New definitions.

[G7PSK]

I have through the misfortune of having had a leak in the hot water tank learnt some new definitions today. A loss adjuster is now an engineer  as is an inspector of damaged carpets, also a 24 hour emergency service is according to our insurance company not a service where somebody is available to come out and stop a leak 24/7 what it actually means is that within 24 hours of reporting the incident some one will contact you to make an appointment.

[Mechatrommer]

24 hour emergency service = to make an appointment. right thanks. i'll clarify with my insurer when i got to their office next time.

[SeanB]

A case of row row your boat across the carpet.........

Sad to hear of that, and hope you will get the work done fast. How old is the old one, generally a pressure geyser ( hot water tank) will last around 5-10 years, while a gravity geyser will last essentially forever.

i have had this happen to me, but luckily the unit was mounted under the floor, so only wet on the ground. The other one at work just wetted the floor, with a slow drip.

Another time I went in to work, to find water flowing down the stairs......... Turned on the lights, turned off the tap left on, switched all the aircons to max cool and went home. What else can I do on a Friday night? Came in on Monday and most was gone, though a lot of carpeting needed to be replaced as it had lifted.

[G7PSK]

It's a gravity fed unit the trouble is that due to the delay from the insurers "engineer" (plumber to any one else) not turning up until 15 hours after the call out the ceiling collapsed. This according to the insurance company requires a further 2 "engineers" to call, one to look at the ceiling the other to look at the carpet where all the water and the ceiling fell, I would call them loss adjusters but the insurance company refers to them as engineers. By the time the plumber had arrived I had long turned of the water feed so we had been without running water from Saturday evening to Monday morning when I called a local building company that I know has a plumber on staff he was out within twenty minuets and fitted an extra shut off so no water would go to the hot water tank and the water feed could be turned on again. You don't realize how you rely on things like flushing toilets until you are without them for a while. This afternoon we had another person call from yet another company he had also been sent by the insurance company to turn of the water leak which is now no longer a humble leak but an ESCAPE OF WATER as if bars would hold water.

[SeanB]

Ask them for their degree.

Is the UK now so nanny state that you are no longer allowed to do DIY, or are tou renting.

[G7PSK]

Wish we were renting then the problem is some one else's DIY is allowed but as it is insured and the costs are over the excess by a long way why would I want to DIY.

[SeanB]

I meant for the isolating valve. Here it is mandatory on all plumbing, and I normally add an extra one on the output as well, so that I can change tap washers without draining an entire tank of hot water in doing so.

[G7PSK]

Its sod's law when you need the isolating valve it does not work and when it does the leak is in the bottom of the tank so there is still 100 gallons or so of water to leak out as well.

[IanB]

It's too late for you now I know, but insurance companies usually expect that you will take whatever emergency measures are necessary to limit the damage and reduce the cost, without waiting for them to respond. For instance if you have a leak it is perfectly fine and expected that you call out an emergency plumber to stop the leak as soon as you can. Just keep the receipt, and keep the insurance company informed about your actions.

I'm sort of confused that when you had the leak you didn't immediately turn off the heating system, turn off the water at the mains, and then drain the tank. Hot water tanks usually have an installed drain valve (or else, how can someone empty the tank to replace it?) If you weren't sure how to do that, that's where the emergency plumber could help. It doesn't have to be the insurance company's plumber you call out to contain the problem and prevent further damage.

I know it isn't helpful to read these comments from people who weren't there at the time, but I'm still a bit puzzled why you allowed the ceiling to collapse. It's your house that's getting damaged isn't it?

[G7PSK]

First action was exactly that but as said before sods law dictated that the drain valve was choked with lime scale and would not work. And emegency plumbers are like rocking horse shit.