Welcome to the forum. Although you can post in any forum, the USA forum is here in case of local regs or laws

Install the app
How to install the app on iOS

Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.

Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.

P

plumberdan23

Evening all!

I Went to look at a job today to fit a extra radiator in flat , that is currently getting refurbished. Basically it was origonally a 4 bed house and its getting transformed into 2 large flats. A baxi 80he combi has been fitted to serve both flats, i asked if its only the 1 boiler to which the landlord replied yes. Apparantly there one roomstat to control both flats, heating isnt even zoned off for each flat! Landlord said if one of the tenants wants heating off they have to turn all trvs off! Had a look at the pipework to radiators fitted it was a mess, all upstairs rads were tee'd off in 10mm (6 rads). In total theres 13 rads, 2 bathrooms and 2 kitchens for an 80,000 btu boiler to run!
I refused to work on system as i can see it having problems when people actually move in. what do you guys make of this, does it sound as crazy as i think it does?!?

Thanks!
 
Well you can either rub your hands and think "here's some bucks to make!" or realise that the landlord likes to fleece whoever and whatever he can to make money! Personally these folk have little respect for whoever is involved in the properties they rent!!!
 
Well it doesnt sound right to me , sounds a builder had a good old bodge job .
Problem being is that any faults you pick with it the landlord wont be to fussed about spending money on getting it done properly .
 
making me laugh thinking about the hot water flow,

to you, to me. to you, to me. to you, to me. to you, to me. to you, to me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 4 people
it has all just been installed mate only 2 weeks ago!! wonder why he is asking other plumbers to do work on it already ha. The system hasntt been commisioned he was probs expecting me to it... no chance.
 
he probably got it installed without saying that it would serve two separate flats. then when he told the installer they ran a mile knowing it wouldn't work lol.
 
to be fair it will probably do the central heating with ease, install a seperate electric shower in each flat and it would probably do the job.
It sounds like a rubbish job, walk away.
 
a baxi 80 he doing 2 flats nice with the he it puts out 86,000 btus allegedly,so as said heating it will cope the dhws the problem
 
wheres the gas meter? if its inside one of the flats how does the other tennant access the ecv incase of emergency? you can see the arguments between the different tennants! FIGHT
 
Sorry to bump an old thread, but I've just moved into a rented flat and have a similar set up that is mentioned in this thread. It was said from the beginning that bills were not included with rent which was fine by me I thought I'd go off and find a supplier myself. After calling round the national grid nobody seems to know who supply's gas / electric to my flat. Then the other day my landlord paid a visit and said that it is all done through him and I have to pay him £75 a month for utilities. I asked him to explain more and he said that my flat and upstairs have 2 separate electric meters but we both share the same gas meter. Is this a usual way of supplying gas into 2 flats? The gas meter is in my flat.
 
sounds like he's fleecing you. ask to see the bills to justify the price he's charging you.
 
Sorry to bump an old thread, but I've just moved into a rented flat and have a similar set up that is mentioned in this thread. It was said from the beginning that bills were not included with rent which was fine by me I thought I'd go off and find a supplier myself. After calling round the national grid nobody seems to know who supply's gas / electric to my flat. Then the other day my landlord paid a visit and said that it is all done through him and I have to pay him £75 a month for utilities. I asked him to explain more and he said that my flat and upstairs have 2 separate electric meters but we both share the same gas meter. Is this a usual way of supplying gas into 2 flats? The gas meter is in my flat.

Ask him if that is all year round, If so, bargain, we pay £80 per month in the summer and around £140 per month in winter,

We do have a very old baxi back boiler and some very old radiators ( rented property)

but if that is a fixed price, I would have heating on 24/7 all winter, means you know exactly what your bills will be no matter what. And you stay warm all winter. Ensure your boiler has had its gas safety certficate.

And ensure that it is all working, heating and hot water before you agree to anything. Try getting your neighbour to use water at same time as you to see if it works,

I would ensure that you get something in writing from him confirming, so that in 6 months time he cant suddenly change the price.
 
its an odd one that and hard to know if he is stitching you up or not , I would investigate further myself
 
No, its not a normal way to supply.

If you have your own electricity meter, then I can see no reason why you can't pay that direct. If the landlord say's you can't, then check with the electricity suppliers (any of the big ones will do if you don't know which is yours) and ask what uplift the landlord is allowed to make. There used to be a maximum mark up, which I think was 10%, but worth checking.

For the gas, I think the the same limit to mark up applies, but check with any big gas supplier. You might say to the landlord that you will pay half the meter reading each quarter, at the landlord's price if only a reasonable mark up is being applied.

The other tenant should have access to an emergency control valve (ECV) to cut off the supply to his or her flat. This would require a separate valve in that flat unless they have easy 24/7 access to yours. If the landlord has to install a secondary ECV he could almost as easily install a secondary meter, so that the reading on your meter could be allocated more exactly between the two flats.
 

Official Sponsors of Plumbers Talk

Similar plumbing topics

We recommend City Plumbing Supplies, BES, and Plumbing Superstore for all plumbing supplies.