Boiler Condemned After Completion

cheesypop

Hi all,

I was wondering if you could help me.

I completed on my first flat on Friday (v exciting!) However within 20 mins of turing the heating on the carbon monoxide alarm went off. I called out a gas engineer who has condemned the boiler having refused to turn it on as it was so unsafe.

I'm upset, not just because of the added expense, but my life could have been in danger.

My question is, should someone (other than me!) have picked up on this before I completed? Is there anything I can do about the situation e.g. if the vendor knew about it and didn't disclose it am I entitled to ask for some money towards it? Or is it one of those things I have to live?

Many thanks.

Cheesypop

overandout_2

Sorry to hear this....

I think you can't ask for any money from the vendor now - the flat is legally yours and is your responsibility.

If you have done a gas survey beforehand, it would have been picked up (I think) and you can bring this to your vendor's attention and negotiation can begin.

Treat this as an experience and learn from it....

cheesypop

Thanks. I thought that would be the case, but shocked that people can be so heartless!

Is it usual to get a gas survey?

overandout_2

When I had my survey done on the property, the Homebuyers report advised me to get an independent gas survey (to check the boilers etc)....and my solicitor agrees and advised me to do a survey eventhough the EA and the vendor assures me the boiler works fine.

Luckily, everything came out fine (some minor things like my room thermostat doesn't work, AAV leaks) so I went ahead with the purchase without further negotiation....

I did the survey for my peace of mind and also, I just bought the house in November, and what I was afraid was walking into the house with any heating!!

Spartacus_Mills

overandout wrote: »

When I had my survey done on the property, the Homebuyers report advised me to get an independent gas survey (to check the boilers etc)....and my solicitor agrees and advised me to do a survey eventhough the EA and the vendor assures me the boiler works fine.

Luckily, everything came out fine (some minor things like my room thermostat doesn't work, AAV leaks) so I went ahead with the purchase without further negotiation....

I did the survey for my peace of mind and also, I just bought the house in November, and what I was afraid was walking into the house with any heating!!

Would trust them as far as I could throw them. A good move to get the survey.

As for the OP, I think you are out of luck.

g_attrill

The engineer's action don't sound right. What caused them condemn it without turning it on, and what was the irreparable fault?

I would get a second opinion on the boiler before replacing it - an unreputable engineer could have spotted an easy boiler replacement job, whereas it might be an easy fault, eg. blocked flue, dodgy fan.

I recently bought a house and the boiler wouldn't fire up, I did some testing and investigation work to rule out a few things, then got in an engineer to have a look. Half an hour later he diagnosed that the gas valve had seized because it had been off for so long - a whack with a spanner and it was working fine. A dodgy engineer would have either replaced the gas valve (£350+) or condemned it and told me I would "have" to buy a new one.

Fire_Fox

cheesypop wrote: »

Thanks. I thought that would be the case, but shocked that people can be so heartless!

Is it usual to get a gas survey?

It's usual to get a survey, either Homebuyers Report or Full Structural, which will in turn usually recommend you get the central heating checked out by a suitably qualified professional. If the flat has previously been tenanted then it should have had a gas safety certificate in place.

LisaLou1982

Sorry but its just one of those things....

Thing is, it could have been working absolutely fine - boilers often break down with no warning, particularly the older they get

clutton_2

""carbon monoxide alarm went off. I called out a gas engineer who has condemned the boiler having refused to turn it on as it was so unsafe.""

you dont need a gas engineer to tell you that this boiler is unsafe if the CM alarm went off so quickly - the engineer did not need to start it up - his insturments would have told him about the level of danger where CM is concerned....

Helga14

I had a similar situation three years ago when i brought. I brought on the 28th of Dec. Was assured my the housing association i brought from that they had the boiler checked and was all fine when I wanted to send an engineer to check it and they could never tell me how old the boiler was. I stupidly believed this and then it never worked. They fixed it. Then i smelt leaking gas and then naional grid came round and turned off my gas. So i have 14 days of no hot water/heat in dec/jan. I managed after a year of arguing to get some money back from the housing association but that was only because it was shared ownership and a housing association. I made so much fuss they just wanted me to go away i think.

Sorry to say it but i'm afraid i think there isn't anything you can do. It's not the vendors fault unless maybe they gave you written assurances about it??

PottyHouse_2

cheesypop wrote: »

Thanks. I thought that would be the case, but shocked that people can be so heartless!

Is it usual to get a gas survey?

Not everyone is as nice as us - I'm sorry that has happened to you, it is heartless, but I'm not surprised, some people are devious.

I've not heard of a gas survey ...
I did know a colleague that bought a house and as soon as she moved in needed a new boiler. She was annoyed that the Surveyor didn't pick it up but after all they aren't gas engineers.

Perhaps when we go viewing properties now we need to take a Carbon Monoxide alarm with us - that would catch the b******s out ! But they would probably turn the gas off before we got there anyway.