides a second seal.

b) There is a twist lock mechanism.

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

Reply to
Andy Hall

"I'm about to do the CH

Jono

Reply to
Jonathan Webb

Marley Equator is the best plastic effort. It has a stainless steel insert for the pipe and the fittings have a metal rinmg aporound them. This prevents the pipe and fitting ovaling when hot.

better still use copper piper (v cheap)and pushfit brass fittings, if you want to go the pushfit route.

Reply to
IMM

Drayton do a good bender.

Reply to
IMM

c)* you can get them apart again (without laboriously prizing off the grab ring, as you have to do with the Hep fittings)

-- John Stumbles

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  • oh, 3 reasons. You never expect the Spanish Inquisistion ;-)
Reply to
John Stumbles

Yep, second that, haven't had any problems with my Rothenburger pipe bender. They are not really any more costly than the crap ones, well not much anyway :-)

Lee

Reply to
Lee Blaver

I'm going to show my ignorance a bit here, so please bear with me.....

A short time ago on this forum someone said they'd got a pipe bender from ebay for around 20 quid and they were happy with it. Now I'm used to seeing pipe benders in the sheds for about 45 quid, so I thought I'd hop over to ebay.

Sure enough there are pipe benders available for 15mm/22mm for around

20 quid. Haven't bought one yet but it's on the to-do list.

Am I looking at something which I'd be better off avoiding then?

Andrew

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Reply to
Andrew McKay

That was me, I've not done a lot with it but it worked very well when I did use it, and after all if you arn't happy you can relist it on e-bay. When I bought mine I had to wait as there were lots of them appearing but going for nearly the market price when postage was added. I just waited and got bidding in a aution whith little interest and got it for for just over £20.

Just to show people who don't use e-bay what can happen, I bought a flute for my son for £124, next one sold for £180, exactly the same flute from the same seller, saw a brand new Bosch Cordless jiigsaw go for £52, with only 2 bidders. One before that went for £98 and the one after went for £76. The secret is to know what the item you buying costs in the shops or on the web. I never bit until the last 30 seconds and my wife and I have bought Colaport figurines, toys for the kids, bit for my PC, books for mother in law, dress making tools and power tools, very nice Bosch Cordeless Hammer drill, brand new £20 less than the shops.

Cheers Jonathan

Reply to
jonathan

That's going to be 3 very disappointed buyers then :) My own experience with the Bosch cordless jigsaw made me give it to me Dad and go buy the very nice corded PST850E from the local shed 'cos it was end of range and therefore £29.95 instead of the usual price.

The batteries in those things are NiCds instead of NiMHs, so they last for 5 minutes - last time I used one was cutting a hole in a door that was approx 3'x1' and it only got half of it done.....the battery also heats up in use and when its hot you can't recharge it until its cooled down.......v.annoying. Spare batteries (if you can find 'em) cost as much as the jigsaw!

Hate to think how long their cordless circular saw lasts....

witchy/binarydinosaurs

Reply to
Witchy

Sounds like a fair swop, I wnder what I'll get for my mother in law?

Reply to
Tony Hogarty

Thanks for that! I think I will invest in one shortly.

Andrew

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Reply to
Andrew McKay

I've fitted the curved chrome one - no problems.

Andy.

Reply to
Andy Evans

Me too. I know this doesn't help the OP but I think it's probably worth speaking up in case for future potential buyers.

Mat

Reply to
Mathew J. Newton

Well, after having tried three I gave up. En route the the plumbers' merchant, I had a look in Focus (not my favourite store by a long chalk) and saw some similar to the Screwfix chrome one.

I tried the plumbers' merchant but he would have needed to order them in, and I needed something that would fit the mountings I'd already fixed to the wall, not wanting to do any more drilling and filling.

So Focus it was. I put that one up and it was fine - and at £99, a tenner cheaper than Screwfix's one. The quality seemed just a little higher too.

Cheers,

TC

Reply to
TC

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