is this legal? - urgent advice wanted on plumbing when renting, please

pete80

dfh wrote: »

That is what I don't understand.Despite a catalogue of complaints that seems to have gone on for a long time,the OP refuses to vote with her feet and would rather stay in the house so she can moan about the landlord.

TBH, I am glad to have had a good understanding with my tenants. They would fix small problems themselves and sometimes wouldn't even accept payment from me if something was accidentally damaged.

I know there is two sides to every story but some people make a career out of moaning;)

dfh

Hope this is useful and constructive-
A leak is a hole or other opening, usually unintended and therefore undesired, in a container or fluid-containing system, such as a tank or a ship's hull, through which the contents of the container can escape or outside matter can enter the container. The word "leak" is also used as a verb; matter going through the opening is said to leak. The entry, exit, or exchange of matter through the leak is called leakage, the subject of another disambiguation article. The matter leaking in or out can be gas, liquid, a highly viscous paste, or even a solid such as a powdered or granular solid or other solid particles. A leak can be between two (or more) fluid-containing systems, allowing transfer of matter from either system to the other, or even an exchange of matter between them. Leakage of matter into a container or other system could be called inleakage. Leakage of matter out of a container or other system could be called outleakage. The presence of a leak does not necessarily mean there is always leakage of matter; it just implies there could be leakage through the opening. If the container or system is empty in an empty environment, there is no leakage at that time. Sometimes the word "leak" is used to refer to leakage in a certain situation, for example the passing or making public of secret information.

silvercar

Where are we upto?

Did you try sticking something sharp in the centre of the leak?

What exactly did the plumber do yesterday? Did he find a source for the leak?

dfh

pete80 wrote: »

TBH, I am glad to have had a good understanding with my tenants. They would fix small problems themselves and sometimes wouldn't even accept payment from me if something was accidentally damaged.

I know there is two sides to every story but some people make a career out of moaning;)

I had tenants who bought some bathroom fixtures and fitted it themselves.They gave me the bill for the fixtures and I paid them.No problems at all.

pete80

carolt wrote: »

What on earth are you reading it for then!

Off to the cricket with you!

If it wasn't my leak I'd find it duller than very, very dull, believe me.

Yep, back to the cricket - just thought of a better use for that bat.....

Dull people normally make the best whingers, especially very, very dull people. I expect to see your leak as headline on the front page of the News of the World or similar comic next weekend.

jamesb1239

Been reading following this thread as its developed through the day, and finally decided to post. First of all to the OP if things are as bad as you say they are then I would call a plumber myself and send the Landlord the bill, well actually due to the time of year i would probably drain down the CH system myself to stop the leak but i appreciate that not everybody is confident in doing things like that themselves.

I was going to say that you should shut the boiler down for now, but with the size of the leak that you mention you should have already lost all use of it along with hot water (if its a combi) due to the loss of pressure tripping the safety cut out.

You say that the plumber that came round 'looked' at it, so therefore I assume that you know where the leak is, and have access to it? If so then is it not possible for you to bandage the pipe to stop/slow the leak?

I think that the suggestion a previous poster came up with using a sharp object to pierce the ceiling is a good one, I myself have had to do this in my home (yes i'm a tenant) there was a leak in the roof, but i solved that problem as it was just a dislodged tile, so no need for the LL to do anything just waiting for it to dry out before making good. But thats another story.

Do you have contents insurance as it is probable that the LL's insurance will only cover repairing the ceiling, not any of your posessions that get damaged nor any flooring or furnishing that is yours.

Hope that helps a little

dfh

Find and Repair the Leak

[*]Step 1
Troubleshoot the problem. Start by eliminating all of the things that it can't be. Ask yourself if it could be the roof, a kitchen or a bathroom. If it's a roof problem, look at eHow's article on roof leaks.
[*]Step 2
Check the room above the ceiling leak. If there is a kitchen or bathroom there, make sure no water is coming out of the toilet, sink, bathtub or shower and onto the floor. Check sink drain pipes to make sure they aren't the source of the problem. If they are, see the related articles on eHow.
[*]Step 3
Look at the seals around bathtubs and the tile grout in the shower. Plug any gaps or holes with caulk or regrout the area in the shower. Look at the seal around the shower door and ask yourself if there's usually water on the floor after your shower. If you've eliminated these as problems and still have a leak, move on to Step 4.
[*]Step 4
Call a few plumbers if it turns out to be none of these issues. Get several quotes for repairs and explanations for what they want to do. The plumber you select might rip out part of your ceiling to find the source of the leak.
Repair the Ceiling

[*]Step 1
Let the ceiling area dry out for at least one week after the leak has been fixed. If it hasn't been leaking for too long, letting it dry might take care of the ceiling.
[*]Step 2
Look at the beams, the insulation and the drywall from the top side of the ceiling, if you have access, to see if the problem has cleared up on its own.
[*]Step 3
Read eHow's article for how to repair a drywall ceiling if it shows signs of permanent damage.

clutton_2

so Carolt just assumed that the plumber sent this morning was only "messing about" and therefore was no good - so rather than talk to her landlord - she spends half the day on a forum ... Very constructive.....

dfh

pete80 wrote: »

Yep, back to the cricket - just thought of a better use for that bat.....

Dull people normally make the best whingers, especially very, very dull people. I expect to see your leak as headline on the front page of the News of the World or similar comic next weekend.

I can see the headlines-"Horrible Landlord gave me asthma and sent in plumber while I was in my pyjamas"

pete80

dfh wrote: »

1. Find and Repair the Leak
   
2. Step 1
   Troubleshoot the problem. Start by eliminating all of the things that it can't be. Ask yourself if it could be the roof, a kitchen or a bathroom. If it's a roof problem, look at eHow's article on roof leaks.
3. Step 2
   Check the room above the ceiling leak. If there is a kitchen or bathroom there, make sure no water is coming out of the toilet, sink, bathtub or shower and onto the floor. Check sink drain pipes to make sure they aren't the source of the problem. If they are, see the related articles on eHow.
4. Step 3
   Look at the seals around bathtubs and the tile grout in the shower. Plug any gaps or holes with caulk or regrout the area in the shower. Look at the seal around the shower door and ask yourself if there's usually water on the floor after your shower. If you've eliminated these as problems and still have a leak, move on to Step 4.
5. Step 4
   Call a few plumbers if it turns out to be none of these issues. Get several quotes for repairs and explanations for what they want to do. The plumber you select might rip out part of your ceiling to find the source of the leak.
   Repair the Ceiling
   
6. Step 1
   Let the ceiling area dry out for at least one week after the leak has been fixed. If it hasn't been leaking for too long, letting it dry might take care of the ceiling.
7. Step 2
   Look at the beams, the insulation and the drywall from the top side of the ceiling, if you have access, to see if the problem has cleared up on its own.
8. Step 3
   Read eHow's article for how to repair a drywall ceiling if it shows signs of permanent damage.

That'll be 60 quid for the advice CarolT:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: