Faulty Boiler Who is responsible?

[gbmapco]

I have recently had a new central heating system installed by gas safe registered engineer and there was a fault identified with the boiler, The installer arrainged for the manufacturer to attend so as to not nullify the guarantee.
When the engineer arrived 9/11/2010 he identified that the boiler had left the factory 3 years previously but the 3 year guarantee was valid and started when the boiler had been installed 29/10/2010.
The engineer could not identify a specific problem but has ordered parts in the hope of sorting the problem. A follow up visit was booked for 18/11/2010 to fit the parts.
Since his visit the boiler has not been operating properly from a different problem and has since stopped working altogether.
Having had these problems in the first three weeks of operation, I am not very confident with this boiler and feel there are inherent problems with the unit and ideally I want to have a replacement.
The boiler was purchased by the installer from a national DIY outlet, where do I stand and who should shoulder responsibility
Do I seek a replacement from the installer, the supplier or the manufacturer? And what is the appropriate actions I should take

 

[Tibbot]

Try Citizens Advice.

 

[transam]

My guess is that the boiler in question would be a Ravenheat ?? & the diy outlet would be B&Q ?? model ?? combi csi 85 , csi low nox ??
I am guessing but?

If so ??

It is not unusual for boilers in B&Q to have a long shelf life , fact is it is or was sold with a 3 year warranty ! if a problem came up with the time scale than B&Q should be approached ?

I cannot be certain ? but I beleive B&Q are clearing out Ravenheat products , discontinuing them ??

 

[spraggo]

You have to give the boiler manufacturer the chance to put things right before you do anything. If the installer was registered and filled in the necessary benchmark details, then the manufacturer is liable as you are covered by the their guarantee.

Regards

spraggo

 

[HERTS P&D]

Your contract is with your installer. As what he has supplied is not 'fit for purpose'. He then goes back to the supplier. Who goes back to the manufacturer.

Basically your installer takes out the boiler and returns it to the shop (supplier) who will give him a new one and he will install the same day . The supplier will just send it back to the manufacturer.
This is in a perfect world.

Good luck

Andy

 

[PEDANTICVINDICTIVEMAN]

I go first, than if a boiler problem I get customer to contact maker to arrange convenient time go and sort it, I tell customer to let me know if any problems, if makers don't sort out in a reasonable time, I tell manager of merchants where I got it from, he gets arsey with makers, this normally sorts it, I NEVER BUY BOILERS OR BATHROOMS FROM SHEDS AS IT'S NORMALLY ****TE, PARTICULARLY THE BOILERS.

 

[onlyfitidealboilers]

Who is going to pay the installer to take a boiler out drop it off at b&q pick new one up an fit it

that is not going to happen now is it.

 

[Slugbabydotcom]

If it is indeed a Ravenheat, they can tell the date of manufacture and the date of sale from the serial number. Get back on to them, they should sort the problem out.

but I beleive B&Q are clearing out Ravenheat products , discontinuing them ??

Actually its the other way round! Ravenheat have finally realised that DIYers have been getting their hands on their products, fitting them badly and getting them a bad name! Actually I think they've known that for a while and have just got round to doing something about it.
They have pulled out of B&Q and now supply to the trade only, mainly through Plumbase.

 

[gbmapco]

Thank you all for you comments, really helpful, I will keep you posted, but I hope the engineer can sort it as it has now locked out and it's getting colder

 

[Agile]

With boilers, as they have to be permanently installed the way the warrantee works is for the manufacturer's engineer to come to the customer's house.

If for any reason the manufacturer cannot repair their boiler then the manufacturer may decide to replace the boiler and they arrange for an engineer to change them over for a new one.

I was once asked to go and have a look at a boiler under the warrantee by the manufacturer. I contacted the arab owner and asked him to confirm the address where the boiler was installed. He told me it was not there. I asked him where it was and he replied "in the boot of my car"! I had to explain to him that I can only repair boilers when they have been installed in a house!

Tony

 

[Onetap]

Hertsdrainage2010 man is quite correct.

The client's contract is with the installer, they have no legal relationship with the boiler suppliers or manufacturers. The installer should rectify the problem if the client has problems with a boiler he supplied and installed.
A good, reputable installer will fit reliable boilers from reputable manufacturers and will have few such problems.

The installer has a contract with the boiler supplier. If the boiler is defective, the suppliers should provide him with a replacement. If he wants payment for his wasted time, he can only chase the suppliers for it.

The supplier has a contract with the manufacturers, etc., etc..

You may not like it, but that's the law.

 

[Paul Barker]

The client's contract is with the installer, they have no legal relationship with the boiler suppliers or manufacturers. The installer should rectify the problem if the client has problems with a boiler he supplied and installed.
A good, reputable installer will fit reliable boilers from reputable manufacturers and will have few such problems.


You may not like it, but that's the law.

In that case the labour charge for a cheap boiler needs to be higher than that for a quality boiler to cover the installers greater risk. Which is inverse to the requirements of the customer who can only afford a cheap boiler. So the law is not supportive of the poor. An upside down situation which is easily understood if you consider the law makers are not poor.

To protect him/her self the installer of the cheap customer needs to instructr the poor customer who cannot afford a quality boiler to buy their own and take on themselves the responsibility for the decision which though a poor one is the only one available to them.

the moral of the story is, installer, look for work elsewhere, if you haven't already done so.

 

[adlplumbing]

no its not the installer problem he did as manufactures said
manufactures offers the warrenty their fault

 

[Onetap]

no its not the installer problem he did as manufactures said
manufactures offers the warrenty their fault

It is the installer's problem.
The customer will usually know zilch about boilers and heating, that is why they've employed a heating contractor. Mr Customer has a contract with Mr. Installer that says Customer hands over £XYZ pounds, Mr. Installer supplies and fits boiler and heating as per contract. Mr Customer can reasonably expect Mr. Installer to know a good boiler from a bad boiler.

The manufacturers will usually fix such problems under the warranty because they know that they're at the end of the contract chain and will have to supply a new boiler if they don't fix it on site.

You may disagree but a 5 day course on contract law says you'd be wrong; very boring it was too.

 

[Onetap]

In that case the labour charge for a cheap boiler needs to be higher than that for a quality boiler to cover the installers greater risk. Which is inverse to the requirements of the customer who can only afford a cheap boiler. So the law is not supportive of the poor. An upside down situation which is easily understood if you consider the law makers are not poor.

True. But then the customer would be best advised to buy a quality boiler in the first place since it should last longer and prove to be the best value for money.

Some cheap boilers seem to be at the Kleenex end of the market; no-one would want to use one a second time.