Vikrell tub cracked today after 8 months

Users who are viewing this thread

SuperMatttheHero

New Member
Messages
78
Reaction score
3
Points
0
Location
virginia
My Vikrell tub that we started using last July cracked near the corner of the threshold area, close to where the door sits. Tub was set in piles of mortar and never made a peep while using it.

Anyone have experience with Kohler on warranty work? I am really kicking myself for not getting cast iron again. The one that came with the house lasted 55 years without damage.

tub1.jpgtub2.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:

hj

Master Plumber
Messages
33,599
Reaction score
1,037
Points
113
Location
Cave Creek, Arizona
Website
www.terrylove.com
Usually they will give you a new tub, but you have to pay to get the old one out and the new one installed. Not sure if your homeowner's insurance policy has any coverage for the damage you will have to do to the walls. A plumbing fixture repair company can fix the crack, but cannot prevent it from happening again.
 

Hackney plumbing

Homeowner
Messages
1,130
Reaction score
3
Points
38
Location
Alabama
I've seen cast iron tubs chipped from a metal shaving cream can hitting at the perfect angle.

I suspect the vikrell unit was under a strain and when the bottle hit it...well it broke. How big of a bottle was it? 5 gal?
 

SuperMatttheHero

New Member
Messages
78
Reaction score
3
Points
0
Location
virginia
Welp, Kohler/Sterling sent someone to come and repair it. He cleaned and sanded the area, then used 2-part epoxy, and then spray-painted the area white with an official Kohler paint. Well, actually he screwed up the first time with the paint, so he had to wipe away all of the paint with acetone, and then he tried again. Said he had been doing this work for about 15 years. Well, he clearly never worked at a body shop, because the result was ugly. It wasn't very smooth, there was dust in the paint, and it was too glossy. I couldn't figure out why he was given a glossy white paint when the inner surface of the tub is relatively "flat." I asked him if he could see the dust in the repair, and he said he could not. He offered to redo it, but I could tell already that it would like giving a monkey a second chance at flying the space shuttle.

The next day after he left, I grabbed a piece of 1000-grit sandpaper and proceeded to wet sand over the area, thus smoothing it all out and dulling down the mismatched gloss. I am satisfied with it since it is mostly invisible now, but I think the people Kohler is employing to do this repair work is almost laughable. Then again, I've worked on cars for about 10 years, so maybe my standards are too high.
 

Hackney plumbing

Homeowner
Messages
1,130
Reaction score
3
Points
38
Location
Alabama
Welp, Kohler/Sterling sent someone to come and repair it. He cleaned and sanded the area, then used 2-part epoxy, and then spray-painted the area white with an official Kohler paint. Well, actually he screwed up the first time with the paint, so he had to wipe away all of the paint with acetone, and then he tried again. Said he had been doing this work for about 15 years. Well, he clearly never worked at a body shop, because the result was ugly. It wasn't very smooth, there was dust in the paint, and it was too glossy. I couldn't figure out why he was given a glossy white paint when the inner surface of the tub is relatively "flat." I asked him if he could see the dust in the repair, and he said he could not. He offered to redo it, but I could tell already that it would like giving a monkey a second chance at flying the space shuttle.

The next day after he left, I grabbed a piece of 1000-grit sandpaper and proceeded to wet sand over the area, thus smoothing it all out and dulling down the mismatched gloss. I am satisfied with it since it is mostly invisible now, but I think the people Kohler is employing to do this repair work is almost laughable. Then again, I've worked on cars for about 10 years, so maybe my standards are too high.

Who dropped the shampoo bottle......was it the monkey repairing the tub? Your lucky Kohler sent anyone,consider it a favor.
 

SuperMatttheHero

New Member
Messages
78
Reaction score
3
Points
0
Location
virginia
What shampoo bottle? I have no idea how it cracked. The man looked at it and said it was a stress crack, and Kohler agreed to cover it based on his diagnosis. I am curious why you would respond that way - as if you take offense to remarking on poor workmanship. Or maybe you support products which fail under normal use after 8 months? Whats your dog in the fight?
 

Todd Stull

Bathroom Specialist
Messages
22
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Harrisburg, PA
Website
www.aloneeagle.com
Glad they fixed it for you :) I don't think that repairs of that nature ever match up perfectly so that is where the repair guy's standards are at. Its good that a little wet sanding blended it in and it will be livable.
 

Hackney plumbing

Homeowner
Messages
1,130
Reaction score
3
Points
38
Location
Alabama
What shampoo bottle? I have no idea how it cracked. The man looked at it and said it was a stress crack, and Kohler agreed to cover it based on his diagnosis. I am curious why you would respond that way - as if you take offense to remarking on poor workmanship. Or maybe you support products which fail under normal use after 8 months? Whats your dog in the fight?

