Can someone offer some friendy advice please.

I'm in a rented house and my combi boiler is broken (it's an Alpha C23), so have no heating or hot water. Needless to say it's absolutely freezing! :(

Problem is my landlord has gone AWOL and I can't get in touch with him. I have the number of the plumber he's sent round before, but I don't know if I should contact him directly? What should I do? :help:

Thanks!

If it was me, I would contact the plumber and then tell him to invoice the landlord!

If it was me, I would contact the plumber and then tell him to invoice the landlord!

That's what I was thinking! My landlord is a real idiot who won't give me his new phone number so I can only reach him by email, which is absurd. The plumber has his number but won't give it to me, which I can understand, but still... :(

if you did manage to get in touch with him i'm guessing he'd just call the same plumber anyway. i'd try the landlord again, and if possible leave him a message. but i would do the same as the above.

Just as a long shot........... have a look what the pressure reading is.

It is probably at the bottom of the boiler and will be on a scale from 0- approx 4 bar.

Don't do anything....just tell me what the reading is.

If the plumber has his number get him to ring your landlord.

Just as a long shot........... have a look what the pressure reading is.

It is probably at the bottom of the boiler and will be on a scale from 0- approx 4 bar.

Don't do anything....just tell me what the reading is.

It's normal.. within the green section... we had it repressurised a few months ago. I turned the boiler off because both of the lights were flashing and I didn't know what to do. God I'm such a girl.

get your own plumber out to resolve the fault, pay him and send a copy of the bill to your landlord informing him that the cost will be deducted from the rent you pay him next month.

get your own plumber out to resolve the fault, pay him and send a copy of the bill to your landlord informing him that the cost will be deducted from the rent you pay him next month.

That would put you in breach of your tenancy so not a smart move (although tempting). To be fair your LL sounds like a complete tool :( I would contact the plumber directly and explain the situation, get them to come round, fix it on the understanding that they will invoice the LL directly. Preferably get this in writing.

That would put you in breach of your tenancy so not a smart move (although tempting). To be fair your LL sounds like a complete tool :( I would contact the plumber directly and explain the situation, get them to come round, fix it on the understanding that they will invoice the LL directly. Preferably get this in writing.
surely the landlord has a duty to ensure he is contactable in an emergency. as the temp is sub zero, sod whatever tennancy agreement may be in place, i'd fix the heating and ask questions later.

surely the landlord has a duty to ensure he is contactable in an emergency. as the temp is sub zero, sod whatever tennancy agreement may be in place, i'd fix the heating and ask questions later.

Oh they should do yes, and clearly this one isn't but that's not the legal way forward. Unfortunately regardless of how much of an uncontactable idiot he/she is, witholding rent (ie deducting the cost of the repair) without their prior consent would be in breach of a standard short term lease tenancy agreement.

However, you're right, in this instance that would be great to be do and I think most people would be tempted, I was purely pointing out the legalities. If it was allowed, I guess some tenants would take the mic and perform all sorts of unecessary repairs and bill the LL through deductions from their rent whenever they feel like - it's a bit of a can of worms really.

It's worth seeking the advice of the CAB actually, this is no time of year to be cold :(.

Edit. Or just ignore and do as Dan has said, but just be warey and get advice so you know what you're getting yourself in to - it's not a nice situation either way.

If you know the plumber he uses why not ASK him for quick advice.

If he can suggest a quick cure (like I was hoping re pressure drop) maybe there is no need for a call out.

Write to your landlord special recorded delivery (next day guaranteed delivery) notifying him of problem - e-mail and text him. Also ask the plumber to pass on the message. check he has received your letter by royalmail.com - if he chooses to ignore, get the plumber to give you quote for fixing boiler and ask him to copy direct to landlord. If you are fair and reasonable - landlord won't have leg to stand on - if you deduct rent/dont' make effort to property contact him - he will and you'll be in breach of agreement. Your landlord's address should also be on your tenancy agreement - you could go to him direct.

It's normal.. within the green section... we had it repressurised a few months ago. I turned the boiler off because both of the lights were flashing and I didn't know what to do. God I'm such a girl.

Have you been able to fix the boiler?

You say that both of the neons are flashing. Is that together or are they alternating. First one means a fan fault and the second one is usually related to the water pressure switch which is known to be dodgy on Alpha's.

I think it'll probably be the water pressure switch which is an easy fix.

Have you been able to fix the boiler?

You say that both of the neons are flashing. Is that together or are they alternating. First one means a fan fault and the second one is usually related to the water pressure switch which is known to be dodgy on Alpha's.

I think it'll probably be the water pressure switch which is an easy fix.


Well, I tried to reset it and nothing happened. When I switch the boiler on, the lights take a minute to come on and then yellow and red lights flash together. The pressure bar is at around 1, and is within the green bar. Shall I try to repressurise it anyway?

if it's still not working i'd call the landlord's plumber, if he can't help you over the ophone get him to call the landlord and arrnge to come out and fix it. you must be freezing!

if it's still not working i'd call the landlord's plumber, if he can't help you over the ophone get him to call the landlord and arrnge to come out and fix it. you must be freezing!

