Please be aware

Should you encounter any problems or faults with your safety devices, such as smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, this must be reported to us using our standard reporting procedure.

Report a repair

Our repairs service is here for you.

The only thing we ask is that you only contact us between 5pm and 8am, and at the weekend, Bank Holidays or during Christmas close down days if your repair is a real emergency, that can't wait until normal working hours. 

This is because we have limited staff taking calls and carrying out repairs during these hours and we want to put these resources where they are needed the most.  

To find out more about the service we provide and how to report your repair click on any of the links below, which include some helpful hints about problems you may be experiencing with your heating.  

Condensation

Damp, Mould and Condensation

When mould appears it is natural to worry about the impact on our home, our health and how best to treat it. The good news is that more often than not, the issue is usually caused by condensation, and this is something that you can resolve yourself taking some simple actions.

Find out more
Reporting Your Repair

Report Your Repair

Self Service

You can log a repair using My Access where you can report a repair and review your rent account or any enquiries.  

Our online repair service uses a diagnostic tool, showing pictures of all the things in a property that may need repairing.

Just click on the picture - and you will get asked some questions to help you diagnose the repair and book your repair slot as you report it. 

If we need further information about the repair we will contact you Monday to Friday, excluding Bank Holidays and close down days.   

Phone  

Phone 01302 862862 to contact our Customer Access Team.  We offer a call back service on request when reporting repairs.

Hard of Hearing Customers

Monday to Friday, between 8am and 7pm hard of hearing customers  can report an emergency repair by texting 07799477252, excluding Bank Holidays. Outside of these times  text the Alarm Receiving Centre on 07929080056.  You will receive a confirmation text reply.

Note;  During our Christmas close down period please text 07799477252 on the days and times shown below:

22nd December between 8am and 5pm
27th, 28th and 29th December between 8am and 7pm

Translations

We also have access to translation services using Big Word. Ring us if you want to report a repair using this service. All you need to tell us is your phone number and your preferred language. We'll then arrange for an interpreter from Big Word to ring you back. We can then talk to you through the interpreter.

Email

You can email us about your repair via tenant.repairs@stlegerhomes.co.uk. Include your contact telephone number in the email so that we can ring you to discuss the repair. This is during normal working hours Monday to Friday 8am until 5.00 pm.

In person or in writing 

You can also contact us in person or in writing by visiting us or writing to us at the Civic Office, Waterdale, Doncaster DN1 3BU 

 

How long will I wait?

All repairs to your home will be carried out to a high standard but clearly some repairs are more urgent than others. The timescale for your repair will therefore be based on repair categories.

We always try to work flexibly with our customers and in some circumstances, where the customer is vulnerable,  we may come and see you sooner.

Please advise us of any circumstances you consider we should be aware of in order for us to offer you a service suitable to meet your needs.

Emergency repairs - Priority one

These are repairs which, if not undertaken, could:

  • Constitute a real risk of injury or death    
  • Lead to major damage of your home

We will attend to priority one emergency repairs within two hours of the repair being reported to make the issue safe or, where possible, complete the repair.

Urgent repairs – Priority two

We will complete urgent repairs within 24-hours of being reported. These include, but are not limited to:

  • Total loss of electric power (not related to issues with utility providers)  
  • Unsafe power or lighting socket or electric fitting    
  • Total loss of water supply   
  • Total loss of gas supply   
  • Partial loss of gas supply (where there is no other form of heating)
  • Insecure external window, door or lock

Routine repairs – Priority three

A routine repair does not immediately affect the health and safety, or security, of you and your home. However, they may do so if not attended to within a short space of time.

We aim to complete routine repairs within five working days, excluding the day the repair is reported, Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays.

