Married Quarters (MQ) Residents

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  • kitchpoo
    kitchpoo Posts: 1,255 Forumite
    sarahsarah - Unfortunately as you cannot obstruct any repairs deemed neccessary and for statutory testing given adequate written notice by your landlord.
    Praying at the church of MSE should be compulsory!

    There are three types of people in the world, those who can add up and those who can't.
  • Marker_2
    Marker_2 Posts: 3,260 Forumite
    Kitchpoo - Can you advise on the following please.

    Had to take half day from work to wait in for MHS to come and take a look at my shower, as it leaks a little and is staining the bath. I only rang to report the stain (not to get dicked for it when we leave), anyway they said they would send someone out. So appointment came and a plumber turned up, plumber took one look at it and said you need an electrician ........ he was there no more than 2 minutes.

    Last week I had to have another half day to let the electrician in to fix the shower, BUT she shower needs a new head as the wrong head was fitted (neighbours apparently have the same problem to). So I am going to have to take another half day off to wait in for MHS to hopefully fix my shower for the 3rd time.

    Thats 3 half a days I have had to take off in a matter of weeks. Any more housing issues I will have to do the same, my annual leave is getting eaten by MHS!

    Is there anything I could get back for the fact the wrong people were sent out originally, and is there anything I could get back for the second time they come out only to realise the wrong head was on which has resulted in a 3rd appointment needed?

    PS: Hows things doing with the little one?
    99.9% of my posts include sarcasm!
    Touch my bum :money:
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  • kitchpoo
    kitchpoo Posts: 1,255 Forumite
    Marker -

    I take it this was an electric shower?

    Regulations now do stipulate that it requires a sparks to remove the supply and a plumber to work on the pipework. It is common in domestic installations as well as MOD unfortunately (Part P building regs IIRC).

    The time required to attend for MHS to maintain your property has not been an issue with barracks I have worked on - where the housing is adjacent to the accommodation, and is I believe a tolerated absence., but is usually just a quick visit issue.

    Maybe you need to talk to Welfare, I had welfare officers who would act as key holder and access arrangements in these circumstances. Give them a try.

    The little one is not so little now, just over 9 months would you believe! He is mobile by rolling, very coordinated and we have discovered today with a maracas and drum - musical too.
    Praying at the church of MSE should be compulsory!

    There are three types of people in the world, those who can add up and those who can't.
  • ruthem215
    ruthem215 Posts: 86 Forumite
    I posted the other day about an address I needed to contact housing regarding a few complaints, managed to find it on the web thanks, sent it off now! Not heard anything yet, so just the waiting game. Then the heating decides to pack in doesn't it! I am due to give birth in 4 weeks and was not a happy bunny! An engineer managed to come out 24 hours later, which ok could have been worse, but obv it meant no heating for us, although the hot water was still working thank goodness.

    Engineer came out said something about the ball in the tank had stuck, and something about lots of air in the system, but on closer inspection he found massive problems, and system was unsafe and could have blown at any minute, the tank in the loft had been fitted wrong many years ago, and was just a matter of time before it all went wrong. Which of course we were shocked at as we have a gas inspection every year and nothing had ever been picked up.

    He said pump was on its way out, so he replaced that, and then told us there were a few other issues, all nonsense to me, this was all on wednesday afternoon after we were told the engineer would be here with us that morning but wasnt! Anyway he told us he needed numerous amount of parts to fix the problem and then it all needed to be flushed out and something about moving the vent 2 foot higher??? and told us he would be back next tue/or wed after the bank holiday as all the parts were at the office waiting.

    So he pulled out the fuses, turned off the hot water and the heatin completly and then off he went. So thats at least 5 full days without heating or hot water, ok can't be helped with the easter break but so frustrating. Obviously we don't have any heating and I have really noticed the difference on an evening. We werent supplied with any heaters or anything, but its still ok to use the gas fire downstairs.

    Also we have the emersion upstairs which eats electric like I don't know what and the switch to switch it on is dodgy, its like it doesnt recognise you have switched it on, sometimes works sometimes doesnt and sometimes has a bright green spark when you try switch it on! So I am not even risking using it and have been popping round my neighbours for refuse - heat and water. Just so frustrating just being left in the lurch, but I'm sure it happens all the time to others. Just felt like crying when he told me he couldnt fix it for another 5 days (pregnancy hormones of course).
  • kitchpoo
    kitchpoo Posts: 1,255 Forumite
    ruthem215 wrote: »
    "we have a gas inspection every year and nothing had ever been picked up."

