small part missing - enormous problem

[norbas]

Hi there,
I need some help.I was looking through but could not find satisfying answer.

I have two months old boiler: Ferroli DOMIcondens HE 24 C.
What happend is that the central heating was running and the radiators were closed, so there was a leak out of the boiler.

I rent this flat from the letting agency. They said that this is a major fault and it is so serious that they consider the boiler exchange. I got a private plumber advise. He said that this is a minor fault and can be repaired quickly.

Here is a link to the image of the boiler from inside: http://www.plymouth-plumbers.co.uk/Ferroli DOMI brochure.pdf .

Page 3, part number 4, primary heater exchanger. There is a pipe coming out of the back of computer and it connects to the primary heater exchange. What is missing is their connection, o ring.

The agency is trying to get this part for three weeks now and still with no results. I do not have hot water and heating for three weeks.

This boiler was installed and I was not instructed how to use it, there is a book left that says how to install it but not how to use it.

Is is true that it take 3 weeks for the part to come, even that simple as o ring. Or where can I get this quicker. Any other useful help?

Thank you in advance.

 

[ljrgas]

Two months old??
Have you rang ferroli
Warranty ??

 

[norbas]

Two months old. The agency called Ferroli. The letting agency say that Ferroli say this kind of fault is not under warranty.

The agency wants me to pay for the fault. I found my self that the o ring has to be replaced. The agency did not tell me. I asked them for the part number so I can look for it. They did not send it to me.

Agency say I will pay 50 pounds for the repair.

Already three weeks gone, the girl from agency said that none of their plumbers can get hold of this part and they might replace the boiler but I have to put some money into it.

They do not say anything more about ordered part. I need to call them tomorrow and ask what about the part they APPARENTLY ordered three weeks ago. I have enough of this. Any help? Maybe I should call council or something like that? Aren't they breaking the health and safety rules?

 

[norbas]

any help please?

 

[Inky Pete]

If you rent the flat (are the tennant) then repairs to the heating system are the landlords responsibility not yours.

Write to the agency and tell them that with the weather getting colder being without heating or hot water will render the property uninhabitable. And that as such, you will expect the landlord to fulfil his legal responsibility to provide you with suitable alternative accomodation.

Give them 7 days to rectify the fault and tell them that you will then expect to be re-housed at the landlord's expense.

 

[norbas]

but they keep saying that the boiler fault is my fault cuz the valves were closed and that's what caused the boiler to break (even tho I was not instructed how to use the boiler at all). I just can't believe that it takes 3 weeks to order some o ring to connect a pipe to the heat exchanger.

 

[norbas]

so no one even knows if ferroli o-ring might take 3 weeks to deliver or not ???

 

[Gasop]

How many posts will this wind up go?

Anyone starting a book?

 

[Agile]

Why were you running the heating with the rads turned off?

That sounds a little odd !

But you are the tenant. So I suggest that you withold the rent, all of it, until the boiler is fixed.

If they really think that its your fault then they should sue you for the cost of repair. I doubt they would even win based on what YOU have told us.

BUT, perhaps you have not told us the whole story? Perhaps you did that dumb thing intentially because you have an argument with the Agency or the Landlord?

Why not refer the Agent here so they can tell us their side of the story?

Rather than posting here, have you called Ferrolli and asked about this part and if running the heating with the rads turned off is likely to have damaged the boiler?

Tony

 

[mickyg]

the boiler should not leak cos you turned the rads off. Anyway, these boilers are a piece of cr*p not surprising to find one installed by a cheap skate landlord. No doubt they dont want to call out on warranty cos it wasnt registered and has a catalogue of installation errors. im just guessing of course, but be a first to see one of these boilers installed properly.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Assuming this is not a wind up - if the boiler was fitted such that shutting off all the rads would kill the boiler, then it was not installed properly. It is not the boiler's fault (even though it is a POS that is a Ferolli) but the installers and should be covered under his warranty if Ferolli won't cover it.

As Tony said - with hold rent. Don't spend it on anything else. If they refuse to fix it, pay a private engineer out of the rent money and send the balance along with a receipt.

You will have to notify then and the landlord in writing first to cover your back.

Frankly I find this whole thing hard to believe.

 

[Charnwood]

I think you'll find that, legally, withholding the rent is not an option.

 

[breadnbutter]

so no one even knows if ferroli o-ring might take 3 weeks to deliver or not ???

you can get imperial ,metric o rings from merchants,were is the installer?
if you say plumber said easy fix,why not just get him to do it.
who turned rads of you or them?

 

[Agile]

I think you'll find that, legally, withholding the rent is not an option.

The landlord has the obligation to take reasonable care to maintain the property in good condition. He has broken the contract because he has not done that.

The tenant therefore can do his best to get the defect rectified ( at a reasonable cost ).

In this case its slightly different because the agent alleges that the tenant has damaged the boiler.

As engineers we dont think that is likely but then we have not seen the installation and I am left wondering if an auto bypass is needed and if this has not been fitted.

I still take the view that the tenant should withold the rent although thats not strictly legal but it usually does prompt the landlord to take some action to solve the problem. Alternatively get the boiler repaired out of the rent money.

 

[Agile]

Do you have a gas safety certificate for the property?

There should also have been an energy performance statement as well if the tenancy started recently.

Tony