General Chat

In an effort to lower their emissions. Winchester Council has decided to replace the boilers in their houses.
I'm somewhat miffed as it took their contractors 2 and a half days before they turned up in January to service my old one!!!
Anyhoo, contractors changed it on 1st August and left me without hot water/heating until 3rd August - as the electrician wasn't available.

Then I realised the thermostat wasn't working - water, though set to 65 was boiling and heating came on, on the hottest day in August!!!

Man came to fix it on 22 August. As he left he gave me a physics lesson - the water would be hotter than I set it to as hot water rises!!!
Turned water temp to 45 - and it's still scalding hot.

Is a bit of curtain wire around a brand new tank, over the temperature gauge normal?

........or could this, perhaps be the 'repair'????? :-S

.....was I fed a c*ck and bull story about hot water rising (which it does, but I thought the temp gauge limited the temperature) by someone who couldn't do the repair???
Or am I just being a pernickity old bag?

Sounds a bit strange to me Maggie, maybe call them out again and hope you get a different man this time.

TBH if you are in a council property I would have thought they would have fitted an anti-scald thermostat for domestic water.

Get on the phone and complain.

Good luck

Sue

Maggie you can have our old boiler .......................Sueping ;-)

Sounds to me like he was talking a load of old cobblers Maggie. Was he one of these 'superior' males who thinks us girls are thick?

My main problem is, I have 3 days leave left. So far, a job that I was assured would take 1 day has taken 2 and three quarters.
On the first day, I signed the form to say the job was done - then was told the system needed flushing - and was shown what to do if it 'closed down'!!!
I have to admit I have e-mailed a couple of times, only to be fobbed off with 'what exactly are you saying' , or 'I'll come out and see you' replies. The classic reply was from admin, accidently sent to me, warning the 'boss' that I may be after money for lost leave!!! Maybe I wasn't - but I will be now!!!!
I sent an e-mail yesterday - may get a reply on Tuesday, but it was only after I'd sent it that I realised there was curtain wire around the boiler and thermostat!!!

Sue, that's an interesting point.I'm hardly elderly, but never have water scalding hot - it's a waste of money heating water to such a heat that you have to add gallons of cold water to cool it down!!!

My main problem, as I've said is. my lack of spare days - I'm also meant to be getting a new back door - they'll be back 'Sometime in September', and loft insulation (which won't happen - they'll see the amount of junk in there and walk away, likethey've done twice before), and my chimney swept - then the council will have to inspect the jobs once they're done.

I did mention on the day I had to have off while they did a pre- removal of boiler inspection, that I didn't trust their contractors to do a job in the 'given' time.

Hayley, I think the Council think I'm an 'old boiler' :-S

Chris, yes he was - tried to soften me up by commenting on the rogues gallery of ancestral pictures up the stairs, but couldn't comprehend who my great aunts & uncles were related to.
Then he gave me the 'physics' lesson!!!. :-0

sad to say but yes it is common practice to secure the tank thermostat to the tank,using a springy wire, but usually they will excavate a portion of the lagging on the tank to let the tankstat contact the metal of the tank......methinks that if the water is getting too hot then the stat is NOT contacting the tank properly!!!

bearing in mind that I am going on what you relate to us....Bob

50 degrees C is what is considered hand hot..........you wont be able to hold it for long

Good grief Bob - and I didn't think many people followed Heath Robinson's contraptional ideas nowadays - so much for technology!!!!
There's only one more level below 50 degrees - and I think that's 'off''.
At 50 degrees, I can't put my hands in - and I'm known in certain circles as 'asbestos hands'.
I also know I have a high pain tolerance, so this heat could really hurt my grandchildren - and I resent paying to heat water to a heat I can't comfortably use.
What's the point of a new boiler if it doesn't do the job?
Also, if there isn't a good connection, isn't this a fire hazard?

Maggie

As you are being given the run around and treated appallingly maybe it's time to up to the anti or is that ante and make a formal complaint. This is a dangerous situation where you or someone else could get injured. And I would let them know that you had seen their e mail about you.

Vera

If its a boiler for hot water and central heating surely you must have a control unit somewhere,is there one on the boiler itself?.if your not happy with it get on to the Council and tell them its unsafe and if its not sorted you will get onto the Health and Safety people about it.**M**.Just a thought, did they not give you a Booklet" with it to show you how to operate it.? if not they should have.M.

*Ignores Hayley's comment* :-P

On new boilers you can set the temperature of the domestic use water separately from that used for the central heating.

Have a squint and see if you can see 2 different symbols : one like a thermometer and one like a radiator (or similar). Both should also have the indicated use written too.

Sue

I would insist on someone from the top of the dept of the council which deals with this to come out and assess things. If it was him who sent the email you weren't supposed to get it will be embarrassing for him but might show him he was wrong to dismiss your complaints. Or get a local Councillor or MP in to take a look and fight on your behalf for the proper installation to be made and safety assessed.

Good luck, you know you can stand up to these idiots Maggie, I am sure you have dealt with worse in your time lol

Lizxx