Forum Topic

Anyone know our rights regards Council house Central Heating repairs

Our Central Heating has has stopped working, and this is affecting the way the hot water works too. T Brown stated a motor needed replacing as an emergency, as it was incorrectly repaired by them previously in February when the repair people did not have the correct lubricant so poured Cooking oil over the motor spindle. It then worked for a few weeks and now makes all sorts of clicking and banging noises but has stopped. working.Mum is 88 and should not have to live like this in the freezing cold.Whenever the hot water is used the radiators now go in, regardless of the Central Heating thermostat settings, until the water reaches the required Hot water temperature.T. Brown made it an emergency and promised it would be repaired today Wednesday 10th March.Now T. Brown want to put if off until next week.Does anyone know if I Can demand Ealing council use it's legal powers to make T. Brown carry out it's own promise to replace the motor they themselves damaged? It must be T. Brown's legal responsibility to do so, as it was their own repair people who produced the fault.

Leslie Bailey ● 1739d19 Comments

This is what the LBE website says:"You can call or email our heating contractors direct to request heating or hot water repairs and arrange for your annual gas servicing inspection. This service is available between 8am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.Call our contractor direct on Tel: (020) 8786 1200 or email: ealing@tbrown.com.You can also phone the council’s repairlink (020) 8825 5682 and choose option 2 to speak with our gas contractors.Emergency repairsThe repairlink (020) 8825 5682 number is available 24 hours a day. It automatically transfers to the emergency repairs service outside of normal working hours. Heating emergencies dealt with between 5pm and 11pm are a make-safe service, primarily for the winter period.To report out-of-hours emergency repairs, including lift repairs, call 0800 181744  or (020) 8825 5682."The Council should know why what for and where their Contractor has been called to to make repairs so that they can check that it is completed and up to scratch.  Is this happening?

Philippa Bond ● 1713d

Leslie -  you need to contact The London Tenants Federation -https://londontenants.org/ .  They have years of dealing with these issues. They will have the correctly written letters for you to send.  You shouldn't be dealing directly with T Brown and need to do everything through the council. I don't know whether you live in a "block" or an independent property, but you should join LTF. It is a good "insurance policy".

Libby Kemp ● 1735d

Philippa, My local Councillor is Millican, lives around the corner. But it seems the Town Hall was onto T. Brown as they phoned me, to see how the job went and were told it hadn't been done. I never contacted a councillor as the Town Hall seemed to be aware of it themselves, especially as it was considered an emergency by T. Brown themselves.

Leslie Bailey ● 1736d

Leslie  You never say whether you have contacted your Councillors. Do you know who they are?  Do they reply to you?  We all need to know if you are not getting a reply and your Councillors and Housing are not overseeing their contractors.I too do not understand why you were left without any heating and without any alternative heaters.https://www.ealing.gov.uk/info/201093/repairs_-_council_property/469/heating_repairsFind your Local Councillor here:https://ealing.cmis.uk.com/ealing/Councillors.aspx

Philippa Bond ● 1737d

Had a phone call yesterday claiming to be from Ealing Council asking how repairs went, I told them they never happened. This was followed a few hours later by one from T. Brown offering to repair it to day, which seems to have gone OK.Seems OK at he moment.I wonder how many other are treated similar by T. Brown.

Leslie Bailey ● 1737d

PS.Leslie, make sure you use the word 'safeguarding' in your conversation if you speak to duty.

Keith Iddon ● 1738d

The OOH should be fully aware of the situation as they should have access to the maintenance file on this property. A local solicitor should act on a disrepair case... against the council.

Nicolas Ozegovic ● 1738d

Ealing Council will have an out of hours duty desk and you can explain everything to them.If you are trying to safeguard the well being of an elderly person they should have a protocol.Good luck.

Keith Iddon ● 1738d

Does nobody know how to instigate emergency action. This device was supposed to have been replaced Yesterday (Wednesday 10th) as an emergency, T. Browns own promise.Mum at 88 does not need this stress or the cold and nor do I.Council themselves don't seem to want to respond.Nothing back from Trading Standards.We cant survive much more of this.This is disgusting Treatment of people who have been tenants in Northfields for over 50 years in the same house.

Leslie Bailey ● 1738d

Could be, the Hot Water seems OK.

Leslie Bailey ● 1738d

Heat exchanger possibly

Nicolas Ozegovic ● 1738d

Keith, No, but He had some kind of apprentice with him too. God knows what he is learning.

Leslie Bailey ● 1738d

Leslie, did the engineer who poured cooking oil onto a part arrive on horseback and was he wearing a stetson hat?

Keith Iddon ● 1738d

It's the little silver box next to the copper hot water tank.But more interesting, Ealing Council Phoned, under the impression the work was completed as promised, to see if we were happy with the work carried out so this looks like a scam by T. Brown. Make more work jut for the money.

Leslie Bailey ● 1738d

I would not defend the engineer but there are no motors in a combi boiler... they only thing that has a bearing is the boiler pump which by all accounts was making a noise.. probably on its way out. Pouring oil will not help it as the water in they system should do that!. Clearly there is a problem in dealing with the elderly and vulnerable and they T Brown should be providing temporary electrical heaters and then prioritising the replacement

Nicolas Ozegovic ● 1738d

I'm worried that they are capable of doing this to other elderly people, probably across different boroughs, causing the problem themselves so as to need fixing, declare it an emergency themselves, and then put it at the back of the list and leave vulnerable people shivering with the cold.They need to be stopped from this practice.You don't accidentally pour Cooking oil over an electric motor without expecting a failure of sorts.

Leslie Bailey ● 1738d

You are not the first to complain about Ealing Homes. If you were a motorist you would be fined for breaking the law.. This is disgraceful to hear... As a repairs manager for social housing I am appauled to hear that the council is not taking the statutory duties as landlord seriously.. Last month I was contacted by the Ealing Environmental housing officers as one of our tenant's complained about a leak affecting her property they were quick to jump on us. Likely for us we had already decanted the tenant to temporary housing which she forgot to mention. The case was closed immediately!! T Brown is the gas servicing contractor they should be providing temporary heaters as part of the service agreement... I would make a formal complaint to Head of Housing this will take time and will not help your mother get her boiler back on.. Good luck

Nicolas Ozegovic ● 1739d

Have you contacted your Councillors?  Interceding the the Council on your behalf is one of their duties as Councillors.

Philippa Bond ● 1739d

We have to just sit here shivering in the cold at our ages, for another week, during a pandemic.T. Brown and Ealing Council you disgust me.

Leslie Bailey ● 1739d