Cold Water Tank In Loft - Cause Of Flood Dispute?

[Mijacmad]

Based on the photo, the clean section from 11 o'clock around to 2 o'clock seems to have failed recently and the crystalline appearance of the fracture surface suggests that the plastic was in poor condition and brittle, probably due to age and/or poor quality manufacture, i.e. 'wear and tear'. The section from 2 o'clock around to 11 o'clock as been broken for a considerable (months/years) length of time, long enough for the brown stain (oxides or other particles in the supply) to build up.

I'd agree that the clean section looks as though it has 'snapped off' recently but it could well have been the water pressure that applied the force that was the coup de grace.

So, in my opinion, the diverter has been in the process of failing since well before your plumber was in the roof. A visual inspection of it in operation would probably have shown it was spraying through the 'brown crack'.

In good condition, those things are pretty tough and I doubt you could break one in the way illustrated by accident. Unless you instructed the plumber to check the condition of the float valve as part of the job I don't think you can hold them responsible. If you want to recover for the cost of repairs due to water damage I think you'll need to make your own insurance claim.

Thanks for the explanation, much appreciated, The slum-landlord has now agreed to cover the damages, and probably because it was something that should have been noticed 3 months prior when the same inhouse engineer completed a safety check of the heating system. Ironically, their in-house electrician also left an arcing light fitting, stuck together with gaffer tape during that safety inspection too. Fire and flood within 3-months, I'm not that unlucky.

 

[JC22024]

Thanks for the explanation, much appreciated, The slum-landlord has now agreed to cover the damages, and probably because it was something that should have been noticed 3 months prior when the same inhouse engineer completed a safety check of the heating system. Ironically, their in-house electrician also left an arcing light fitting, stuck together with gaffer tape during that safety inspection too. Fire and flood within 3-months, I'm not that unlucky.

Fair dues to your landlord for taking the hit and paying for repairs.

Rubbish happens and its not necessarily anyones fault.... it seems some people need someone to blame. If only I could blame someone else for any time someting fails or gets damaged in my house.

And if I had a landlord - and he paid for repairs - HAPPY DAYS!!!!!

 

[Mijacmad]

Fair dues to your landlord for taking the hit and paying for repairs.

Rubbish happens and its not necessarily anyones fault.... it seems some people need someone to blame. If only I could blame someone else for any time someting fails or gets damaged in my house.

And if I had a landlord - and he paid for repairs - HAPPY DAYS!!!!!

Fair dues nothing, by UK law it is their responsibility when you rent a property and they have 30k properties so they shouldn't have argued the point, it was their fault and their plumber because neither were doing their jobs properly. As Roy stated earlier, any responsible plumber should have checked this on one of several occasions he inspected the whole system and noticed if there was an issue, and as someone kindly explained the deterioration, I can now ascertain he obviously knocked the part on its last legs while up there, even though it could have failed several months later on it's own. The cause - lazy klutz of a plumber.

Thanks all.

 

[JC22024]

Fair dues nothing, by UK law it is their responsibility when you rent a property and they have 30k properties so they shouldn't have argued the point, it was their fault and their plumber because neither were doing their jobs properly. As Roy stated earlier, any responsible plumber should have checked this on one of several occasions he inspected the whole system and noticed if there was an issue, and as someone kindly explained the deterioration, I can now ascertain he obviously knocked the part on its last legs while up there, even though it could have failed several months later on it's own. The cause - lazy klutz of a plumber.

Thanks all.

Ah OK I see. I thought it was a private landlord when you said "slum Landord" before but actually they own 30k properties.

 

[Mijacmad]

Ah OK I see. I thought it was a private landlord when you said "slum Landord" before but actually they own 30k properties.

Slum landlord on a large scale. Social Housing.