Repairs
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During Office Hours
Please report repairs to our office at 171 York Road. This can be done by:
Telephone 028 9077 3330. Phones will be answered on weekdays 9.30 to 1.00 and 2.00 to 4.30. Staff will need:- your name, address and phone number,- details of the repair needed, and- suitable times for workmen to call.
By email: info@groveha.org.uk
You can leave a message on Grove’s answering phone outside office hours. Again, it would be helpful if you would provide:- your name, address and phone number,- details of the repair needed, and- suitable times for workmen to call.
Emergency Repairs Outside Office Hours
If you need emergency repairs or advice about a repair and it cannot wait until Grove’s office is open again, phone Radius Connect 24 on Telephone:
0800 731 3081
Radius Connect 24 will contact our repair contractor, who will contact you.Please do not ask contractors to come to your home unless the repair really cannot wait until a normal working day.
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Repair requests are divided into 3 main categories. These determine how quickly the Association needs to respond. Individual situations may also influence response times. For example if a WC is not working right but there is a second one in the house, a visit from a plumber would not need to be quite as prompt.
Emergency Repairs – 24 Hour Target
To be treated as an emergency, the fault must carry the risk of immediate injury to people or major damage to property. Examples of emergency repairs are:
Escape of gas or fumes; electrical fittings in contact with water; live or bare electric wiring; sewage overflowing into the home; outside doors that need secured; burst storage tanks, cylinders or pipes; failure of all lights or all power; failure of heating systems in severe weather and where no alternative is available.
It may not be possible to fully repair all items during the 24 hours. For example, a part may have to be ordered to complete a repair.
Urgent Repairs – 4 Working Days Target
An urgent repair needs a prompt response but is not an emergency. We will attend to urgent repairs within 4 working days. Examples of urgent repairs are:
Faulty light switch, socket or pendant; faults at water heating circuits; ball valve faults at storage tanks or WC cisterns; leaks in WC flush pipes, waste pipes, valves or radiators; blockages at sewers or drains; major water penetration at external doors or windows.
Routine Repairs – 4 Week Target
If a repair is not classified as emergency or urgent then it is a routine repair and will be completed within 4 weeks. These repairs do not cause a major inconvenience or serious damage to the fabric of the building. Examples of routine repairs are:
Cleaning or repairing gutters or downpipes; easing or repairing doors or window-sashes; plasterwork repairs; repairs to damaged roof tiles/slates or lead flashings; repairing kitchen fittings and worktops; repairs to floors or tiling.
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There are a number of repairs that tenants are responsible for, though Grove will take account of fair wear and tear and each tenant’s capability.
Generally:
Minor items that can reasonably be carried out by a tenant.
Anything constructed or provided by the current tenant that Grove has not agreed to take responsibility for.
Making good wilful or negligent damage.
Electrical Items:
Bulbs, plugs, fluorescent tubes and starters.
Repairs to electrical appliances and light fittings not installed by or accepted for maintenance by Grove.
Fuses, except main fuses which NIE look after.
Re-setting trip switches.
Testing smoke, heat and carbon monoxide detectors.
Plumbing:
Cleaning out gully traps, and blockages at sinks, baths, basins and WC’s.
Stoppers and chains.
WC seat and fittings.
Connecting up washing machines etc.
Heating:
Bleeding air from radiators.
Setting time clocks.
Re-setting gas meters or oil boilers if they have run out of fuel.
Doors and windows:
Tightening screws to hinges, locks and handles and oiling hinges and locks.
Replacing lost keys and replacing locks if you lose your keys.
Replacing broken glass (unless a PSNI report is provided showing the damage was not caused by the tenant or anyone connected to him or her).
Decoration:
Keeping the inside in reasonable decorative order.
Minor internal wall or ceiling cracks.
Outside:
Care and upkeep of gardens, paving, hard standing for cars etc.
Other:
Replacing refuse bins and whirly lines
Curtain rails and coat hooks.
Cleaning & maintenance of any fixtures & fittings normally done by the user.
Note: this list is not exhaustive
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Grove will seek reimbursement from tenants for unnecessary repair and maintenance work caused by their action or carelessness. This can be applied during a tenancy or for damage found after a tenancy has been terminated. Examples are:
Having Grove send out heating engineers when there was no fault with the heating system, for example where gas or oil has run out, or the wall or radiator thermostat was turned down.
Having Grove send out an electrician when a fault in a tenant’s own appliance was tripping the power supply.
Damage to external or internal doors and frames.
Replacing original doors with ones that do not match, or do not meet fire or safety regulations.
Locking oneself out so locks have to be broken into and changed.
Damage caused by pets.
Making unsafe changes to the electrical installation.
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Gas Leaks
If you think gas is leaking:
Open doors and windows for ventilation.
Check if a gas appliance has been left on and if so, turn it off.
If you suspect a leak, turn off the gas supply at the meter. The gas is off when the yellow handle is at 90o to the gas pipe.
Do not smoke or light any flames. Do not use any electric switches as they can spark. Phone from a room where you do not smell gas.
Contact Grove at 028 9077 3330, or the Phoenix Gas emergency number 0800 002 001If you have run out of gas, you need to follow the instructions on the meter so the supply re-starts:Use the following instructions:
Put money/credit on the card
Insert the card into the meter
Press and hold the black button (B) until the display says ‘LET GO’
Press the reset button on the boiler.
Heating Controls
If you have a gas or oil boiler, you have heating controls which help you keep the house at the temperature you want. They can also save you money by helping you control how much heat you use.Time clock:If you have a hot water cylinder the time clock allows you to run the central heating or the hot water, or both. You can set the times so they come on automatically, or you can use the time clock to turn them on and off yourself. If you have a “combi” boiler, the clock just controls the central heating and the boiler only heats water when you turn the hot tap on. Please use the time clock controls and do not turn the power supply switch by the boiler on and off as this damages the boiler.Wall thermostat:This is usually on the wall in your hall or living room. If your home comes up to the temperature you have it set at, the boiler will turn off until the temperature in that area cools again. If you turn it down too much, your heating will not come on at all. You can try and see what temperature suits you best.Thermostatic radiator valves:You have these on all radiators, or all but one. They allow you to control the temperature in each room.
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Grove is able to provide adaptations and aids to assist people with disabilities living in its homes. Work that will cost over £1,000 requires a recommendation from an Occupational Therapist. If an adaptation is straight forward and costs less than £1,000 Grove may proceed without an Occupational Therapist’s request if satisfied that it is required. Examples of adaptations and aids are:
installing a level access shower
installing a stair lift
fitting grab rails or additional hand rails for stairs
installing an intercom or door entry system
fitting lever taps
How to Apply for an Adaptation
For adaptations that will cost more than £1,000, contact your GP and explain the difficulties you are experiencing. Your GP can refer you to an Occupational Therapist who can assess your circumstances and recommend adaptations and aids you may require.
For adaptations under £1,000, contact staff at Grove’s office. Please note that some requests may be more complicated than staff are qualified to deal with and may still require professional advice.
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Grove will carry out improvements such as renewing heating boilers, kitchen units, doors and bathroom suites when they have reached the end of their useful lives.You need to ask us for permission to put sheds or other structures outside. You also need our permission for modification work inside such as any structural alterations, or changing existing doors, windows, kitchen units, worktops, bathroom suites, wall tiles or kitchen or bathroom vinyl or electrics.The Association will not withhold permission unreasonably, but we want to make sure that what you do does not cause us problems later, such as having to fix what you have done if you end your tenancy.