Please help me - I've had no hot water or heating for 6 weeks!

QueenKatie

Hi everyone!
I’m having a complete nightmare with the boiler cover company Homeserve, and their associated contractors. I’m absolutely at the end of my tether and I don’t know what to do any more.

I rang Homeserve with a broken Vaillant Turbomax boiler on 19th December. No hot water would come out, but the heating still worked. An engineer came out and did an inspection. A simple part, costing under a fiver, had gone and needed replacing.
Another engineer came out within a couple of weeks (It was freezing over that time with snow on the ground, but they said it couldn’t be sooner!!). However, when he got the spare part out of the box, he found it wasn’t all there. We were back to square one.

It took another 3 weeks to get an alternative spare part fitted, during which time the contactors said several times that they would be coming out and didn’t show up, and cancelled appointments due to bad weather and high callout volumes. During this time, the boiler started leaking catastrophically all over the place, and had to be turned off completely. We have had no hot water, and no heating for several weeks now.

Finally, last week the engineers came out and managed to refit the part. However, due (I believe) to the delay, another part had gone and needs replacing. Apparently, this part is now obsolete, and they are having to ‘liaise’ with Vaillant (the boiler manufacturer) to find a solution.

Please help me. I don’t know what to do and I am absolutely freezing. I am also panicking as I really can’t afford to put in a new boiler, as my ex-boyfriend and I recently split up and are looking to sell the house. I don't know who to complain to, or how to get this situation sorted out. I paid for a boiler insurance contract precisely so I wouldn't find myself in this position.

I hope this is the right forum to post in - I wasn't sure whether this belonged in utilities, insurance, or DIY. I would be very grateful for any advice you have to offer.

bambibashercol

boiler parts obsolete i doubt it very much.
Chances are its the diverter valve shot, common problem with vaillants,
I would call and ask for a senior engineer, The turbomax is not a difficult boiler to work on.

gas4you

In your position I would write to homeserve, they are about as useful as a chocolate tea cup anyway, stating that time is of the essence and if they have not fixed your boiler within 7 working days you will call out Group Service(the repair division of Vaillant) on a fixed price repair and send them the bill.

All too often us independents hear of these horror stories by these large companies who con the public out of their money with false promises, and idiots who pretend to know what they doing and on top of that don't care any further than 5 O'clock:mad:

QueenKatie

Thank you for your reassurance, Bambibashercol. I am just panicking at the moment and not sure what to do. I am also starting to suffer quite badly from the cold, I think - even though I am out at work all day, it is depressing to come home. The lack of hot water is the worst thing. Even when I fill up the bath with pans I've heated on the stove, the temperature in the house is so cold that the water just gets freezing really fast.

If I ring Homeserve tomorrow and get the name of the part that is faulty, is there anywhere I can ring to check stock levels, or to discuss possible other solutions? I spoke to a plumber on the phone and he said that most boiler manufacturers have parts designed to fit older boilers, it's just a matter of finding out which one is the right part.

Maybe I can contact Vaillant themselves for advice? Does anyone know a number, or have any contacts?

I am VERY grateful for all help.

QueenKatie

gas4you wrote: »

In your position I would write to homeserve, they are about as useful as a chocolate tea cup anyway, stating that time is of the essence and if they have not fixed your boiler within 7 working days you will call out Group Service(the repair division of Vaillant) on a fixed price repair and send them the bill.

All too often us independents hear of these horror stories by these large companies who con the public out of their money with false promises, and idiots who pretend to know what they doing and on top of that don't care any further than 5 O'clock:mad:

I will definitely never buy a policy again. I have spent several hundred pounds over the past couple of years, and I could probably have got the problem fixed quickly for no more than that if a decent plumber was involved.

Do you have a number for that Group Service place please? Sorry for the hassle - I am grateful for your help.

gas4you

Try 01634 292392.

This is the public tech help line I believe. There should be an option to book a call.

Sadly I haven't used this for a while as I have a dedicated priority number for Vaillant approved installers/repairers only.

If this does not work go to the Vaillant web site, but be warned, this will be a non geographic OTT chargeable number and they usually keep you on hold for about an hour:mad:

bambibashercol

did the enginner leave you paperwork ie a job sheet.
look at the boilers data badge do you see a G. C? number?
I would be phoning home serve and kicking off as they have left you far to long.
You could ask homeserve to send valliant out to fix the boiler at there cost if they are not capable.

magpiecottage

Have you got a policy document like this?

If so, complain direct to the insurer - it is them that you have the contract with.

TomsMom

From SAYNOTO0870 - Vaillant Service Enquires - 0870 606 0777 - 01773 828100

General Enquiries - Vaillant Head Office - 01634 292300 from Googling Vaillant.

Metranil_Vavin

Hi Katie - your post sounds very like the situation we have been in recently with Homeserve, who incidently I have heard from several sources are rubbish (nd can now testify from personal experience).

We also have a Vaillant Turbo Max boiler and we had the same problem. The heating was working ok, but the hot water only worked sporadically. We'd have to turn the boiler on and off to get it working.

I set up a policy with Homeserve, and they took £74.75 from me immediately (as part of a quarterly charge) and sent a contractor round to look at the boiler.

When I say 'look at', that's basically all he did. I waited in all day, and when he finally got there he took a 5 second look at it and told me that we needed a 'power flush' which would cost us around £500 :eek:

We'd done a bit of homework already including looking at posts on MSE, and had worked out that it was probably the diverter valve that needed replacing, but this guy told me it was pointless replacing that as it needed a power flush and it would only break down again!!

I didn't believe a word, so phoned Homeserve a few days later (as they hadn't bothered getting back to me) and cancelled the policy. As an aside I am still waiting for my £74.75 back which they keep telling me is on its way!

I had a local plumber round today. He took one look at it, said it was the diverter valve and it was replaced within 20 minutes. Voila..hot water and heating all working again.

So it sounds like your boiler may have had the same problem, only HS have spent so messing you about, your problem has got worse.

I'm so sorry you are going through this. I'd ring Homeserve personally and rip a strip off them, and get them to refund you all the money they've had from you. And I'd also recommend as others have done, that you call Vaillant and get one of their engineers over.

Good luck..hope you get it fixed soon.

QueenKatie

Thanks everyone for your help and advice.

The part that is missing is called the cold water inlet. My boiler is a Vaillant Turbomax VUW282E, from 2003. It is not that old! However, Homeserve insist that the part is obsolete and that they are unable to fix it.

I rang Vaillant on the 01773 number mentioned above (thanks) and they say that NO PART of the boiler is obsolete, and that they regularly fix these things on a daily basis. They want to charge me a £250 flat fee for all work. Does that sound like a lot to people?

I am going to ring Homeserve to tear strips off them, but I honestly don't know how to deal with a company that just LIES in such a brazen way. How do I get them to take action on this? I really don't know.