Hot water not working unless thermostat is on

[bensmall]

Hi,

I live in rented accommodation in London. Since moving in the boiler hasn't worked properly, with the boiler only igniting properly when the thermostat is on. If you just run the water it turns on for 5 or so seconds then cuts out.

The property manager gave this explanation:

"The diverter valve has a spindle that pushes out. This is pushed out by a diaphragm which does have a limited lifespan. Yours is nearing the end of its of lifespan and therefore is the reason you need to turn on the thermostat in order to get hot water."

The technical stuff doesn't mean a lot to me, but basically he has refused to replace it (or rather said the landlord will not replace it) until it is properly broken, leaving us to turn on the thermostat every time we need hot water - pretty annoying.

Basically, what I want to know is is this going to push our energy use up and cost us more? Obviously we've turned all the radiators off in this sweltering summer heat, but sometimes when people are in a rush they forge to turn it off when they're finished. How expensive is it to leave a thermostat on (although no radiator heating) for a 5 or so hours?

I want to know if I have grounds to demand that it gets fixed, as it is a huge inconvenience and may end up costing us a lot of money. Do I have grounds to stand on?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Ben

 

[Dan Robinson]

Of course it is broken and your tight fisted landlord should get it fixed. It is not that big a job normally - not that you've told us what make and model boiler it is.

Tell him to get it fixed or within a reasonable period you will have to consider taking the repair bill out of a rental payment.

Best to seek legal advice to make sure though.