Dubious Gas Safety Report

[Rosco2612]

Hi. I am concerned that 11 months ago the Gas Safety report identified the need to change the expansion chamber on my boiler due to a torn diaphragm. Now 11 months later having spent £370 on the aforementioned " fault" the new report advises the same fault. In over 40 years as a property owner this "fault" has only happened to me once before and on a system considerably older than the seven year old one in the property. My trusted plumber retired three years ago and I have since relied on the property maintenance team of my letting agent. Does anyone have any advice on how to deal with this please? I have notified the Letting agent of my concerns. thanks in advance for any advice offered.

[DPT57]

Yes, sack the agents team and look for a new trusted gas fitter.

[jpkeates]

Yes, sack the agents team and look for a new trusted gas fitter.

I'd see what they say first - they're letting agents not gas fitters.

[nukecad]

A boiler expansion tank really has nothing to do with a GSC anyway.

If the expansion tank fails the boiler will overpressure and water will come out of the pressure relief valve.
Once enough water has run down your outside wall that there isn't enough in the system the boiler will shut off.

Annoying, and as a landlord you have a legal responsibility to provide heating, but it's a boiler service issue and not a gas safety issue.

Often the GSC is carried out as part of an anual boiler service, but you should be aware that there are 2 different things going on.
https://www.viessmann.co.uk/heating-...d-safety-check

Looks like the fitter doing the GSC has a nice little sideline in unecessarily recommending that expansion tanks need replacing.
But that shouldn't prevent him issuing a GSC, (unless the boiler is totally non-functional so he can't safety check it).

[gnvqsos]

The safety report will usually comment on safety issues only, such as a missing chain on a cooker .A defective diaphragm is an operational issue .A decent plumber would report it directly ,and may even do the work at the time .Most vessels cost up to £100 and fitting may take max of £100.Hard to justify spending £370

[theartfullodger]

I'd get another gas engineers in 1st.

Agent sounds a bunch of unfunny clowns.

[Neelix]

On the whole lettings agents are only interested in their profits .......... so they hire the cheapest, and charge as much as they can.

I would remove the responsibility for such activities from the agent and use your own trusted people.

[ash72]

If it's only 11months old, I would check if it's still covered by the manufacturers guarantee, as they should come with 12 months warranty.

On a separate note, It could be a that it's a manufacturing fault, which I guess there will be may now (with various other equipment) as there is global supply chain issues, and pressure on companies to make parts as quickly as possible so the quality control may now be lapsed.

[jpkeates]

it could just be a crap fitter doing the test.
But that might not be because they're cheap or because they've been arranged by the agent.

The worst gas safety checks I've ever had done are done by a very large company and I'm sure most people would expect them to do a decent job, unless a penguin actually turned up.

[DPT57]

I'd see what they say first - they're letting agents not gas fitters.

Well I meant sack the agents repair team not the agents themselves, but I wouldnt rule out the latter if there was more evidence if poor service.

[Rosco2612]

Thanks everyone now waiting for Letting Agent response. My apologies , I had the boiler serviced at the same time so perhaps the ( albeit dubious) expansion chamber report could be justified!

[Codger]

I would add an extra expansion chamber if you have space. It should cost less than fiddling inside the boiler.
I have often had expansion chamber problems they can be re charged but its often only a temporary repair like a slow puncture in a car tyre.

[Firebug]

Sounds like something that should be done under the repairers warranty if its less than 12 months old.

[Flashback1966]

You need to challenge them on this. In my opinion, this is a serious safety violation. If you sent an engineer to carry out a repair and they failed to do it, then it is serious matter.

I suggest you speak to the tenant and if they recall what was changed. I don't know if you can see the part without opening the boiler to see if it has been charged. Did they fit in a new part of a reconditioned one?

When a landlord is absent, these things do happen. Early on, I learned the hard way to attend repairs myself (especially with new people). In some cases, I have felt engineer remove working parts from a working boiler and replace them with slightly faulty parts.....