    The gas inspection only checks the combustion and safety of the gas pipework. You should also have a boiler service - which is more important and should have pickes this out.
    rutem215 wrote: »
    "So he pulled out the fuses, turned off the hot water and the heatin completly and then off he went. So thats at least 5 full days without heating or hot water, ok can't be helped with the easter break but so frustrating. Obviously we don't have any heating and I have really noticed the difference on an evening. We werent supplied with any heaters or anything, but its still ok to use the gas fire downstairs.
    "

    You should have been offered temporary heaters, (with at least one per floor of your dwelling IIRC). Try calling the helpline and suggesting you purchase the heaters and MHS re-imburse you! Has worked a few times in the past! Ask when your 5 year electrical safety check is due... and if it turns out it has expired you can refuse to use the immersion. Lots of the immersion switches are quite brutal - they run quite a high voltage and it is not uncommon for them to spark when switching. Please tell me it is a fused spur (It should have a bit on the front plate that says "FUSE" or "FUSED")

    I came across a few situations like this, maybe your next port of call would be the maintenace liason officer (MLO) from MHS to visit you, who would/should oversee the process and ensure things are done ASAP and if they are not, that alternative accommodation (A Hotel miles away usually) is provided. Not much comfort, but it is is often handy to know who to have a moan at effectively - rather than waste time and effort moaning at the wrong people.

    Your local DE office may have it's own supply of temporary heaters from the DHE days - my local office had a stack for such occasions when MHS ran out. MHS is vdery reluctant to make any goodwill gesture towards additional fuel costs and I cant recall any situation whereby they actually paid out.
    Praying at the church of MSE should be compulsory!

    There are three types of people in the world, those who can add up and those who can't.
  • 1012donna
    1012donna Posts: 11,517 Forumite
    If you have no hot water and no heating you are entitled to be put up in a hotel and claim £25 per day per person food allowance, according to MHS website. We had no heating for 3 weeks but couldn't claim anything as we still had hot water.
    Murphy's No More Pies Club Member No. 68
  • kitchpoo
    kitchpoo Posts: 1,255 Forumite
    1012donna wrote: »
    If you have no hot water and no heating you are entitled to be put up in a hotel and claim £25 per day per person food allowance, according to MHS website. We had no heating for 3 weeks but couldn't claim anything as we still had hot water.

    She had a working gas fire.... so technically she has a form of heating :-(
    Praying at the church of MSE should be compulsory!

    There are three types of people in the world, those who can add up and those who can't.
  • 1012donna
    1012donna Posts: 11,517 Forumite
    kitchpoo wrote: »
    She had a working gas fire.... so technically she has a form of heating :-(

    I didn't see the bit - sorry - that's pants isn't it!!
    Murphy's No More Pies Club Member No. 68
  • ruthem215
    ruthem215 Posts: 86 Forumite
    Yep it is pants! God three weeks how the hell did you cope? Yeah we can't get offered anything like a hotel, as we are still classed as having heating (as in the gas fire downstairs) and hot water (the dodgy emersion upstairs). DHE just rang to let us know that they will be sorting it out tomorrow afternoon for us, so we will have been waiting exactly a week, and I'm gettin stressed out now, as we are still not classed as priority!! I'm due to give birth in a meer few weeks and its getting me down now. I mean ok they are busy and it has been easter, but what about the day after, like on the thurs? if its classed as an emergency? he said our system was unsafe so shut it off completly. Ok he didn't come back the day after, but said it would defo be first day after easter as in today and we were told today that no it won't be today and it would be thurs afternoon. So I pleeded to get something sooner then she said wed afteroon! We were told it would be a long job so if he comes tomorrow afternoon he prob won't finish and have to come back again another day!! My husband is currently on the phone with them pleeding for them to come sooner, and has told them that our emersion has a dodgy switch, so we don't really want to use it without the risk of getting an electric shock! We will see what happens, thanks for advice guys.
  • 1012donna
    1012donna Posts: 11,517 Forumite
    We had similar over Xmas. Boiler broke on 23rd and they couldn't get the part ordered. We had nearly 3 weeks when it was -10 most nights. I was not a happy bunny!!!!
    Murphy's No More Pies Club Member No. 68
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