Before your 1st post was edited you said that your wife dropped a shampoo bottle and it cracked. Thats why in my first post I asked how big of a bottle it was.

Be happy you got more than you paid for.

No dog in the fight but expecting a perfect patch on a 150.00 tub is bit over the top.

I still think it was installed in a strain and the least amount of impact cracked it.

You feel the guy was a monkey who repaired the tub and I feel the tub wasn't installed properly. We all have an opinion.
 
Last edited:

SuperMatttheHero

New Member
Messages
78
Reaction score
3
Points
0
Location
virginia
Hackney, youre a funny guy when you have no idea what i paid for the tub, no idea how it was installed or what the credentials of the installer were. Following your logic, merely adding water or standing in the tub causes cracks if something is dropped. Your opinion is not compelling, and this forum would be well served to discontinue your enrollment. Someone else interested in the longevity and durability of vikrell products will find value in this thread, to which youve added none with your baseless conclusory statements and sarcasm. Why dont you take lessons from
Terry or hj in how to be helpful rather than inflammatory?
 

Hackney plumbing

Homeowner
Messages
1,130
Reaction score
3
Points
38
Location
Alabama
Hackney, youre a funny guy when you have no idea what i paid for the tub, no idea how it was installed or what the credentials of the installer were. Following your logic, merely adding water or standing in the tub causes cracks if something is dropped. Your opinion is not compelling, and this forum would be well served to discontinue your enrollment. Someone else interested in the longevity and durability of vikrell products will find value in this thread, to which youve added none with your baseless conclusory statements and sarcasm. Why dont you take lessons from
Terry or hj in how to be helpful rather than inflammatory?

I agree that filling a vikrell tub with water or standing in the tub can cause cracks if the unit is not installed properly. You seem hostile just over an opinion. Take a self inventory.

I've installed around 50 of those tubs and I know what they should have cost you but realize you could have paid too much.

P.S. It's probably going to crack again.
 
Last edited:

hj

Master Plumber
Messages
33,599
Reaction score
1,037
Points
113
Location
Cave Creek, Arizona
Website
www.terrylove.com
quote; I don't think that repairs of that nature ever match up perfectly

The company I use makes a repair that is ABSOLUTELY not visible regardless of the color or finish.
 

Chrisf71

New Member
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Utah
My Vikrell tub that we started using last July cracked near the corner of the threshold area, close to where the door sits. Tub was set in piles of mortar and never made a peep while using it.

Anyone have experience with Kohler on warranty work? I am really kicking myself for not getting cast iron again. The one that came with the house lasted 55 years without damage.

View attachment 15775View attachment 15776
Thank you so much for your story. I am currently going through an issue with a tub made by Sterling. My daughter rented a new apartment signed a 6 month lease. At about 5 months she ended up with a crack just to the right of the over flow drain. She didn’t drop anything on it. I believe the only thing that could have happened is she applied some pressure with her feet to sit up after rinsing her hair. She moved out of this place a couple of months ago. 1 month after being gone she got a letter from the apartment complex saying she owed $2,000 for a new tub and surround. 3 days later this amount turned into $5,700. I find it very interesting that you had a crack several months after it was installed the same as my daughter. As I am trying to hammer out the problem with the former landlord our position is that the tub was either defective OR it was installed incorrectly. I have told them that this should be covered under the warranty because of the age. They rushed to pull it out and replace the unit when it states in their limited warranty coverage they are to call like you did to have someone come out to look and see if it’s covered. My opinion is they skipped this step if the manufacturer decided to repair or replace it they may not like the job or the apartment complex would have to pay the cost to have the new tub installed. No question in my mind the crack just happened you didn’t drop a bottle of shampoo on it. Thank you again for your story, it verifies ours!
 

Reach4

Well-Known Member
Messages
38,749
Reaction score
4,400
Points
113
Location
IL
The tub would normally be installed with mortar piles under the tub, so that standing in the tub would not do a lot of flexing. I don't know if that would have affected the area of the crack. I am not a plumber.
 
Top
Hey, wait a minute.

This is awkward, but...

It looks like you're using an ad blocker. We get it, but (1) terrylove.com can't live without ads, and (2) ad blockers can cause issues with videos and comments. If you'd like to support the site, please allow ads.

If any particular ad is your REASON for blocking ads, please let us know. We might be able to do something about it. Thanks.
I've Disabled AdBlock    No Thanks