Hello - just had our diagnostics back and feeling in a bit of a rabbit hole!
Aparement had some lead paint - some category 3 so will need to speak to the agent about that and how to rectify/costs etc.
Electrics are pretty terrible but we expected that. However, I had assumed, wrongly, that even though there’s no electricty in the apartment at the moment that they would use a temporary supply to carry out the diagnostics. We already have a quote for a rewire which is fine but now as there’s no electrics turned on I have no idea if the fioul boiler and water heaters etc. are working so worried that we go from needing a rewire to also need a whole new heating/hot water system. Have thought about asking the agent/seller to get the oil boiler serviced but suspect they’ll say impossible with no electricity to the apartment so feel like i’m in a catch 22. Now don’t know whether to just run with it and hope for the best or pull out of the sale. Have had endless conversations with my husband this morning but just going round in circles!
All I can say is do not skimp on electrics, a fire would be disastrous. Also the normes are stricter now and I have found that using some small electrical gadgets that I have had for a good many years now blow the fuse for that plug so have replaced said items for newer models. Fioul boilers are now obsolete is you need to replace the system. To be honest reading your post, I get the impression that the diagnostic seems very rushed and not at all thorough. Unfortunately all depends on how much money you want to throw at the project or cut your losses now and pull out to find something that does not need re-wiring, new heating system and the removal of lead paint. Have you also checked the contract for contributions to the appartment block and what you might be expected to pay for future works as well? My friends got a nasty shock when they had to fork out for payments towards roofing and fasçade works a few years back, something they did not factor in.
Lead paint is much less of a problem than electrical and heating systems.
We looked at a house where the electrical system was of three obviously different vintages. It worked, and it was a nice house in a good area. We didn’t want to have to rewire so we walked away.
A year later, it’s still for sale, so our instincts about the electrics seem to have been correct.
The diagnostic on electrics is pretty much visual from what I have seen and adding power would have made no difference to the report. They don’t check that devices function.
I’m sure the “lack of electrics” has been covered elsewhere on the forum… as people are naturally concerned when the boiler/whatever can’t be tested…
If I recall correctly… one reply/suggestion was that the Notaire keep back a sum to cover boiler replacement/repair if it should prove necessary… such sum would be handed over to the Seller if the work/repair proved to be unnecessary… (you get my drift…)
Seems to me as though some close questioning of the agent / previous occupant would be in order regarding the functionality of the heating and hot water equipment. Alternatively, and perhaps additionally, how about running an extension cable from a neighbouring property in order to test the boiler and water heaters. In the event that turns out to be impractical for some reason, then using a portable generator would make it possible to establish if things work or not.
If the vendor really wants to make a sale, then they will come up with some means of proving that things work. If they don’t, then I reckon it’s reasonable to assume that these things are non-functional and that the price should be adjusted accordingly.
Thank you. Yes I’ve gone back with some more queries. We did already negotiate the price down quite substantially but that was mostly on the basis that my research of the area suggested it was over priced which I believe is classic Leggett!
Thanks. Yes we knew from the off that it needs modernising throughout but we were hoping to know that in the interim things would work so we could at least use it whilst planning everything. It’s more about the sequencing of the works and finding artisans who will be available. I’ve seen the minutes from the copro meetings and nothing alarming in there.
So good news in that they came back to our queries. We agreed to activate an electricity account and everything can be tested. We have proposed going over whilst this is being done. We’ve already managed to see the account up !
Re the oil boiler. I don’t think it has been used for years and the last Fioul delivery was quite some time ago. I wonder how much Fioul is needed to test it works - anyone know ? I don’t really want to arrange a Fioul delivery for the testing !
With a little improvisation to connect it directly to the burner supply pipe, a 5litre container should be enough to establish whether the boiler fires up or not. A 10 litre can should be more than ample to run the system up to full temperature. As a guide, our heating system has 12 radiators and uses about 60 litres of fioul a week in the depths of winter.
oof that’s a great idea - not sure how keen my hubby will be to improvise but I’d be up for giving it a go! looks like from the photos i’ve been send there’s some fioul but not much in the big containers in the cave…
I reckon the boiler needs at least a good Service… before anyone starts it up… and old fioul might just be the “last straw”…
Friends asked for the Seller to arrange a Service/checkup before buying… and it worked out best for them… a fault was highlighted and dealt with and paid for by the Seller…
Indeed… I had inherited old fuel… and can confirm that it didn’t cost too much to have it filtered and the old tank cleaned… 400+ euro IIRC …
The expense of filtering etc was well worth it… as the clean fuel performed wonderfully, with no more wretched (and expensive) boiler-breakdowns…
Stella’s suggestion is a good one, but if the Owner won’t agree, then testing the basic functioning of the boiler yourself isn’t that difficult.
The boiler burner unit is most probably connected to the oil tank by 2 flexible pipes, one that brings oil to the burner, and one that returns excess fioul to the tank. There should be isolation valves where the flexible pipes join onto the fixed pipework from the oil tank. Close the isolation valves, and using an open ended spanner, or a pair of channel locks, disconnect the flexibles from the isolation valves. With luck, the flexibles will be long enough to reach into the bottom of a 5 litre can placed adjacent to the burner unit, and if not, they can easily be extended by screwing another flexible onto the end. Have about 2.5 litres of fuel in each can and fire up the boiler. If it starts, then the level of fuel in one can should slowly fall while the level in the other can should slowly rise as the excess fioul is returned to it.
Running the boiler up to a temperature of about 50degC will be ample to ascertain that hot water is circulating through all the radiators, and you will also be able to check that the system holds it’s pressure. About 1 bar is quite sufficient. All in all it should take about 1 to 1.5 hours.
You mentioned ‘big containers in the cave’ in the plural, so I presume that there is more than one oil tank and that they are cross connected each to the others. This is not that unusual, especially if the access to the cave is simply not big enough to enable the passage of one large tank through the access way. Main thing to check is the condition of all the connecting pipes and that there are no signs of leaks.
(you get my drift…)
