Boiler timer not working in rented flat
Discussion
Hi,
I have been trying to get clarification on this but the law seems a bit ambiguous.
The boiler timer in the flat I am renting does not wok. The boiler itself is working fine, but obviously central heating must be turned on and off manually.
The L&T Act 1985 states the landlord must 'keep in repair and proper working order the installations in the dwelling-house for space heating and heating water.' The contract mirrors this.
I suppose you could argue both ways that the timer is or is not included in this. Since the boiler is quite old, the landlord has stated that the reason it has not been fixed is that spare parts are no longer available, so the company he uses is waiting for one off another boiler.
Do I have any legal grounds to insist that it is changed?
Thanks
I have been trying to get clarification on this but the law seems a bit ambiguous.
The boiler timer in the flat I am renting does not wok. The boiler itself is working fine, but obviously central heating must be turned on and off manually.
The L&T Act 1985 states the landlord must 'keep in repair and proper working order the installations in the dwelling-house for space heating and heating water.' The contract mirrors this.
I suppose you could argue both ways that the timer is or is not included in this. Since the boiler is quite old, the landlord has stated that the reason it has not been fixed is that spare parts are no longer available, so the company he uses is waiting for one off another boiler.
Do I have any legal grounds to insist that it is changed?
Thanks
Room stat?
I mean to be honest, depending on the system most built in boiler timers can be by passed and an independent wall mount timer can be fitted a (assuming it is a built in).
Trouble is, you do have heat and hot water.
If the boiler wasn’t working at all then you do have a case to argue.
I mean to be honest, depending on the system most built in boiler timers can be by passed and an independent wall mount timer can be fitted a (assuming it is a built in).
Trouble is, you do have heat and hot water.
If the boiler wasn’t working at all then you do have a case to argue.
Edited by Alucidnation on Wednesday 3rd January 13:09
Edited by Alucidnation on Wednesday 3rd January 13:10
If its working in manual you should be able to fit something like a tado nest or hive so you can have really fine control from your phone, tado does geofencing so you heating kicks on automagically when you leave work for home. It would be at your cost, but you can take it when you when you leave and it would save your gas bill. I think you are on a hiding to nothing with the built in programmer as the heating still works.
Regardless of any L&T acts, your landlord has already agreed that the programmer needs to be fixed by claiming he can't get the part. The discussion should really focus on what is a reasonable length of time for such a repair? Its not an emergency so 24 hours would be unreasonable, but it is spoiling the way you use the property so a month would be too long.
I'm sure if he really tried, you could have it repaired in a couple of weeks.
I'm sure if he really tried, you could have it repaired in a couple of weeks.
Alucidnation said:
Room stat?
I mean to be honest, depending on the system most built in boiler timers can be by passed and an independent wall mount timer can be fitted a (assuming it is a built in).
Trouble is, you do have heat and hot water.
If the boiler wasn’t working at all then you do have a case to argue.
The boiler appears to be rather old, so I don't know if this would be possible. In any case, I don't think the landlord would be prepared fit a separate timer/programmer.I mean to be honest, depending on the system most built in boiler timers can be by passed and an independent wall mount timer can be fitted a (assuming it is a built in).
Trouble is, you do have heat and hot water.
If the boiler wasn’t working at all then you do have a case to argue.
Edited by Alucidnation on Wednesday 3rd January 13:09
Edited by Alucidnation on Wednesday 3rd January 13:10
I don't use my timer at all. If you have a combi boiler without tank then you have instant hot water.
Do you have programmable thermostat setting for heating? .You could set that to turn on at set times. Actually come to think of it, I hardly use this either.
If you don't have a programmable one then just set it to a temperature suitable for you.
If you go out and you want the house warm when you come back then set it at a temperature which is warm enough for it to turn on while you are out but not too high that you waste too much heat.
Do you have programmable thermostat setting for heating? .You could set that to turn on at set times. Actually come to think of it, I hardly use this either.
If you don't have a programmable one then just set it to a temperature suitable for you.
If you go out and you want the house warm when you come back then set it at a temperature which is warm enough for it to turn on while you are out but not too high that you waste too much heat.
We may be an atypical landlords. A seven year old, out of warranty, boiler has been throwing the odd failure over the last couple of years, sensors, wiring, valves leaks etc. In the last quarter it had three problems which left the tenants without either or both heating and hot water so mid December I had it ripped out and replaced. The way we see it they pay a significant sum to us every month and while it has cost nearly two months rent it would be immoral to leave a family with two young children stuck in the cold for any amount of time over winter.
We can at least set the cost off against the income.
In the OPs case as already mentioned a programmable thermostat would probably fix most of the issue, pretty sure you could do the same for the tank stat too so you then effectively just leave the boiler on. Should only cost a few hundred quid. I'd be embarrased not to sort it if I was the landlord.
We can at least set the cost off against the income.
In the OPs case as already mentioned a programmable thermostat would probably fix most of the issue, pretty sure you could do the same for the tank stat too so you then effectively just leave the boiler on. Should only cost a few hundred quid. I'd be embarrased not to sort it if I was the landlord.
A better quality picture showing the model number would help, but this is the first shopping link for "ariston eurocombi timer" on Google
https://www.heatingcontrolsonline.co.uk/mechanical...
Looks identical to the one fitted to the boiler, but obviously that doesn't mean it will fit and it may not be compatible. I'd stop taking the landlord's word for it and do a bit of research yourself to try and find the part. You shouldn't have to, but whatever works. If you can find the part they've no excuse. Entirely possible that whoever they use has phoned their one usual supplier who's gone "nah" and left it at that.
https://www.heatingcontrolsonline.co.uk/mechanical...
Looks identical to the one fitted to the boiler, but obviously that doesn't mean it will fit and it may not be compatible. I'd stop taking the landlord's word for it and do a bit of research yourself to try and find the part. You shouldn't have to, but whatever works. If you can find the part they've no excuse. Entirely possible that whoever they use has phoned their one usual supplier who's gone "nah" and left it at that.
charltjr said:
A better quality picture showing the model number would help, but this is the first shopping link for "ariston eurocombi timer" on Google
https://www.heatingcontrolsonline.co.uk/mechanical...
Looks identical to the one fitted to the boiler, but obviously that doesn't mean it will fit and it may not be compatible. I'd stop taking the landlord's word for it and do a bit of research yourself to try and find the part. You shouldn't have to, but whatever works. If you can find the part they've no excuse. Entirely possible that whoever they use has phoned their one usual supplier who's gone "nah" and left it at that.
or you could get into the 20th Century (albeit not the 21st) and get them to splash out an extra £5...https://www.heatingcontrolsonline.co.uk/mechanical...
Looks identical to the one fitted to the boiler, but obviously that doesn't mean it will fit and it may not be compatible. I'd stop taking the landlord's word for it and do a bit of research yourself to try and find the part. You shouldn't have to, but whatever works. If you can find the part they've no excuse. Entirely possible that whoever they use has phoned their one usual supplier who's gone "nah" and left it at that.
https://www.heatingcontrolsonline.co.uk/digital-ti...
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