Posted by: @saz

@editor Sorry, I should have said they replaced the buffer but altered some pipework I think. That latest repair has caused the whole system to break down. My immersion is not on it's own power supply so now I have no hot water either. It's just all going from bad to worse! I hope a visit by a senior engineer from Vaillant will at least start to get to the bottom of it as otherwise I think I'm going to crack up. I'm at the point where I feel like I may need to get legal advice but I'm not sure where to go. There are lots of strange things going on with this set up, it's been like it since installation but I have never had any satisfactory answers by the installers.

Hi Saz,

I suggest that you contact your installer, in writing (for future evidence if necessary), preferably by e-mail, informing them the the system that they have supplied is of substandard quality and unfit for purpose. Ask them to correctly repair or replace all faulty equipment and correctly set up your system to operate in a reliable and efficient manner. Give them a specific date by which to get all problems resolved.

Also ask for details of their insurance scheme and proof that they are MCS accredited.

If they are MCS accredited, then contact MCS and ask them about their complaints procedure and what help that they can provide.

@derek-m What is a reasonable timescale to ask for a resolution given the fact I have no hot water (I will ask Vaillant about if the circ pump can be unplugged today) or heating? I am so fed up. I am what you would call 'vulnerable' due to a chronic health condition.

Posted by: @derek-m

Hi Saz,

I suggest that you contact your installer, in writing (for future evidence if necessary), preferably by e-mail, informing them the the system that they have supplied is of substandard quality and unfit for purpose. Ask them to correctly repair or replace all faulty equipment and correctly set up your system to operate in a reliable and efficient manner. Give them a specific date by which to get all problems resolved.

Also ask for details of their insurance scheme and proof that they are MCS accredited.

If they are MCS accredited, then contact MCS and ask them about their complaints procedure and what help that they can provide.

What Derek has stated above is key. I would call the MCS today and lodge a formal complaint. Do you have any complaints and/or responses from the installer on email? That will help with you complaint. For MCS matters I don’t there’s timeline you have to wait for. I wouldn’t hesitate. Call them straight away.

After contacting the MCS, get your paperwork out. You should have received a letter in the post a few days/weeks after your install from an insurer or consumer protection scheme. I think there are two, but most are covered via HIES. This is mandatory under MCS. HIES have dispute resolution mechanisms in place. We’ve never used them, but most people that have gone down this route have been impressed by them. 

Getting the Vaillant engineer out will be important to at least diagnose the issue. The installers sound like they’ve bodged it royally. I would definitely get the ball rolling on as many fronts as possible. Waiting, from our experience, doesn’t help.

@derek-m I'm too afraid to touch anything but will ask a Vaillant engineer to look at it asap.

@saz I know what you mean - but it can't get much worse than no heating and no hot water. Can you attach a photo of the pump. Derek is great at explaining what to do !!

Posted by: @saz

@derek-m What is a reasonable timescale to ask for a resolution given the fact I have no hot water (I will ask Vaillant about if the circ pump can be unplugged today) or heating? I am so fed up. I am what you would call 'vulnerable' due to a chronic health condition.

Hi Saz,

Since you are deemed vulnerable, you should call your installer immediately and state that you have no heating or hot water, and you expect someone to come out today. Also contact MCS and explain your situation. Call consumer protection and also write to your MP, since it is quite deplorable that your installer would deem it acceptable to leave you without heating or hot water at this time of year.

@saz have you managed to get any joy from your installers today ?

Vaillant have been out and repeatedly drained the system until filter stayed less blocked, and have asked another company to finish the work but I cannot get any idea from anyone when they will be out. I have hot water and heating for now, don't know what was going wrong with circ pump but seems fine now. I just cannot get answers to my questions about my UFH and other issues tho, they just bat it back and forth. My outside unit has been left like this. I don't think there's any antifreeze in system at mo either.

@editor I think I remember reading a while back about another member who had to go down a legal avenue. Any idea who that law firm was? This whole situation is having a massively detrimental effect on me.

@saz compressor blocked is just a warning message to say there is a fault and due to this fault the compressor has been blocked to stop it from running... usual issues with this is a blocked strainer/filter that should be fitted on the return pipework to the ashp. Normally at the unit outside or a low system pressure in the heating network. On the user interface there's a wee image that shows two dotted lines. The pressure has to be within the two lines. The aerotherm is quite sensitive to low pressure. 

The pump running all the time will be a settings issue. If your installer isn't willing to come out you could turn the power off. Follow the pump wire back into either then user interface or vr71 wiring centre depending on what set up you have and simply pull the plug out. You don't even have to disconnect the wires. Just pull the plug. Power it All back up and turn on your immersion for hot water. The immersion should have its own independent fuse spur anyway so it can be used for emergency only.

@barrystables1 I did say this might be the case in a previous post, i.e that it might be that the compressor is blocked from running and not actually blocked. Found out today that what repair guy wrote down for me (that strainer needed to be moved to correct position on flow pipe) is wrong (it should be on the return pipe) but I think needs to be moved around anyway, not sure anymore! I'll take your word for it about the compressor running all the time being a settings issue as it had never happened before and I hadn't changed any of the settings myself (but other repair people coming here may well have done). The power supply to the circ pump goes into a control centre. On the pump itself is a little plug type thing but tbh I wouldn't feel able to go doing things like that myself. The immersion does not have it's own independent power supply. If the heatpump control centre is swiched off this cuts the supply to the immersion.

Weirdly Vaillant adverts have appeared round this thread today, it's like you aren't allowed to criticise *freaky* I'm beginning to feel the weight of vested interests at play and I'm not going to lie, it's feeling oppressive. I just say it how it is, however inconvenient the truth is!