Boiler Insurance

TinyF

I'm typing this in the cold because my combination boiler was condemned yesterday. An Ideal Boiler's engineer visited me yesterday after I'd put a call in a couple of days earlier to Homeserve, who I pay £28 a month to insure the boiler with.

It was immediately obvious on his arrival that he didn't like where the boiler was positioned (it's a little awkward to get to) and withing a couple of minutes he was turning off my gas and electricity supply to the boiler and said he was condemning it and I wasn't allowed to use it. The boiler has been in place 10 years and is serviced every year under the insurance contract (but I'm now wondering how comprehensive this servicing was). There's more detail I could go into but I won't, so what I like to know is did he have the power to do this given that he was on an insurance call-out to repair the boiler?

My wife and I are pensioners and we have our grandson staying here two or three days a week. My grandson and I both have asthma and I've had three bouts of pneumonia in the last three years and. My wife and I aren't in a position to get a new boiler immediately so we will be without heating and hot water until after Christmas at least.

I'm not happy with the outcome of the engineer's visit or the way he went about doing what he did. He even had the nerve to say his company could offer replacement boilers!

Has anyone experienced anything similar or have any advice as to where I could take this next? Thanks.

Browntoa

He's the expert , he's legally required to condemn the boiler if it's unsafe

Your are able to employ another engineer to check or repair , if they say it's safe or repairable then you have something to argue with your insurance

A "service" each year does nothing apart from a blow out of dust and a safety check

There are companies who will install a new boiler quite quickly and allow you to pay over several years , you've probably seen advertising on the TV for one

Biggles

Get a local independent heating engineer in PDQ. He'll almost certainly get it running again for you, probably for a very reasonable fee.

And make sure you don't renew with Homeserve. Condemning boilers and offering to replace them is one of the ways they make their money.

scd3scd4

Biggles wrote: »

Get a local independent heating engineer in PDQ. He'll almost certainly get it running again for you, probably for a very reasonable fee.

And make sure you don't renew with Homeserve. Condemning boilers and offering to replace them is one of the ways they make their money.

Stick 24/7 Home Rescue on the list too.

Alex1983

Did he leave it ID immediately dangerous or AR at risk. What did they write on the safety notice.

TinyF

Many thanks, Browntoa and Biggles.

I forgot to mention that he also took it upon himself to say we couldn't use our two gas fires to keep warm and has put Do Not Use stickers on them. He said there was insufficient ventilation. Considering we've been using them for 31 years without a vent (they're situated in the fireplaces of both downstairs rooms) I don't understand why he's done that. He wasn't here to check the fires anyway.

I too got the impression that he was keen to get me to buy a new boiler and get it positioned somewhere more easily accessible. If I do have to get a new one it won't be an Ideal who I think are probably 'more on the make' than Homeserve. However, I have spoken with Homeserve who said they can offer boiler replacements with a 6 month interest free deferred payment and I may yet have to see what they have to offer. In the meantime, I'll do as you say and get a local engineer to look at the boiler and give me a second opinion.

Thanks again

TinyF

Alex, the notice says the boiler is 'Immediately Dangerous' because - "Heat Exchanger leaking products of combustion. Gas valve bracket fixing lug has rotted away and dropped".

There is also a section that says no escape of gas has been detected on the installation.

Alex1983

I’m guessing it ls a isar or icos, unfortunately if the bottom panel has rotted though it is curtains, ideal have never made that as a spare.

Unfortunately we can’t shut our eyes when we see a unsafe gas appliance, even if we’re not there to check that appliance, so if your fires need ventilation and you have none then he has to advise you and turn off if required.

TinyF

scd3scd4 wrote: »

Stick 24/7 Home Rescue on the list too.

Thanks for the advice.

TinyF

Alex1983 wrote: »

I’m guessing it ls a isar or icos, unfortunately if the bottom panel has rotted though it is curtains, ideal have never made that as a spare.

Unfortunately we can’t shut our eyes when we see a unsafe gas appliance, even if we’re not there to check that appliance, so if your fires need ventilation and you have none then he has to advise you and turn off if required.

Yes it is an Isar.

He may not have been able to turn a blind eye to what he saw but he didn't have my permission to look at the fires and it's my understanding that he should have asked.

I would like to get confirmation that vents have to be fitted retrospectively (after 31 years!) but the gas fires haven't been disconnected and have been classed as 'At Risk (AR - Appliance requires isolation)'.

TinyF

Just one more thing. On the notice for the ires he has circled 'Yes' where it says

"With the permission of the gas user/responsible person the appliance/installation was turned off for your safety and a warning label attached".

They weren't switched off with my permission.