Magnetic filter on new build?

[muggles]

Often gets missed. These houses are built down to the bare minimum price, so trades are always looking for cost savings. If as an installer you're doing 100 homes, you can save yourself £2000 by "forgetting" to use cleaning chemicals or to put inhibitor in, safe in the knowledge that the system will happily last the two years you have to warranty it for. Easy win.

 

[denso13]

My complaint is the plumber tested the water in my radiators & there was no trace of Rust inhibitor in the water.

It must be impossible to prove why there isn't any inhibitor in it now though.

An unscrupulous owner may have had intervening work done on the heating system which involved a drain down. Perhaps the plumber didn't then add fresh inhibitor which has now affected the radiators and the owner is looking for a get out with the NHBC. Not suggesting this is you but it is plausible, I'm not surprised the NHBC are pushing back.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

It must be impossible to prove why there isn't any inhibitor in it now though.

An unscrupulous owner may have had intervening work done on the heating system which involved a drain down. Perhaps the plumber didn't then add fresh inhibitor which has now affected the radiators and the owner is looking for a get out with the NHBC. Not suggesting this is you but it is plausible, I'm not surprised the NHBC are pushing back.

Had the owner needed remedial work over those years, would he not have referred back to the builder to carry out the repairs under the guarantee?

 

[JohnD]

There are any number of people selling the fluid, and other plumbing oddments, on Ebay.

Consider the possibility that at least one of them is a subcontractor stealing materials to sell on, instead of using them on the houses.

 

[denso13]

Had the owner needed remedial work over those years

I didn't say remedial, what about moving or adding radiators? My point is that it must be hard to prove definitively why the inhibitor is missing.

 

[denso13]

would he not have referred back to the builder to carry out the repairs under the guarantee?

How long was the guarantee for and what were its terms? We don't even know how long ago the installation took place.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I didn't say remedial, what about moving or adding radiators?

Would that not be obvious even to a blind man?

 

[denso13]

Consider the possibility

I'd say it's more than a possibility, more like a stone wall certainty.

 

[denso13]

Would that not be obvious even to a blind man?

Sorry, not sure what you mean.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Sorry, not sure what you mean.

If any changes had been made to the system, which might involve a drain down -it would be perfectly obvious.

 

[denso13]

If any changes had been made to the system, which might involve a drain down -it would be perfectly obvious.

I don't really see what difference that makes. How can you possibly prove whether or not inhibitor was added at day 1? And if you can't, how are the NHBC liable for a possibly several hundred pounds repair. NHBC only cover the heating for two years anyway, we still don't know how long ago it as fitted.

If the claim is that the builder wrongly stated in writing that there was inhibitor, and there wasn't, then you'd have a claim against them. Again though, there is no way of proving it either way.