Solar tank system - service charge query?

mutley74

In the process of buying a house that has 2 water solar panels fitted over 10years ago.

My sol has been asking many times over the past 2 mths to vendors if there are any service charges associated with the system. Each time vendor sol said they know nothing of any annual or service charge. Vendor and agent said they dont even have the details who fitted the system!

Now vendor has offered to pay for a 5yearly service of £100 to change the water and additives in the system! Does this mean there is a service charge?
i am tempted to request vendor to terminate any service charge before we take over. As surveyor has advised us that the system be emptied and removed as it was not installed correctly.

Is it usual for water solar systems to have a service charge?
Dak if such services are compulsory or if any contract can be terminated?

any advice welcome as luckily by sol has been right to keep raising this issue for past few months.

geoffky

you need to get on top of this...it could be costly if you don't.

mutley74

geoffky wrote: »

you need to get on top of this...it could be costly if you don't.

thanks for quick reply. Any advice on the solar systems welcome? do they come with compulsory service charges?
as i said vendor refused for over 2mths to provide any information, but now it seems to have crept out of the blue that there is a 5 yearly service required.

anselld

It is not normal for there to be a compulsory service charge. It is up to you is you want to have a regular service or wait till it breaks then fix. The more important question is it in working order?

It is no different really to a boiler system. People recommend that you have it "serviced" regularly (which is not much more than and inspection and hoover) but it is not compulsory and it will probably work for many years without attention.

MX5huggy

There won't be a service contract that will transfer to you. See the last pages of this for the annual service checks required, hardly over the top.

http://www.grantuk.com/downloads/solar-thermal-tech1.pdf

However if the system has not been looked at in 10 years I doubt it is working the antifreeze basically gives up and causes the system to block.

G_M

I believe you are getting confused by some of the deals around today with solar electricity generation and the feed-in tarriffs. I believe with these you can get free installation, and benefit from cheap self-generated electricity, but any 'excess' electricity you generate and sell to the grid gets a gov subsidy.... which is taken by the installer. (or something like that anyway!).

10 years ago a) no such deals and b) very few solar electricity generation - I suspect you are talking about solar heating; that is using the sun to generate hot water, not electricity.

Systems like this are pretty basic - nothing like a boiler that need regular servicing. There's not much to go wrong, and certainly no service 'contract'. Yes, you might need to get the panels claned every few years, or check the system for leaks (which are highly unlikely) but that's it.

The "vendor sol said they know nothing of any annual or service charge."

What more reassurance do you expect??????

edit: for more info, read this (extensive!) thread on solar power (https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2637431) or post a question in the in my home forum.

mutley74

G_M wrote: »

The "vendor sol said they know nothing of any annual or service charge."

.

yes now they are saying the system needs servicing every 5 years. Before they saiid they did not even know the name of the company that fitted the solar panels! Hence, i just wanted to check if anyone else had experience of water solar heating systems?

poppysarah

Ask for the info in writing through your solicitors.

MX5huggy

mutley74 wrote: »

yes now they are saying the system needs servicing every 5 years. Before they saiid they did not even know the name of the company that fitted the solar panels! Hence, i just wanted to check if anyone else had experience of water solar heating systems?

You should just forget about it, how much is the sol bill going to be chasing round about an old probably ineffective solar HW install. Presuming you did not offer an extra £5k because the house had this installed just view the panels things that give you a warm glow for doing your bit. It is clear the seller has never done anything with them and after your persistence they have decided that they should say they need a 5 year service, so that the house sale can progress.

Is the HW Cylinder a unvented one? Has that had it's G3 cert Every year much more important, its basically a bomb if not set up correctly.

Focus on what is important.

G_M

mutley74 wrote: »

yes now they are saying the system needs servicing every 5 years. Before they saiid they did not even know the name of the company that fitted the solar panels! Hence, i just wanted to check if anyone else had experience of water solar heating systems?

Oh for goodness sake! Just buy the house!

If you ask an electrician, or the NICEIC, they'll say the elctrics should be inspected every 5 years. How many people either know, care or do this? Only professional landlords.

It's common sense that any 'system', installation, etc should occassionally be checked, cleaned, whatever, but that doesn't make it a legal reqirement, or even a definative timescale.

You'll be asking next for a certificate from the window-cleaner to prove the windows had their 6 monthly clean!

mutley74

G_M wrote: »

You'll be asking next for a certificate from the window-cleaner to prove the windows had their 6 monthly clean!

not really No. We never asked for any certricates or services in the first place. My sol only asked if they knew the installtion company and confirmation there is no compulsory service charges.