Hi

I have a Potterton 1993 'fanned balanced flue gas fired' boiler with a
hot water tank upstairs. There is a little tank in teh loft to pour
inhibitor into.

I asked a local plumber to install thermostats on two upstairs
radiators, replace another upstairs radiator and put a combined shower
and mixer tap unit on the bath.

When he came to do the work he said he couldnt work out how to drain
the system so couldnt do the radiator thermostats.
He replaced the old radiator with a slightly narrower radiator. To
get both ends to meet on the narrower radiator he fitted 3 brass
'hexagonal with a screw thread at one side' connectors in a row
between the right hand pipe and radiator.

He managed to fit the shower/tap mixer on teh bath and put an 'on/off'
valve on both the hot and cold pipes without draining the system.

That was over a month ago.

As of today both sides of the new radiator leak slightly. I have to
keep a teatowel wrapped around both ends.
The mixer taps dont leak, but the adjacent bath plug pipe (which ends
in a little ubend) now leaks onto the ceiling below when a bath
empties. The plug pipe end screws into the little ubend and I think
water is coming from there. A bowl is now resting on the ceiling
below to catch teh dripping water.

Could you give me some advice.

1. Is it ok to use 3 brass connectors in a row - will this be prone
to leaking? Should he have moved teh vertical pipe that the radiator
connects to instead? Could he have done this without draining hte
system?

2. SHould the plug pipe have silicon around the screw end to stop
water leaking or should it be water tight by itself. It didnt leak
for the last 20 years, but started the day after the plumber had been.

3. Is it possible to fit radiator thermostats without draining hte
system?

I am trying to get this plumber to come back and mend the leaks. After
more than a month of trying I have had no success. What should the
next course of action be - trading standards?

Thanks for your help