Radiator problem, communal boiler

[Carrie23]

I live on first floor of block of flats and don't have my own boiler but share a communal one for heating only. Hot water comes from my own immersion heater.Two radiators don't heat properly, heat is patchy but better at top, bottom sometimes is completely cold, sometimes hot. Engineer says its a problem with communal heating and cant do anything. He grudgingly said he would order some new thermostatic valves but I think rads need flushing out. Any comments please, I pay a high service charge for this.

 

[dcawkwell]

Tell him to take the radiators off and flush them out with a hosepipe.

It could also be that you are getting very little flow to the radiators but my guess would be dirt.

If you have no heating stop paying the service charge until it's sorted
that usually gets their attention.

 

[Carrie23]

Thanks for that, I needed confitmation as this was what I thought. I think he just didnt want to do the flushing out. He was one of thise men who think as you are a woman and old you havent got a clue. I wonder if hed have been more amenable to my request if id been a few years younger!

Anyway good tip not tp pay the service charge.

 

[Madrab]

Yeah as DC says Carrie, threaten to stop paying and tell them to get their a$$ into gear
Whether it's an issue with the rads needing cleaned, valves to be replaced or communal boiler's not right, you are paying for a service. If that service is not reasonably satisfactory then you have grounds for complaint and withholding payment is one of those options.
That being said I would give them every opportunity to fix the problem and warn them in writing that payment will be withheld unless corrected within a reasonable time, keeps you on the right side of your contract with them.