I am absolutely shivering at home, it’s quite a drafty house anyway & I can see my breath indoors that’s how cold it is :(

I think what I’ll do is call the plumber myself to see if he can help over the phone, if he does decide he needs to come to the house to have a look I’ll email my landlord first or ask the landlord to speak to him on the phone. I don’t want to withhold my rent or anything because last time we tried that he threatened to raise the rent by £100. Bellend.

that's absolutely shocking! ask the plumber to invoice him directly, i'm sure the tenancy agreement covers his responsibilities too.

Try and increase the pressure in the boiler a little more. Take it up to 1.5 bar. If its a 'cruddy' water pressure switch it may dislodge it and fire up the boiler.

On the alpha the sequence is as follows.:- water pressure switch tells the pcb that the pressure is ok - pcb tells the fan to spin - fan sends message to APS which ignites the burner (in basic terms).

Turn off the combi, re-pressurise to 1.5. Then turn on your hot water tap, then turn on the combi and see what happens.

If i was there it could have been fixed by now. Any joys at getting hold of the landlord or his plumber??

Try and increase the pressure in the boiler a little more. Take it up to 1.5 bar. If its a 'cruddy' water pressure switch it may dislodge it and fire up the boiler.

On the alpha the sequence is as follows.:- water pressure switch tells the pcb that the pressure is ok - pcb tells the fan to spin - fan sends message to APS which ignites the burner (in basic terms).

Turn off the combi, re-pressurise to 1.5. Then turn on your hot water tap, then turn on the combi and see what happens.

If i was there it could have been fixed by now. Any joys at getting hold of the landlord or his plumber??


Thanks very much for your advice. I'm at work at the moment but will try your instructions as soon as I get home tonight. I'm trawling through my emails to find the landlord's email address at the moment and will have to call the plumber as soon as I finish work too. Grrr.

Complete-Heat, I can't seem to change the pressure :( When I turn the boiler on, the yellow 'B' light flashes on its own, but as soon as I turn on the hot water tap, both yellow and red flash together...

Ahh, sounds as if its a fan fault then.

Did you increase the pressure to 1.5bar using the boilers filling loop

Don't worry about the yellow light. It is supposed to come on in standby mode. It usually flashes every 5 secs or so and then becomes continuous when the burner is alight

Just to clarify. Its red and yellow flashing together and not alternating red, yellow, red, yellow?

Ahh, sounds as if its a fan fault then.

Did you increase the pressure to 1.5bar using the boilers filling loop

Don't worry about the yellow light. It is supposed to come on in standby mode. It usually flashes every 5 secs or so and then becomes continuous when the burner is alight

Just to clarify. Its red and yellow flashing together and not alternating red, yellow, red, yellow?

Yep they'e definitely flashing together. Erm, no idea what a filling loop is but I turned the black valve tap under the boiler as that's what the plumber advised me to do last time but nothing seemed to happen :S
Didn't get a chance to give him a ring tonight but first thing tomorrow that's what I'm doing, I'm sat here with a little fan heater for now!

The "filling loop" is a flexible pipe often metallic linking 2 pipes under the boiler.

This filling loop probably has 2 taps one at each end - was there one still closed that you didn't see??

(You referred to THE black tap - suggesting one)

Don't forget to watch the pressure rising if you find them!!!

The "filling loop" is a flexible pipe often metallic linking 2 pipes under the boiler.

This filling loop probably has 2 taps one at each end - was there one still closed that you didn't see??

(You referred to THE black tap - suggesting one)

Don't forget to watch the pressure rising if you find them!!!


Aha, I found the flexible pipe - one end has the black tap, the other is attached to a pipe with a black 'lock' thing around it that's screwed on. Gosh this is a right fanny-on haha

Seems like alot of trouble you are going through. :(

Your landlord should get a heating engineer out as soon as possible to fix this for you......

Seems like alot of trouble you are going through. :(

Your landlord should get a heating engineer out as soon as possible to fix this for you......

Yeah :( thank you for your help though!!

When's the rent due - bet he appears then!

remember, you can call the council in if need be... sure he'll get his act together then!

remember, you can call the council in if need be... sure he'll get his act together then!

Does this apply if the Landlord is private?

yes it does, i was quite surprised to find that out too!

Thanks everyone for your replies. I have emailed him asking to send someone round, waiting for his reply now..

if you have a gas fire as well as heating to be honest it is not classed as an emergency as you have some form of heating or even if he supplies you with electric heaters till he can get an engineer out that is also acceptable.. if you did call out someone and pay the repair bill he is under no obligation to refund you .. :(

oops just read ur post again he has gone awol ... errr dont know then sorry . lol..

if you have a gas fire as well as heating to be honest it is not classed as an emergency as you have some form of heating or even if he supplies you with electric heaters till he can get an engineer out that is also acceptable.. if you did call out someone and pay the repair bill he is under no obligation to refund you .. :(

oops just read ur post again he has gone awol ... errr dont know then sorry . lol..

hehe don't worry, I managed to get in touch with him and it's being sorted as we speak :)

Come on then.........

WHAT WAS IT?

Come on then.........

WHAT WAS IT?

It needs a new part apparently so won't be getting fixed until the new year :(

Are you on "All bills included" or something?