These include, but are not limited to:

  • Partial loss of water supply     
  • Partial loss of electric power
  • Blocked sink, bath or hand basin waste pipes   
  • Blocked or leaking foul drain, soil stack, or toilet pan (where there is no other working toilet in the dwelling)  
  • Toilet not flushing (where there is no other working toilet)
  • Leak from water or heating pipe, tank or cistern
  • Tap which cannot be turned
  • Loose or detached banister or hand-rail
  • Rotten timber flooring or stair tread
  • Leaking roofs
  • Door entry phone not working
  • Mechanical extractor fan in internal kitchen or bathroom not working (excluding installations)
  • Restore heating or hot water

Non-urgent repairs - Priority four and Priority five

Non-urgent repairs are issues that do not cause immediate discomfort to you or will not cause long term damage to the fabric of your home.

We aim to complete these repairs within 20 working days, excluding the day the repair is reported, Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays

These include, but are not limited to:

  • Wall tiles
  • Internal doors
  • Clean gutters
  • Paving
  • Plastering repairs
  • Repairs to kitchen units and worktops
  • Renewal of wash hand basins
Contracted works

A small proportion of repairs will be completed by our partner contractors. This will primarily be for specialist works, however it may be extended to generic repairs work if demand exceeds internal resource. Examples of specialist work include, but not limited to;

  • External roor renewals
  • Window renewals
  • Wet room repairs and renewals
  • Erection of scaffolding
  • Damp proofing works

Timescales for contracted works vary and are subject to change. Some contracted repairs will require surveys to be undertaken before works can commence. A tenant must grant access to contractors to undertake any required surveys or delays in the completion of the repair may be experienced.

Appointments

We provide appointments for the completion of responsive repairs and pre-inspections:

  • Morning appointment 8 am to 12 noon
  • Afternoon appointment 12 noon to 4 pm
  • Evening appointment 4 pm to 6 pm
  • Saturday morning appointments 8 am to 12 am

We also offer a School Run appointment, between 9.30 am and 2.30 pm, if you have to take children to school.

Please note that some appointments for an inspector may be a scoping appointment and then may require another appointment for follow on works. This will be explained when we make the original appointment with you. This ensures that whenever possible, our teams attend the follow on appointment with the right materials and equipment needed to carry out your repair there and then.

The Customer Access Team prioritise repair appointments taking into account individual circumstances because vulnerability can impact on customers in different ways. Where a repair is impacting directly on a customer’s health or well being we will always try to work flexibly and, in some circumstances, may carry out the repair sooner.

Likewise, in certain situations such as availability of resources or materials, we may need to rearrange our original appointment with you, however we will contact you to explain why.

We may also, in some circumstances, waiver a rechargeable repair for vulnerability reasons. 

 

Keeping in touch about your repair

We want to ensure that we keep in touch with you to let you know about the progress of your responsive repair. 

We will:

  • Send a text to your landline or mobile to confirm the date of your appointment;
  • Send you a reminder text to your landline or mobile 24 hours before your appointment;
  • Phone you before we set off to carry out the repair to confirm that you will be in when we arrive;
  • Let you know if we have cancelled the repair because you did not answer the phone to confirm you would be in.
  • Send you a text or landline voice message asking you to contact us to re-arrange your repair if you do not answer the phone to confirm you will be in;
  • Cancel the repair if you do not contact us within 48 hours of receiving the text message we sent about not being able to contact you (48 hours excludes weekends and Bank Holidays).

If we cancel your repair and you still require it, you will need to report it again using My Access or by phoning  01302 862862.

 

 

Our customer service standards

We will:

  • Make sure our trade staff are skilled and use quality materials;
  • Make sure our trade staff carry identification details and show these to you;
  • Treat your home with respect and tidy up afterwards;
  • Always try to keep an appointment and let you know if there is a delay;
  • We will phone you after we have completed the repair using our automated survey system so you can let us know how we did.

 

What are my responsibilities?

