Boiler broken 4mos following sale despite seller's certificate of perfect health

[BoilerDrama]

In August 2018 I bought a 70yr old home in Wheat Ridge CO with a boiler from 1952 in place. The owner on his own accord provided a boiler certificate from an HVAC company in town stating that the boiler is in good working condition without corrosion or carbon monoxide output. Come to this winter and I start using the heat, and within a month half of the house goes cold. I have an HVAC guy come out from a company I found through a Google search not thinking of the prior certification company. He comes and reports I need a whole system revamp given corrosion, broken valves, and carbon monoxide output. He also points out that my water heater is not up to standards as it is on the ground without a mat and the piping going from the machine and through the attic to the outside is single layer and not the recommended double-layer. This puts it at a risk of overheating anything within 6in of the pipe and possible fire. I find the certificate and call the company asking for help with the recent assessment. They send a man over quickly. He states initially that there is likely carbon monoxide as the walls are white and the machine looks clean. I note that the area was likely painted prior to sale. He shows me that the corrosion is also in an area they do not use often near where water is drained to empty the system, but is also leaking onto the pump. He eventually gets the carbon monoxide detector and finds that the front of the system is putting out more than 200ppm when on. He then says that the boiler is a hazard and should be replaced when able and they can do so without the cost of labor to make things right. He notes that they work often with the prior owner of the house, and that he will look into who did the certification but I believe it was him since they have the same name. It seems strange to me that the owner would have a certificate made out with his own money without my request, and for them to clear an obviously old and now defunct/dangerous machine. I have been unwillingly and unknowingly living around this device given this and am now left with a bill that could have been handled around the time of closing. I appreciate any recommendations. Thank you

 

[Zigner]

What did the seller do wrong?
Why didn't YOUR home inspector mention any of these things?

 

[FlyingRon]

Houses are sold as-is. The water heater issues were your own issues to find as no representations were apparently made.

I have no clue what the inspector's comments on the wall color have to do with anything. Carbon monoxide is colorless.
You're going to have to prove the seller knew that the certification was deficient with respect to the boiler. That may be a hard task.

 

[BoilerDrama]

Per my inspector, he noted corrosion and recommended inspection by a qualified contractor. As well as a combustion air source given this was lacking.

When I talked to the boiler guy last week, he said that the walls should be dark and tinged orange with excess CO which I though was bogus and likely a byproduct of combustion. I believe he did the certificate and looked at the room color (noted it was clean) and did not use his meter thus reporting a false value of "no carbon monoxide leakage". I am thinking the boiler people need to fix this since it could have been settled at the closing.

 

[Zigner]

Per my inspector, he noted corrosion and recommended inspection by a qualified contractor. As well as a combustion air source given this was lacking.

When I talked to the boiler guy last week, he said that the walls should be dark and tinged orange with excess CO which I though was bogus and likely a byproduct of combustion. I believe he did the certificate and looked at the room color (noted it was clean) and did not use his meter thus reporting a false value of "no carbon monoxide leakage". I am thinking the boiler people need to fix this since it could have been settled at the closing.

Did the boiler people break it?
Why didn't you follow up with your own contractor, as recommended by your inspector?
It seems that the contractor is making a generous offer of not charging for labor.

 

[xylene]

Get a second estimate.

Things that are recommended are not required btw.

 

[LdiJ]

In August 2018 I bought a 70yr old home in Wheat Ridge CO with a boiler from 1952 in place. The owner on his own accord provided a boiler certificate from an HVAC company in town stating that the boiler is in good working condition without corrosion or carbon monoxide output. Come to this winter and I start using the heat, and within a month half of the house goes cold. I have an HVAC guy come out from a company I found through a Google search not thinking of the prior certification company. He comes and reports I need a whole system revamp given corrosion, broken valves, and carbon monoxide output. He also points out that my water heater is not up to standards as it is on the ground without a mat and the piping going from the machine and through the attic to the outside is single layer and not the recommended double-layer. This puts it at a risk of overheating anything within 6in of the pipe and possible fire. I find the certificate and call the company asking for help with the recent assessment. They send a man over quickly. He states initially that there is likely carbon monoxide as the walls are white and the machine looks clean. I note that the area was likely painted prior to sale. He shows me that the corrosion is also in an area they do not use often near where water is drained to empty the system, but is also leaking onto the pump. He eventually gets the carbon monoxide detector and finds that the front of the system is putting out more than 200ppm when on. He then says that the boiler is a hazard and should be replaced when able and they can do so without the cost of labor to make things right. He notes that they work often with the prior owner of the house, and that he will look into who did the certification but I believe it was him since they have the same name. It seems strange to me that the owner would have a certificate made out with his own money without my request, and for them to clear an obviously old and now defunct/dangerous machine. I have been unwillingly and unknowingly living around this device given this and am now left with a bill that could have been handled around the time of closing. I appreciate any recommendations. Thank you

Get a second opinion. HVAC companies are notorious for telling you that you have serious carbon monoxide output when your furnace/boiler is actually working within normal parameters. Its to their advantage if they convince you to replace your system, and considering how old your system is, its very likely that they would go that route.

At least 4 or 5 times in my lifetime I have had an HVAC guy tell me that I needed to replace my furnace because of carbon monoxide output...and most of them would even refuse to turn the system back on after they did the repair I insisted that they do...so I would have to do that myself. In every case, I had a fire department approved/recommended carbon monoxide detector installed with a digital display. In every case my detector showed no output at all, let alone the amount of output that would hit the danger zone.

Its also possible that the guy that you called is not capable of fixing a system as old as yours is. Get a couple more people in, including the company that provided the prior certificate. You might not want to remind them of that certificate until you see what they have to say.

 

[Zigner]

Get a couple more people in, including the company that provided the prior certificate. You might not want to remind them of that certificate until you see what they have to say.

The OP has already spoken with the certifying company and the certifying company has offered to do the necessary work at no charge for labor if the OP pays for the required parts.

 

[Zigner]

I'd also like to point out that 200ppm is not likely over the legal limit.

 

[LdiJ]

The OP has already spoken with the certifying company and the certifying company has offered to do the necessary work at no charge for labor if the OP pays for the required parts.

I missed that in that big block of text.

 

[pac72]

you bought a house with a 56yr old boiler and wondering why there are issues with it... ? guess you never hired an inspector prior to purchase ? as to no corrosion on a 56 yr old boiler... hogwash.. take the deal-pay for the parts and take the free labor...and hope you get some use out of it before it fails entirely..

or just replace that relic

 

[Just Blue]

you bought a house with a 56yr old boiler and wondering why there are issues with it... ? guess you never hired an inspector prior to purchase ? as to no corrosion on a 56 yr old boiler... hogwash.. take the deal-pay for the parts and take the free labor...and hope you get some use out of it before it fails entirely..

or just replace that relic

psst....it's SIXTYSIX years old.

 

[pac72]

my bad... next thing they will want is to find out if parts are still under warranty...ITS ONLY 66...lol

it should have been replaced twice based on age alone.. 30 yrs is past average replacement age...66 is some CHEAP EX owners..i highly doubt it is in good safe usable condition at 66..

 

[JakobOhio]

the amount of money you will save just with the efficiency of a new unit will near pay for the part cost (if they're doing labor for free)

i am surprised the boiler has lasted this long. I have all mine on 15 year cycles