Niall Patrick Posted March 28, 2023 Share Posted March 28, 2023 It's a Worcestor Bosch greenstar 28I junior MKIV leaking water from the left hand side, it isn't mine it's the landlords who owns this rental myself and wife live in. Back and forth between myself and the heating engineer and he called with the part needed in his van for the full fix, according to him it's the pressure release valve needing replaced. Before the fix he made a call to the newly tendered essential maintenance company and they reneged on his going ahead. Totally unprofessional and understandably the engineer wants paid but refused my offer to pay so I asked him not to leave me hanging. He showed me which isolation valve to turn underneath the service flap but got ahead of himself and said 'don't worry about this thats the gas' which threw me. I have the manual here there are 4 isolation valves, the leak is coming from the CH isolation valve far left and he's a cloth plugged into whatever, I know not to touch the gas isolation valve so it must be the domestic mains in to isolate? I can't leave my wife to deal with emptying buckets of warm water while I'm back on site nor can I isolate the mains restricting the fresh water for daily use and so on, we've an electric shower so hot water for a shower isn't a problem as long as I don't have to turn the mains water off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted March 28, 2023 Share Posted March 28, 2023 Post some pictures close up of where the leak is, and then more general views of the pipework connecting to the boiler. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceverge Posted March 28, 2023 Share Posted March 28, 2023 Hi Patrick and welcome. Sorry to hear about this. It doesn't sound like much fun. This really sounds like the landlords issue. Why can't they solve it? Are you sure they won't hold you responsible if something goes wrong? I would get something in writing before you tackle this, a text message would do. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted March 28, 2023 Share Posted March 28, 2023 18 minutes ago, Niall Patrick said: Before the fix he made a call to the newly tendered essential maintenance company and they reneged on his going ahead. Totally unprofessional and understandably the engineer wants paid but refused my offer to pay Can you explain this. Surely you reported the fault to the landlord or the letting agent and they sent this man to fix it, so what is this "newly tendered essential maintenance company"? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jilly Posted March 28, 2023 Share Posted March 28, 2023 Sounds like the landlord has taken out a policy which isn’t much use. Do you have an agent? They usually have a list of decent trades 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niall Patrick Posted March 28, 2023 Author Share Posted March 28, 2023 Just now, ProDave said: Can you explain this. Surely you reported the fault to the landlord or the letting agent and they sent this man to fix it, so what is this "newly tendered essential maintenance company"? Reported to the landlord through his office staff, the regular plumber/gas boiler servicer gas safe registered informed the landlord as well this needs fixed. I clarified it with the landlords office for essential maintenance/repairs who do I deal with from now on? apparently the same company now responsible for rent collection so I guess they're a letting agents acting on behalf of the landlord now. A landlord who has his own company and commercial and private rental portfolio. I know I'm not making much sense, but none of it makes sense unless theres a scam being pulled, sweetneners back handers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted March 29, 2023 Share Posted March 29, 2023 Well since it is dripping and the LL has done nothing yet (other than send someone who for whatever reason failed to fix it) I would inform the LL in writing that you will not be responsible for collecting the dripping water, and you will not be responsible for any damage done to the property by the dripping water. See if that stirs him into sending someone willing and able to fix it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorfun Posted March 29, 2023 Share Posted March 29, 2023 28 minutes ago, ProDave said: Well since it is dripping and the LL has done nothing yet (other than send someone who for whatever reason failed to fix it) I would inform the LL in writing that you will not be responsible for collecting the dripping water, and you will not be responsible for any damage done to the property by the dripping water. See if that stirs him into sending someone willing and able to fix it. and then sue him for poor living conditions? at the very least withhold the rent. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niall Patrick Posted March 29, 2023 Author Share Posted March 29, 2023 (edited) Apologies for my badly worded post, the landlord and his own office staff were responsible for maintenance issues and the rent but he's now hired an outside letting agents to deal with the rent and maintenance. I did check with his staff who was my point of contact from now on? right away no hesitation they said it's this new letting agents. I contacted them myself and was treated like an idiot, the regular plumber/engineer was happy I at least made contact but somewhere between himself and this new letting agents and the landlord/owner there is something going on something I'm not privvy to. The issue with the boiler is apparently a dirty system which was reported to the landlord by the plumber/heating engineer before these new letting agents were hired. Now it's the PRV which the plumber/heating engineer wasn't given the go ahead to fit by letting agents. I'm not afraid of landlords or their staff, the plumber/heating engineer I can't bad mouth him because he's the professional in that trade. My wife loves the flat, she's got a sizeable balcony with a decent view and we are great tenants but she doesn't want to move or for me to kick up a fuss. Here is a pic of the boiler, the drip is far left which according to the boiler service and fitting manual is the CH flow isolator next IV (isolation valve) is the gas inlet connection 22mm & isolator. The 3rd IV is DCW in isolator and last is the CH return isolator. I just want to replicate what he showed me to isolate the water to the boiler causing the drip, then I can take the issue further with the landlord and letting agents. Edited March 29, 2023 by Niall Patrick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted March 29, 2023 Share Posted March 29, 2023 You can stop paying rent until this is fixed. Just photograph the boiler leaking, and meticulously document the correspondence between yourself and others. Send everything via email or message. When the money stops going out you will need to have it to hand to make the arrears payments immediately upon the issue being resolved. