Faulty solar thermal twin coil hot water cylinder

Cella10

I had a solar thermal hot water system installed 5 years ago. It has a 25 year warranty. It is now leaking from the top, i.e. it is a manufacturing (welding) issue.

The manufacturer has said that unless it has been serviced annually, they will not replace it as this will void the warranty. I was not made aware that it had to be serviced annually at the time. Given that servicing is a separate issue to the reason for the leak, can they still hide behind the servicing issue?

born_again

If it is in the T/C of the warranty then yes.

Warranty is over & above your consumer rights.

Undervalued

Cella10 said:

I had a solar thermal hot water system installed 5 years ago. It has a 25 year warranty. It is now leaking from the top, i.e. it is a manufacturing (welding) issue.

The manufacturer has said that unless it has been serviced annually, they will not replace it as this will void the warranty. I was not made aware that it had to be serviced annually at the time. Given that servicing is a separate issue to the reason for the leak, can they still hide behind the servicing issue?

As in the previous reply, any warranty beyond your statutory right is subject to whatever terms and conditions it is provided on.

It might be worth posting your tank issue on the "in the home" section of the forum where some helpful plumbers sometimes reply to see what their take is.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/categories/in-my-home-includes-diy-moneysaving

My limited understanding is that annual servicing is normal (or maybe even a legal requirement?) on pressurised hot water systems and it has to be done by a registered person (a bit like gas).

  

Alderbank

Undervalued said:

Cella10 said:

I had a solar thermal hot water system installed 5 years ago. It has a 25 year warranty. It is now leaking from the top, i.e. it is a manufacturing (welding) issue.

The manufacturer has said that unless it has been serviced annually, they will not replace it as this will void the warranty. I was not made aware that it had to be serviced annually at the time. Given that servicing is a separate issue to the reason for the leak, can they still hide behind the servicing issue?

My limited understanding is that annual servicing is normal (or maybe even a legal requirement?) on pressurised hot water systems and it has to be done by a registered person (a bit like gas).

  

In owner occupied property, no legal requirement for any servicing ever for either gas or hot water.

In rented properties an annual gas safety check is a legal requirement. This is not a formal servicing of hot water system and would not pick up all faults.

Annual servicing is commonly a requirement for a boiler warranty. The T&Cs of the warranty will specify what inspections must be done and when in order to maintain the warranty.

The buyer, assuming he bought as a consumer (ie. not to install in a shop, rental property, etc.) does have consumer rights with whoever he paid for it but those rights become worth less and more difficult to enforce with time.

One way to look at this is that the OP has 'saved' about £500 on servicing costs and can put those savings towards the new boiler.