Is there any recourse in this situation, plumbing error whilst fitting central heating?

Basically a friend of friend was moving residences a few months back and asked could I help with the furniture etc.

Their old/new place had been thoroughly renovated.

So, few weeks ago we knocked into each other and they were explaining how the renovation went really well, except for one thing.

They had a stove heating system installed that apparently also heats the radiators for the rest of the house as it concurrently heats water.

The builder/designer of the renovation explained that they could heat the stove, then selectively switch on/off the radiators in the parts of the house they wanted heated.

Long story short, the plumbers or whomever did the job, made a complete mess of it and the system isn't fit for purpose.

.......

Now, they still have an oil fired furnace that switches on and can heat the radiators like a normal heating system.

But the stove doesn't heat the radiators at all. So they had an expensive stove installed with the intent it could heat the entire house, but it in fact only heats one room.

When they questioned the builders, apparently they were fobbed off with some laughable excuse like, they had the plans for the installation drawn on the wall for the workmen to follow, and someone mistakenly painted over them so the workmen got the installation wrong.

As they explained it to me, the piping from the stove in their living room to provide the hot water for the radiators throughout the house was routed under floor, but the floor is poured concrete, so there's really no way to re-do it.

I mean, what an oversight, but as we know, with builders, they like to take short cuts etc.

......

Just out of personal curiousity, is there any recourse here? (I'd hate to think I'd find myself in such a situation one day and simply have to swallow such a loss, whilst getting laughed at by the builders who made the mistake).

They said they were reluctant to pursue recourse, as they pretty much didn't want the hassle, but how much hassle could it be?

Lenar3556

Potentially a breach of contract situation - builder could be threatened with legal action if he doesn’t remedy the situation. But the devil is in the detail and your friend would need to legal advice.

Incidentally;

Boiler stoves, which is what you describe, are rarely a good idea in a modern house with zoned central heating. The arrangement is very difficult to control and most home owners don’t appreciate the amount of fuel that will be required in delivering central heating to radiators.

Some of the more technical detail is not clear from your post, so perhaps the best course of action in the first instance is to bring in an independent heating contractor experienced in solid fuel to appraise the situation as it stands.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121061723#Comment_121061723

Some of the more technical detail is not clear from your post

What detail is required?

Let me see if I can fill in the particulars.

Post is interesting as, I think they mention the radiators can semi heat a little, but nothing close to sufficiently to actually warm the space.

Lenar3556

The builder/designer of the renovation explained that they could heat the stove, then selectively switch on/off the radiators in the parts of the house they wanted heated.

No problem with oil, but it’s not quite as simple as that with a solid fuel stove. When you light the stove you start producing hot water. How much depends on the size of the stove, type of fuel, draft settings etc. This hot water needs to have somewhere to go at all times, and given that the production of hot water by the stove and the switching on/off of areas by the occupant is not sync’d, it becomes difficult to control. So the initial expectation might not have been entirely practical in the first instance.

Long story short, the plumbers or whomever did the job, made a complete mess of it and the system isn't fit for purpose.

What did they do?

But the stove doesn't heat the radiators at all. So they had an expensive stove installed with the intent it could heat the entire house, but it in fact only heats one room.

A boiler stove will heat water at a set rate as soon as you light it. This is regardless of how it is piped, so where is the hot water going currently?

As they explained it to me, the piping from the stove in their living room to provide the hot water for the radiators throughout the house was routed under floor, but the floor is poured concrete, so there's really no way to re-do it.

What is wrong with the pipework installed to the stove? Why would they need to be re done?