New house. Broken boiler

jackboy1

We moved into our house in June 1999 and are still using the same conventional boiler, which I believe was three years old then - the only thing that has ever gone on in was the thermocouple. I want it to go so we can have a new combi boiler - do away with the hot water tank and have extra cupboard space upstairs!!

pimento

When they come and collect the contents of the shed, ask them how to turn the boiler on.

HouseBuyer77

How does the hot water work? If that's off the boiler either your vendors were living without it for a little while (plausible if it broke just before exchange or completion and they didn't want the expense of dealing with it) or the boiler is working and there's just some aspect of controlling it you haven't worked out.

alumende27

I cannot comment on your specific circumstances, but shortly after we sold our house the buyers contacted us to say the boiler had stopped working. I had specifically had it serviced a month or so prior to exchange and even replaced a part that the service engineer said would need replacing soon (something to do with lighting the gas, ignition coil or something?), so it's not like I tried to do the minimum possible to keep things running.

These things happen, it might just be bad luck. It is your responsibility to get things checked out. Every survey I have ever had recommended both an electrical and gas appliance check.

bris

I thought in England and wales it's all to do with condition on exchange? Isn't that why you have an inspection just prior to exchange?

molerat

My son has had a similar problem. 5 weeks after buying house boiler packed up due to overheating. Found a pile of paperwork covering a couple of years of BG service plan call outs. Loads of (random) parts replaced but same fault kept coming back, power flush recommended, new boiler recommended. Local gas man had a look, new boiler needed due to the fault being circuit board (which could not possibly cause the fault on this particular boiler, besides which it had already been changed), no parts available. Took me about 20 minutes to diagnose the fault which was not actually on the boiler. £43 of parts later, which included flush and inhibiting chemicals and a radiator valve that was a bit iffy, boiler fixed and running sweetly. And people wonder why I distrust the "professionals" :mad:

gaskill

Thanks for all the replies,
Had the boiler looked at today and it's an internal fuse that keeps blowing which in turn blows the fuse in the plug.
The seller has admitted that the fuse in the plug for the boiler blew in the last day they were there. Whether or not this was before exchanging has yet to be ascertained.
My solicitor thinks we may have a case but it'll be a matter of weighing up the legal costs against the cost of replacing the boiler.