Holiday Home Worcester Heat slave 9-24 problems

[TWman]

I recently rented a holiday property that has a Worcester Heat Slave 9-24 combi boiler.I was informed by the landlord that the previous tenants had the boiler fail(pilot light extinguish) 8/9 times in the previous week.The landlord informed me that an engineer had looked at it and could find no fault.The landlord then showed me how to remove the outer cover of the boiler and relight it.Whilst I was in the property the boiler failed twice in two hours.No immersion heater was available to heat water and there was no other way to provide any heating.
A landlord's gas safety certificate from 1999 was the only paperwork provided with the boiler for the tenant.The certificate stated that there was an insufficient gas supply.
I was very unhappy with this situation and due to the habitability and safety problems I refused the let on the property.
I have contacted Worcester who told me that this Boiler is 20+ years old and is obsolete and needs replacement.A current gas certificate has now emerged and I am told that a pump was replaced on the boiler back in the Spring.
What would have caused the boiler to keep extinguishing?
What paperwork should a tenant be provided with before commencing a tenancy?
Was the boiler in a fit state to be continued to be operated by continually having to relight it?

 

[ChrisR]

A current gas certificate has now emerged

Check the corgi website to look up the gas man, from his corgi number.
Look up Corgi-Gas, where you'll also find requirements for landlords.

Before a property is rented, a "Landlords Gas Safety Record" is needed, under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations. You'll find that online.

An undersized gas supply isn't necessarily dangerous. Most I see, are undersized.

Many things could lead to the boiler not staying on. Let's guess it needs a service. Unlikely to be dangerous just because of that.

You shouldn't be involved in taking the cover off a bolier, and neither should the Landlord. He is NOT allowed to "work" on boilers in his rented properties, unless he is Corgi Registered.

Sounds like some rules have been broken, but I doubt you'd get much action apart from a couple of letters even if you complained to every Body and authority you can think of.

 

[TWman]

Chris R,
Thank you for your reply.I rented this property for a holiday for over £1100!
The boiler had evidence of a recent water leak on slats underneath it and had a slow drip on some pipework underneath the casing.I have a nice photograph of the boiler with a jug underneath it catching the slow drips!
I have not actually seen the current gas certificate.I complained to the Environmental department of the local council and they have now been shown a copy from February 2008.
I believe under the law a current copy should have been in the property.The agency who I booked this house through refused to supply any alternative accommodation or a refund!!
Is relighting a boiler classified as "work" and must it be done by a Corgi engineer in a rented property?
If a boiler failed after its certificate was issued would it need to be re-certified?
As much as I have thought about becoming a corgi registered engineer I did not choose my holiday to take the first steps of the training required.

 

[spacethegas]

relighting the boiler is not classified as "work".

if a boiler "failed" by which i think you mean 'broke down' no it does not.

 

[giblets]

If a boiler failed after its certificate was issued would it need to be re-certified?

Think of a car that passes an MOT. One week later a headlamp bulb fails which is an MOT failure. Do you have the car re-MOT'd after replacing the blown bulb?

The Landlord's inspection is a snapshot of the installation at the time of the inspection like a car MOT. IMO the landlord's inspection should either be a pass or a fail and a suitable pass/fail certificate be issued accordingly. If a fail certificate is issued then the landlord would be forced to have the fault corrected as he would be braking the law by not having a pass certificate. Regretfully, once some landlords get their mits on the current CP12 certificate the faults that may be noted are "forgotten".

 

[TWman]

Thank you both for your replies.It would appear that the current cp12 is not worth the paper it is written on!In this case the owner I am led to believe has known the certifying engineer for a number of years.......
This boiler has a persistent problem in that the flame extinguishes for an unspecified reason.The boiler is obsolete and the owner described it as a load of crap ,yet the owner has decided to rent it for a not inconsiderable sum to unsuspecting holiday makers.
Is it reasonable for a tenant to have to relight it every time they want hot water?
I think that this is going to be an issue for solicitors.

 

[spacethegas]

there is no pass or fail.
it is merely a snapshot as you said.

 

[spacethegas]

dont waste your money.

which aspect of gas safety are you bringing in to question ?

 

[spacethegas]

an up to date copy should be displayed is the only thing i can see.

 

[giblets]

there is no pass or fail.
it is merely a snapshot as you said.

That's why I put the letters IMO (In My Opinion) before the comment. It's what I (and many others I'm sure) believe should be the way it works.

 

[TWman]

The aspect I am going to refer to my solicitor is that the boiler should have been fully serviceable before my arrival.The previous tenant who left hours before my arrival had the boiler extinguish and then had relit 8/9 times in a week.When I go on holiday I would expect that all the appliances are fully working and do not require the input of the customer to get them to continue to work in their normal mode of operation.
Imagine going on a flight that you had paid a lot of money for and one of the aircraft engines kept failing for an unspecified reason and you as a passenger were required to go into the cockpit and restart it so that you could complete your journey!You have not been trained in operating a jet engine and restarting it could actually cause more damage to you and the aircraft than if it had been left shutdown.Would you have got on the aircraft in the first place if you had known of this fault?

 

[spacethegas]

there is no pass or fail.
it is merely a snapshot as you said.

That's why I put the letters IMO (In My Opinion) before the comment. It's what I (and many others I'm sure) believe should be the way it works.

i cant disagree with you.

 

[spacethegas]

The aspect I am going to refer to my solicitor is that the boiler should have been fully serviceable before my arrival.The previous tenant who left hours before my arrival had the boiler extinguish and then had relit 8/9 times in a week.When I go on holiday I would expect that all the appliances are fully working and do not require the input of the customer to get them to continue to work in their normal mode of operation.
Imagine going on a flight that you had paid a lot of money for and one of the aircraft engines kept failing for an unspecified reason and you as a passenger were required to go into the cockpit and restart it so that you could complete your journey!You have not been trained in operating a jet engine and restarting it could actually cause more damage to you and the aircraft than if it had been left shutdown.Would you have got on the aircraft in the first place if you had known of this fault?

feel free to do so. but thats hardly a matter for this forum.

 

[TWman]

Sorry for the thread drift.I am particularly unhappy at the moment in feeling that this landlord was fully aware of the problems with this boiler and is using it to rip off holiday makers.Spending two weeks without hot water is not my idea of a holiday.
Can any of you suggest what are the common faults with this boiler which would lead to flame extinguishment and the actions you would take? I have talked to Worcester and they no longer technically support this boiler and do not offer parts for it.Can you obtain second hand or reconditioned parts and can you fit them under Corgi rules?
I am also looking for instructions for this boiler and any schematics of its' construction.

 

[giblets]

TWM, I'm a bit confused.

First you say you rented the property and whilst you were there the boiler failed twice. Later you say that you refused the let on the property. Can you clarify please?

Also are you renting from the landlord or through a holiday letting agency?