Air-locked OFCH - landlord's or tenant's responsibility?

Effects

I have tennants in a house with oil fired central heating. Quite often they let the oil run out and then when they get more oil the system has to be bled. It's happened about 4 times now. I've told them not to let the oil run out but it's like they don't seem to listen. I usually do it myself but can't this time. So is it my responsibility to pay a plumber to do it, do I pay and then charge them or do I just tell them to sort a plumber out to do it. Maybe if they had to pay for it they would be less likely to let it happen again.

wyndham

What means do they have of monitoring the oil level? Could you teach them how to bleed it? Most oil delivery guys will help get a boiler started/bled if asked, in my experience. Usually throw them a fiver or tenner.

StillWaters

Install one of them watchman oil guages which show the level of oil in the tank. I confess my oil ran dry a few times, but the oil delivery man bled boiler each time. I invested in a watchman and it hasn't happened since.

simit

I rent and have oil heating. I wouldn't dream of asking my landlord to bleed the rads if I let the oil run out. It'd be like asking him to change the bulbs if I left the lights on!

Effects

Past couple of delivery guys say they can't bleed it for insurance reasons. There's a gauge on the tank but you need to go out and look at it to check. They don't seem to do this. I bought one of those boiler bleed valves but hadn't the hance to fit it. I guess I'll tell them I can do it tomorrow evening for them, fit the valve and teach them how to use it. I'll get one of those watchmen gauges too.

Effects

First link that popped up, http://www.tanks.ie/products_id/214/watchman-sonic.htm
Anyone know any better prices by any chance?
Thanks for the quick replies on a Sunday.

wyndham

simit wrote: »

I rent and have oil heating. I wouldn't dream of asking my landlord to bleed the rads if I let the oil run out. It'd be like asking him to change the bulbs if I left the lights on!

It's nothing to do with bleeding rads.

daltonmd

Effects wrote: »

I have tennants in a house with oil fired central heating. Quite often they let the oil run out and then when they get more oil the system has to be bled. It's happened about 4 times now. I've told them not to let the oil run out but it's like they don't seem to listen. I usually do it myself but can't this time. So is it my responsibility to pay a plumber to do it, do I pay and then charge them or do I just tell them to sort a plumber out to do it. Maybe if they had to pay for it they would be less likely to let it happen again.

This is not your responsibility, if they allow the oil to run out then it is their problem. The system is not broken, it is in working order. The problem stems from their failure to fill the tank.

StillWaters

Effects wrote: »

There's a gauge on the tank but you need to go out and look at it to check.

Well if there is a guage already, I think its careless of them to let the oil run dry, and it is their responsibility. You have been as accommodating as can be expected.

mikemac1

Let them sort it out.
Letting it run out can happen to anyone but four times?
They can learn themselves, it'll be useful when one day they own a house.
Or they can call a handyman/tradesman at their expense

On a bit of an offtopic note there are oil tanks being emptied all over the country by thieves. Happens us recently :mad:

So if the tenants ever call you and ask about security devices I hope you get involved here. And I'm not talking about just padlocks

It's your tank and it'll be protected after the tenants leave

Effects

Is it that easy to secure against theft? Don't they usually get it from the output line?

mikemac1

It's a topic for another thread I suppose, I was getting offtopic

Victor

If the tenants are supplying the oil, then I would think it is their problem to monitor it.

borderlinemeath

In one of my partners houses he actually wrote it into the contract because it had happened so many times with a previous tenant.

He stipulated that if it happened more than once that each subsequent callout either attended by him or his plumber would result in a callout charge. He also left the tank half full so they could easily monitor how much they used before it got to a low level, again stipulated that the tank must be half full when they leave or it will be deducted from their deposit.

KTRIC

I had to bleed our system at home because the tank ran dry. Its a piece of p!ss to be honest. Wouldn't dream of paying someone to do it or asking the landlord.

ronkmonster

We've let ours go empty a few times. I just bleed it myself. Did it last night and took a minute to do - shouldn't be landlords problem that we don't check on it.

mickdw

Imo, it amounts to taking the piss if they continually let it run dry.

Just cause they are renting shouldn't mean they are brain dead. Home owners have the capacity to check the tank so why shouldn't they.

Snakeblood

It's their responsibility. It seems a bit open and shut to be honest.

Ray Palmer

I had a tenant ask me to pay the reconnection fee for the gas becasue they didn't pay their bill on time. The mind boggles. Thier fault they pay same applies if the break something they should really replace it and not have it come out of the deposit