Draining tanks from a flat

[endecotp]

I live in a ground floor flat with a small front garden. All of my upstairs neighbours’ overflows and pressure relief outlets overhang my garden. None of them has ever flowed accidentally - but today, for the second time, a professional plumber has decided to drain the system they’re working on into my garden. I heard a noise, opened the front door, and found a waterfall of hot water pouring over my girlfriend’s bike and my rose bushes! I had to run under it to get out of the door. (Last time it was a different flat, and boiling CH circulation water.)

To me this seems massively unprofessional, but their attitude is just “shrug”, “we don’t care”, ”we’ve got to empty it somehow”.

What do people think? Where is this on your spectrum of acceptable behaviour? Is it a coincidence that they are rented flats, the plumbers recommended by the managing agents but paid for by the owners?

 

[bernardgreen]

Probably not hot enough to scald or do serious harm to a person

but IMO totally un-acceptable

The least they could have done is made you aware of the imminent water fall.

They should have arranged something to catch the water as it came out of the overflow and duct it away to a drain

 

[Madrab]

Seriously unprofessional IMO ....normally would have either a lad keeping an eye out or chap the doors and let the neighbours know.

 

[endecotp]

A few hours later I heard a crash out the other side of the flat as the old boiler’s flue fell into the road!

No-one at ground level to supervise that either.

 

[endecotp]

This has just happened again.

Plumber sent by lettings agent to fix non-working boiler in first floor flat. Plumber pulls pressure relief valve, CH circulation water is dumped down the wall, over my window, over my garden bench, mini-greenhouse, etc.
Plumber says it would be totally unreasonable for him to check where the water goes before opening the valve.

So I've fixed a length of hose pipe over it, leading to a drain. I've told them I'm going to leave it there until I get an assurance that no more water will be deliberately dumped through the pipe. Anyone think that's so dangerous it could threaten the safety of the tenants, if they turn the boiler back on?

 

[elisa123]

I would have a word with the letting agent.

 

[ianmcd]

Anyone think that's so dangerous it could threaten the safety of the tenants,

No wont be dangerous but if PRV actually operates the hose will probably be blown off

 

[endecotp]

I would have a word with the letting agent.

I've contacted the owner.

 

[endecotp]

No wont be dangerous but if PRV actually operates the hose will probably be blown off

Thanks Ian. And you're a proper pro heating engineer telling me that, aren't you. Because I have a feeling someone's going to come round in the morning threatening dire consequences.

 

[ianmcd]

yes I am a pro, and they should have considered where drained water and the flue would end up, I would be getting on to the letting agent/Landlord and complaining if it was me

 

[Madrab]

Plumber says it would be totally unreasonable for him to check where the water goes before opening the valve.

Any pro should always check, especially if it wasn't on the ground floor. I did that last week, draining the system in a top floor cottage flat and chapped the downstairs neighbour to warn them there would be water draining.

Anyone think that's so dangerous it could threaten the safety of the tenants

If the PRV let go or was opened when the system was up to temp then you could have 70+ deg water running out that pipe. Is the pipe turned back to the wall?

I would be having a serious word with the agent if it was me.

 

[endecotp]

Is the pipe turned back to the wall?

Yes, it’s turned back to the wall. Which actually means that more of the water gets on the window, stonework, plants on window ledge, etc.

 

[Madrab]

Yes, it’s turned back to the wall. Which actually means that more of the water gets on the window, stonework, plants on window ledge, etc.

Yeah appreciate how you'd feel, if it's all over your stuff.

Most system MI's will state that the PRV has to be able to discharge in a place that is safe and where it will cause no damage/injury to a person or the building. Need to check the regs actually as it could in there. Even if the pipe has to be run down the wall to terminate at ground level.

 

[endecotp]

Most system MI's will state that the PRV has to be able to discharge in a place that is safe and where it will cause no damage/injury to a person or the building. Need to check the regs actually as it could in there. Even if the pipe has to be run down the wall to terminate at ground level.

If it only discharged once a decade (say) like any properly-maintained boiler I wouldn’t complain about the location. The plumber did say something about relocating it to a better position but that’s really not the solution to a boiler that needs fixing! He also said that he was entitled to assume that it was installed so as not to cause problems and that’s why he didn’t need to think about where it discharged to.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

He also said that he was entitled to assume that it was installed so as not to cause problems and that’s why he didn’t need to think about where it discharged to.

He had no entitlement to assume any such thing, you were entitled and would have expected him to check.