Radiator leak prior to exchange

quantumlobster

Long time reader, first time poster.

I'm in the process of selling my house and buying another one. Offers have been made and accepted on both properties, and the conveyancing process is in full swing - searches and surveys have been done. We have not yet exchanged.

This morning we woke to find that the bleed valve on the top room radiator (it's a three-storey terrace) had popped out, and water was squirting out of the radiator at the wall. I found the little bolt that goes in the bleed valve and tightened it up, and the water has stopped.

What do I need to do to keep this transaction on track? What would a buyer need from me to provide sufficient confidence that things have been made good?

My current plan is to speak to the estate agent handling my sale and simply ask "what does the buyer need me to do to keep this on track?".

I am happy to put this through the insurance or, failing that, pay for the work required to rectify.

Davesnave

You haven't said what damage has been done.

csgohan4

repair the damage to the condition before the leak sounds reasonable.

AdrianC

How does the bleed screw just pop out? The only way that can happen is if the threads are mullered. Assuming this is a normal steel panel rad with bosses for valves/plugs in each corner, then a new plug with bleed screw is dirt cheap, and quick and easy to fit.

Then sort whatever damage has been done.

quantumlobster

Embarrassingly I think it was only in by luck rather than judgement. This radiator is on the second floor and is subject to very low pressure, and we never really got it bled properly, and I think I never tightened it up after the last attempt. For the first time in a long time we had the heating on for an extended duration - 12 hours or more. My hypothesis is the radiator finally bled and lo, water did reach the top of the rad and pee out across the room.

quantumlobster

Davesnave wrote: »

You haven't said what damage has been done.

I think (hope!) it's just damp plaster.

AdrianC

In that case, all you need to do is re-tighten the screw, and let everything dry out.

bowlhead99

AdrianC wrote: »

In that case, all you need to do is re-tighten the screw, and let everything dry out.

I would agree: if there is no ongoing leak, and no structural or cosmetic damage, there is no crisis. If the survey has already been done you are not going to get someone with a damp meter come round and say ooh these readings are through the roof. Keep the heating on for a week and you should be fine, assuming buyer doesn't want to come round for 'one last visit' to check things are as they remembered them before they sign the paperwork to exchange.

Obviously if the water has done some cosmetic damage to the flooring or walls etc then you are asking your buyers to exchange on something which looks worse than when they agreed to pay you £x for it... so it's only fair to make it good and highlight it to them if making it good makes it look different.

quantumlobster

Apologies: In my stressed state I forgot to mention that the buyer had arranged a damp & timber survey for last Thursday. That got snowed off, and it's now on this Thursday

silvercar

How much water escaped?

Remember to top up the boiler if you have a combi.

quantumlobster

silvercar wrote: »

How much water escaped?

Remember to top up the boiler if you have a combi.

Hard to tell - a few litres? It's not a combi.