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Sleepless nights caused by boiler
CORBY: Bernard Betts unhappy about the noise his boiler makes when it starts. Tuesday, 17 May 2011
A retired merchant seaman who braved the fire of the Nazis in the Second World War says that was nothing compared to a noisy boiler causing him endless sleepless nights.
Bernard Betts and his wife Jean had a new boiler fitted as part of a Government-funded initiative last year.
But every time the device fires up it makes a loud banging noise, and during winter that can be as frequently as every 10 minutes.
Mr Betts, 86, of Cottingham Road, Corby, has written a number of letters to the Warm Front Scheme, the Newcastle-based company who fitted the boiler in March 2010.
In one he wrote: “My wartime experience was nothing compared to this – I could hit back then. People who visit us are glad to leave.”
Mr Betts last wrote to the company on May 7 talking about the stress and inconvenience the issue has caused.
“We have had enough and are absolutely fed up with it,” he said.
Matters haven’t been helped by the ill health of Mrs Betts, 84, who has recently had surgery to remove a tumour near her eye.
Speaking to the Evening Telegraph, Mr Betts said: “With my wife’s illness I have got the heat on in the bathroom and the dining room all the time, and it is firing up every half an hour.
“In the winter I wrote down that it was firing up every 10 minutes in a 24-hour period.
“You can hear it in the bedroom. It was frightening.
“I was worrying whether it was safe. It has been like it since day one.
“I have been ringing them ever since it was fitted and we have had someone come out most months.
“We’ve had at least 15 visits by engineers.
“We are happy with the boiler – it is doing its job.
“We just want it to stop making this noise.”
A spokesman for Warm Front said: “We are aware of these issues and every effort is being made to resolve them.
“Engineers have inspected the system and replaced the ignition.
“They have also recommended replacing the flue and we have tried to contact Mr Betts by phone and by letter to arrange a convenient date to do this.
“This is clearly a frustrating experience and our intention is to complete this work as swiftly as possible.”
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