need some advice as boiler condemned by warmfront surveyer

nfriley82

Hi, just wondered if anyone could offer some advice to me please. we are on a low income and applied for a warmfront grant for our property. we have a very old back boiler which has been in the home since approximately 1980. The surveyor visited our home and when inspecting the boiler informed us that it was unsafe as it had never been serviced and was dangerous as we do not have an airbrick. he contacted National grid who came out and agreed and have condemned our boiler leaving us with no hot water or central heating. we have contacted warm front who has informed us that it will take around 5 months to get a replacement system. we have also contacted the council who have stated we could pay for a new system as the property is our own however we can not do this as we have no money and are on benefits.

i have contacted citizens advice who advised me to contact the environmental health department because we have three children and they stated they should provide a loan of storage heaters. however they have stated they do not offer this service and stated there is nothing they can do to help.

please help because we do not know what to do, we are freezing cold, i cant bath the children as i have no hot water and winter is coming. i have a small electric fire in the room but that is it in terms of heating and we will be turned down for loans if we apply. we have contacted housing at the council but there is nothing they can do to help me.

thanks

Nat

rogerblack

Fitting an Airbrick, or other suitable vent may not be very expensive.
Similarly, getting it serviced.

nfriley82

thanks for your reply, we have been told it is not possible to service the boiler and as we live in a concrete house we cant afford to pay for the airbrick. thanks anyway though.

Wywth

nfriley82 wrote: »

Hi, just wondered if anyone could offer some advice to me please. we are on a low income and applied for a warmfront grant for our property. we have a very old back boiler which has been in the home since approximately 1980. The surveyor visited our home and when inspecting the boiler informed us that it was unsafe as it had never been serviced and was dangerous as we do not have an airbrick. he contacted National grid who came out and agreed and have condemned our boiler leaving us with no hot water or central heating. we have contacted warm front who has informed us that it will take around 5 months to get a replacement system. we have also contacted the council who have stated we could pay for a new system as the property is our own however we can not do this as we have no money and are on benefits.

i have contacted citizens advice who advised me to contact the environmental health department because we have three children and they stated they should provide a loan of storage heaters. however they have stated they do not offer this service and stated there is nothing they can do to help.

please help because we do not know what to do, we are freezing cold, i cant bath the children as i have no hot water and winter is coming. i have a small electric fire in the room but that is it in terms of heating and we will be turned down for loans if we apply. we have contacted housing at the council but there is nothing they can do to help me.

thanks

Nat

Not having a boiler serviced is no reason for condemning it.

Why do you need an airbrick? :huh:

Wywth

nfriley82 wrote: »

thanks for your reply, we have been told it is not possible to service the boiler and as we live in a concrete house ...

What do you mean? :huh:

Wywth

Isn't this something your landlord should be sorting out for you?
Certainly, the LL should be providing you with a copy of a valid CP12.

nfriley82

Wywth wrote: »

What do you mean? :huh:

hi my house is made of concrete blocks so it is very difficult to drill into the walls to put in an airbrick which makes it much more expensive and we just do not have the money to cover this.

in terms of the boiler the surveyor said that because it has never been serviced it is dangerous and can not operate safely without the airbrick as it is a back boiler. There is a gas fire attached to the boiler which is painted and he states this makes it more unsafe so this is the reason it was condemned. when national grid came he agreed it was dangerous and this is why he capped it off. he stated it could not be serviced because of its age and no one would be willing to do it.

hope this helps clarify things

nfriley82

Wywth wrote: »

Isn't this something your landlord should be sorting out for you?
Certainly, the LL should be providing you with a copy of a valid CP12.

its our own home that we have a mortgage for. our financial circumstances have changed which made us eligable to apply for the grant. we were both in work and then the recession hit.

i have only posted as we are so cold and dont know where we can go for advice. The housing department wont help us as the house is not rented or council.

Wywth

Sounds like you can't afford it currently.

I would suggest you post your full SoA on the Debt Free Wannabe board and lets see if the good people over there can help you manage a little better

It may be you'll have to sell up, but lets see what they suggest on the DFW board first.

nfriley82

Wywth wrote: »

Sounds like you can't afford it currently.

I would suggest you post your full SoA on the Debt Free Wannabe board and lets see if the good people over there can help you manage a little better

It may be you'll have to sell up, but lets see what they suggest on the DFW board first.

i am new on here so dont know how it all works. i only posted to see if anyone knows if there was anywhere we can turn to.

nfriley82

Wywth wrote: »

Sounds like you can't afford it currently.

I would suggest you post your full SoA on the Debt Free Wannabe board and lets see if the good people over there can help you manage a little better

It may be you'll have to sell up, but lets see what they suggest on the DFW board first.

we are not in debt we only have a mortgage so not sure how that would help tbh.