Official reference requests : boiler inspection, electricity in-property input

[John Stockton]

I know of a badly-maintained rented residence. I need to provide, so to speak, ammunition to fire at the Landlord.

(1) I am sure that there is legal requirement for an unvented hot water system over 15 litres to be tested annually by a suitable person.

But I want to know of, on the Web, a truly authoritative statement of that, with something about penalties for non-compliance.

(2) It is widely known that the electricity supply system should include, after the "Company Fuse", a modern Metering System with one permanently-on output and another output which is only on at cheap-rate times - and one Consumer Unit for each output. If the water-heating is electric, there should be a Hot Tank with a lower immersion heater with a cheap-rate-only feed (normally switched on) and an upper immersion heater with an all-day feed (normally switched off) - or better?

But where do I find an potently authoritative statement of that?

[Fredxx]

Can't find any in:

I thought it can be any competent person who can test the cylinder. It's a trivial test. BICBW.

I don't think there is any such requirement.

Before going any further I would ask the landlord for an EICR certificate:

[Jeff Gaines]

Try uk.legal.moderated.

[John J]

I think you're making most of that up. Wishful thinking perhaps. Your local council Environmental health department will be the best ones to get involved.

[Theo]

According to:

trade body promoting the stored hot water industry)

"Advise you that continued servicing of your cylinder every 12 months is recommended, and that in most instances it will be a condition of the manufacturers’ warranty that an unvented cylinder is appropriately serviced, on a regular basis as advised by the manufacturer, by a competent Service Engineer or provider."

ie if it was law then they'd be saying that because it would be nice income for their members. So it seems it is not.

Part G3 of the Building Regulations covers installation, but not maintenance.

Completely wrong. Many new systems don't have that, and they are increasingly going single-rate because Economy 7 rates are uncompetitive. If you choose to have such a wiring arrangement it's up to you, but you can be on an E7 tariff without having a timeswitch or separate circuits: it's just up to you to use power in offpeak times.

The metering system is up to the energy supplier, the homeowner doesn't get to choose. In a rental property only the tenant can request a smart meter install, because they are the energy supplier's customer, not the landlord (apart from during void periods).

Theo

[Robin]

Is this an HMO? If not I doubt very much there is any "legal requirement" for an inspection (let alone test) in the sense of a statutory requirement. It may be a condition in the warranty but that's between the landlord and the supplier, and the tenant has no standing.

News to me.

[alan_m]

It's the name on the bill that determines who can request a smart meter installation.

[Max Demian]

It would help if you didn't put "boiler" in the subject line, as no-one calls an electric immersion heater a boiler.

[nib]

Indeed! "Boiler inspection" conjures up steam engines!

nib

[John Rumm]

It is recommended, but I am not aware of any legal requirement. Building regs approved doc G covers domestic hot water systems:

See section G3

In rented accommodation there is a mandated requirement for a gas safety inspection annually. Also new requirements were introduced that required a EICR on new tenancies, and thereafter "regularly" which is typically cited as at least once every 5 years.

Given the above, there ought not be any, and any you do find are likely to be "less than honest" (and likely from a vested interest provider of servicing etc).

I would argue that this is not "widely known" - mostly because it is complete twaddle!

Firstly most premises don't have split rate tariff compatible metering. Of those that do, there is no actual requirement to have switched electrical outputs at all - many don't.

*If* a place does have a split rate system *and* it has switched electrical supplies, then it would make logical sense to have a separate CU for the separately switched supply - but not otherwise.

This might be the arrangement, and may make sense in some installations, but by no means all.

For example we have split rate electrical supply, but no auto switched circuits. Our cylinder is primarily heated by the boiler, but has one immersion heater available for backup. Leaving it permanently "on" would not make sense. Its location is fixed by the manufacture of the cylinder (stainless unvented with a rigid steel jacket over the insulation)

The point is moot.

[Owain Lastname]

Quite a lot of people do.

Owain