Gas Service Record - House Purchased

davidmcn

I don't think you have any remedy, given that you don't have a contract with the original engineer, and your vendor fulfilled their side of the bargain in your contract with them.

Not sure that you've suffered a loss if the boiler is in fact in working order. And as pointed out, being serviced hardly guarantees it will be trouble-free - I've twice experienced regularly-serviced boilers breaking down in the middle of winter.

Gigervamp

bouicca21 wrote: »

No in pre central heating days there would be only one heated room (unless you were enjoying a Downton Abbey type lifestyle). Babies were well wrapped up. Trust me, I'm old enough to remember. If OP's boiler breaks over the winter (and really, what is the risk, given that it clearly has been serviced?) it will be inconvenient and unpleasant; it won't be a disaster.

I know only one fire would be lit, and the baby would be in that room during the day. I'm also old enough to remember the days before central heating, we didn't get it until I was about 9.

OP could invest in a Calorgas fire, if there is no other source of heating. We have one for when we run out of oil and they give out a fair bit of heat.

casper_g

If there is any suggestion that the boiler is unsafe, look to get it sorted out immediately. But if the worst case scenario you're worried about is the boiler breaking down and the house being cold you can eliminate this risk by buying a couple of cheap electric heaters (£20 from Argos) and keeping them in a cupboard!

adamsmyth

I think the topic has gone of on a tangent - it's not whether I should replace the boiler or not; it needs replacing. My question was the legal claim that there is a dispute over the paperwork advising the boiler was serviced prior to the sale of the house. From the supplier I've used (I'll start a separate thread for British Gas) they have claimed unless specific circumstances were met that would not be carried out in a day the boiler is not serviceable and has likely never been serviced as it's not economical to do so every time.


I get that servicing the boilers doesn't mean it will work without failure - I work in building compliance so understand more than most servicing regimes (working on an FMR and Capital Plan for the next 5 years as well as jokingly applying SFG20 to all of my home assets - but joke aside I need to get my windows serviced!)


It also provides hot water (it's not a combi boiler though) so not just as simple of buying money burning electric heaters.


I think this has been answered now.

vuvuzela

adamsmyth wrote: »

I think the topic has gone of on a tangent - it's not whether I should replace the boiler or not; it needs replacing. My question was the legal claim that there is a dispute over the paperwork advising the boiler was serviced prior to the sale of the house. From the supplier I've used (I'll start a separate thread for British Gas) they have claimed unless specific circumstances were met that would not be carried out in a day the boiler is not serviceable and has likely never been serviced as it's not economical to do so every time.


I get that servicing the boilers doesn't mean it will work without failure - I work in building compliance so understand more than most servicing regimes (working on an FMR and Capital Plan for the next 5 years as well as jokingly applying SFG20 to all of my home assets - but joke aside I need to get my windows serviced!)


It also provides hot water (it's not a combi boiler though) so not just as simple of buying money burning electric heaters.


I think this has been answered now.

As said above, I would get another opinion. BG are notorious for up-selling and saying work needs carrying out when it doesn't, so I personally wouldn't trust anything one of their employees says.
Another quick question - why do you say the boiler needs replacing ? Is it not working fine ?

thesaint

adamsmyth wrote: »

I think the topic has gone of on a tangent - it's not whether I should replace the boiler or not; it needs replacing.

By what metric are you basing this on?

adamsmyth

vuvuzela wrote: »

Another quick question - why do you say the boiler needs replacing ? Is it not working fine ?

It's 12/13+ years old so highly inefficient, has the immersion heater left in (not in use so worth £50 or so in copper) and looks like a complete pig with pipes all over the place, booster pumps and ideally I want to move it out of one of the bedrooms. It's not a condensing boiler hence the age estimation.


Is it working fine? not really, the thermostat is older than I am and in the wrong place, there's no working variable control for the hot water supply - just scalds you, the timer buttons stick so difficult to programme anything and is generally inaccessible - turning the CH off means weaving your hands round boiling pipework infront of the thing.

G_M

1) you have no contractual relationship with the original engineer

2) however, if you have what you believe to be fallacious (spelling?) paperwork from him, you could perhaps report him to GasSafe. GasSafe are responsible for managing safety within the gas industry. Whether they'd do anything I have no idea

3) you could sue the vendors, for failing to have the boiler services as per your purchase contract. Goodluck with that! :rotfl:

4) frankly your mistake was to ask/tell the sellers to get it serviced at all. If you had concerns about the boiler you should have paid your own engineer for an inspection report

5) as for how babies survived in the 17th century, franky I have no idea and it amazes me.

G_M

adamsmyth wrote: »

It's 12/13+ years old so highly inefficient,
having had a service would not have altered this
has the immersion heater left in (not in use so worth £50 or so in copper)
'not in use' or 'not usable? It's a useful back-up for the baby if the boiler breaks down!
and looks like a complete pig
appearances are only skindeep, or so my last girlfriend told me
with pipes all over the place, booster pumps
having had a service would not have altered this
and ideally I want to move it out of one of the bedrooms. It's not a condensing boiler hence the age estimation.
Well then, replace it.


Is it working fine? not really, the thermostat is older than I am and in the wrong place,
having had a service would not have altered this
there's no working variable control for the hot water supply
having had a service would not have altered this - just scalds you, the timer buttons stick so difficult to programme
having had a service would not have altered this
anything and is generally inaccessible - turning the CH off means weaving your hands round boiling pipework infront of the thing.
having had a service would not have altered this

It sounds to me like you knew it was an old system, you budgetted for a replacement and you are simply worried about a £50 - £80 service cost for a boiler that works, albeit inefficiently, but that would have been no more efficient if it had in fact been serviced.

macman

If a prospective buyer asked me to service a boiler, then I would invite him to service it at his expense, using his contractor. It's no more required than is a gas safety check, an electrical safety check, plumbing survey, drains...where do you stop? The property is offered as seen, the buyer makes their own inspection, and offers accordingly.