Noise in flat - Communal boiler/heating - Who is responsible?

pusched

Hi,

I wonder if anyone can help.

I am a leaseholder in a council estate. Over the last few weeks, there is a whistling noise in the bedroom which is coming from the wall, towards the ceiling.

There is an area on the wall where it looks like it is some sort of ventilation and when I touch it, it is hot. It sounds like an old kettle. It can last for hours and some days, make no noise at all.

We are not sure what is causing the noise or even what it is. We think it could be something to do with the radiators but no idea. We have communal boilers and central heating.

We do not currently have the central heating on and hasn't been for a while but the noise did start while we were still using it. I called the council but they say it is my responsibility. I am not even sure what the problem is and who I should be calling. A plumber? Electrician?

That hot area on the wall seems like it runs all the way to the top of the building so I wonder if it could be something to do with the whole central heating system.

Any thoughts are very much appreciated.

eddddy

It sounds like it could be the communal central heating.

Whistling can be caused by air in the pipes - if you google 'central heating whistling' you will find lots of discussion about this.

Is the central heating boiler nearby? There is also a noise that boilers make known as 'kettling', because it sounds like a kettle - google 'boiler kettling'.

The two problems could be linked.

As it's a communal boiler, I assume that your lease confirms that the boiler is your freeholders responsibility.

In your position, I would be fairly firm with the council, and just say their boiler is making an unacceptable loud kettling noise, and the central heating pipes are making an unacceptably loud whistling noise - please sort it out.

teddysmum

I agree with the last comment in the previous post.

pusched

Thanks so much - I thought it would be the case but the person I spoke to yesterday was not helpful at all.

Guess another long call is on the cards.

G_M

pusched wrote: »

Thanks so much - I thought it would be the case but the person I spoke to yesterday was not helpful at all.

Guess another long call is on the cards.

Why?

Write a letter. Quick and easy, and impossible for the freeholder to ignore or fob you off.

olly300

Send the letter by recorded signed for so they can't deny getting it. (I found my local council insisted on spelling my name wrong on my council tax demand until I did.)

Also if you have a residents association have a "chat" with one of the elected members. Generally in flats the same issues happen repeatedly so making the residents association aware helps both of you.

pusched

We did some testing over the weekend and bleed a couple of radiators. It looks like the problem is with the thermostat with one of them. When I switch it on, the noise stops for a while and then comes back. If it is off, the noise is on a fair amount of time.

When we removed the thermostat, the noise stopped but unfortunately it switches on the heating and makes it unbearable even with windows open.

It looks like this may be the problem. I read my leasehold but could not see anything about the heating being my responsibility but wonder because it is a part that looks to be faulty, if that is the case.

Any thoughts?

anselld

pusched wrote: »

We did some testing over the weekend and bleed a couple of radiators. It looks like the problem is with the thermostat with one of them. When I switch it on, the noise stops for a while and then comes back. If it is off, the noise is on a fair amount of time.

When we removed the thermostat, the noise stopped but unfortunately it switches on the heating and makes it unbearable even with windows open.

It looks like this may be the problem. I read my leasehold but could not see anything about the heating being my responsibility but wonder because it is a part that looks to be faulty, if that is the case.

Any thoughts?

If you are talking about a thermostatic radiator valve inside your flat then it will be your responsibility.

pusched

Thought that may be the case.

Does anyone know if a plumber would need access to the boiler to fix something like that?

anselld

pusched wrote: »

Thought that may be the case.

Does anyone know if a plumber would need access to the boiler to fix something like that?

Depends on the system. I would have thought any communal heating system should be designed to allow isolation for maintenance of individual flats.

Equally, the plumber may be able to freeze off that one pipe for long enough to swap the valve.

pusched

Thanks - will call a few plumbers and see what they say.