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted March 29, 2023 Share Posted March 29, 2023 1 hour ago, Niall Patrick said: I just want to replicate what he showed me to isolate the water to the boiler causing the drip, then I can take the issue further with the landlord and letting agents. If it is the flow of the central heating then you would have to isolate the flow AND the return as they are one common body of water. Also, doing this will render the boiler unusable for heating, and may affect hot water production too. Unless you can confirm the drip is between the boiler and the isolation tap, and not between the radiators and the isolation tap, then isolating the boiler wont stop the drip. Give them one email as a written warning that you will get your own plumber, and that if you are not seen to within 48 hrs then you will pay the 3rd party plumber yourself, get the issue fixed, and then that you will deduct their bill from the next rent payment. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Temp Posted March 29, 2023 Share Posted March 29, 2023 On 28/03/2023 at 22:21, Niall Patrick said: Before the fix he made a call to the newly tendered essential maintenance company and they reneged on his going ahead. Unfortunately these companies either have their own staff or contracts with specific local "preferred trades". My guess is the regular heating enginer isnt on their list. It might be worth pretending you don't know how to isolate the boiler and water is still leaking. I'd email the landlords office, not to complain but to let them know you are worried about the water leak damaging their house/kitchen etc Mention you called the new maintenance company yesterday but they still haven't sent anyone yet. At least then you have something in writing. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niall Patrick Posted March 30, 2023 Author Share Posted March 30, 2023 (edited) Thanks to all, today I managed to get in contact with the new letting agents, kept it civil and did point out I'm out working and can't be available at all times to check on a leaking combi and rapidly filling builders bucket to ensure the lady below us her flat wasn't damaged either. They promised to contact the plumber/heating engineer again and put a rush on it. That was at 12pm no reply back yet. Edited March 30, 2023 by Niall Patrick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Temp Posted March 30, 2023 Share Posted March 30, 2023 Some of these agents really suck. We rented a house while building our own. When we moved in the agent told us the shower was going to be re-tiled. The man they sent made a total mess of it. I called the agent when he was half way through and told them if it was my house I'd throw him out the work was so bad. They told me to just let him carry on. The tiler didn't even know how to plan a tile layout. He ended up needing to cut a tapered 10mm wide strips of tiles the full height of the room. Near impossible to cut such narrow strips so he gave up and filled the missing strip with adhesive ! Felt sorry for the owner who was in the armed force. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnMo Posted March 30, 2023 Share Posted March 30, 2023 I had a property I rented out, the letting agent wanted me to have fully managed service, so the tenant would call one number and everything would be sorted out. Asked who they used for plumbing and electrical work, and they were located nearly a 3 hour drive away. Not only would I be paying premium rates, I would be saddled with 6 hours travel time. The tenant would get a rubbish service, I declined their offer. Managed service are a get rich quick scheme, by letting agents, the owner gets saddled with big bills and a bad reputation, the tenant gets a rubbish service. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niall Patrick Posted March 31, 2023 Author Share Posted March 31, 2023 22 hours ago, JohnMo said: I had a property I rented out, the letting agent wanted me to have fully managed service, so the tenant would call one number and everything would be sorted out. Asked who they used for plumbing and electrical work, and they were located nearly a 3 hour drive away. Not only would I be paying premium rates, I would be saddled with 6 hours travel time. The tenant would get a rubbish service, I declined their offer. Managed service are a get rich quick scheme, by letting agents, the owner gets saddled with big bills and a bad reputation, the tenant gets a rubbish service. I phoned the heating engineer myself after work at 3pm today, he knows I phoned the letting agent yesterday so that means they did contact him 'ah yes I've been putting together paperwork to send to them' If I offend him or if we smell fair enough let me know and let the landlord and letting agents know and step aside, let them give the job to somebody who wants it, theres 3 gas safe registered plumbers within 500 yards of our street and two of them have an emergency call out service. I don't know whats going on, honestly I think we're going to be forced to give notice. Fair enough if it does happen, it's business but I'll give the flat back in the same condition we signed for and unfix everything I fixed myself FOC. It's not our home Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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