There are certain items where a repair or work will be your responsibility. These repairs include:

  • Replacing fluorescent tubes, lightbulbs, starters and; lamp holder skirts (the part that holds your lamp shades on), pull cords and toggles. 
  • Repairing TV aerial sockets unless they are part of a communal system.
  • Resetting of trip switches on the consumer units/fuse boards.
  • Replacing plumbing furniture and fixings; toilet seat, plug and chain, toilet roll holders, shower curtain and shower rail.
  • Replacement of door locks when keys are lost.
  • Replacing decorative joinery furniture and fixings; dado rail, curtain batons, curtain rails.
  • Filling decorative cracks to walls or ceilings - (cracks no wider than a £1 coin thickness).
  • Renewal of line to rotary or line driers.
  • Internal decoration
  • Any improvements to your home that you have done with our permission

You will also be responsible for the repair, or replacement of any item (excluding fair wear and tear) in your home where the damage is caused through:

  • The tenant and/or any other individual residing at the property.
  • Any individual knowingly allowed into the property.
  • Any household pet and/or animal knowingly allowed into the property.

If the damage causes a threat to the health and safety of persons or the property, then we will carry out the repairs and the costs incurred may be recharged to the tenant.

Further details of recharges can be found in our recharge policy.

Helpful Hints - Dealing with Frozen Condensate Pipes

Combination/Condensate Boilers


If you do have a combination/condensate boiler there is a quick and easy solution to get the heating back up and running without having to wait for a gas engineer to visit – just follow the advice below.

If you don’t feel confident defrosting the pipe yourself, don’t worry, ring our Customer Access Team.

How do I know if I have a combination/condensing boiler with a condensate pipe that could freeze?

If your boiler is a Baxi/Potterton Duotec, Baxi/Potterton Solo, Vokera Mynute, Glowworm Hxi/Cxi, or a Vokera Unica, then it’s likely that you have a boiler that will have a condensate pipe fitted externally.

What does the condensate pipe do?

The boiler naturally produces a small amount of waste gas which turns to water as it cools. The condensate pipe drains this water outside.

How do I know if my boiler has a condensate pipe?

Look under the boiler to see if there is a plastic pipe - It’s usually white and around 20mm (about ¾”) wide. The pipe should run to the outside of your home and should always run into a drain.

Why does it freeze?

The water dripping through the pipe can freeze in cold weather, preventing it from draining away. When this happens the boiler will shut down. To fix the problem the frozen water needs to be cleared.  

How do I know if my boiler has stopped working because the condensate pipe is frozen?

Check your boiler for an error code:

if you have a Baxi/Potterton boiler displaying ‘E1’ ‘33’ fault code; or
Vokera Unica or Vokera Mynute displaying the fault code ‘AL10’

then check the condensate pipe. If it is NOT frozen, ring the Technical Support Service

If it is frozen and you feel able try to defrost it yourself then defrost the condensate pipe and reset your boiler following the instructions below.

How do I defrost the condensate pipe?

There are two ways to do this:

1) Pour hot water on the outside of the pipe. Don’t use boiling water to do this and only pour over the outside of the condensate pipe. Do not attempt to pour water down the pipe. Be careful to avoid any slips and trips by ensuring you do not get water on the path, as this will freeze.

2) Use either a hot water bottle or a heat wrap and place it around the pipe at the section where the water has frozen.

How do I reset the boiler?

Once defrosted, you can reset your boiler by turning the Selector switch to the Reset position and holding for at least 5 seconds. Remember, some boilers go through an electronic checking cycle after being re-set: this can take up to 15 minutes.

I’ve defrosted the condensate pipe, reset the boiler and it works fine - until it reaches a certain temperature, then it cuts out. What’s wrong?

The frozen pipe may have caused the boiler to flood causing an ignition fault. Try switching the boiler off for a few hours. If this doesn’t rectify the problem ring the Customer Access Team.

Some things to be aware of  …

Never try to thaw a condensate pipe that cannot be easily reached or disconnect the condensate pipe in the process.
Use extreme caution at all times when trying to find or thaw the condensate pipe.

What other issues can stop your combination boiler working in severe weather conditions?

Combination boilers work by heating hot water on demand: they take water straight from the mains supply, not from a tank. In severe weather conditions the mains water supply to your home can freeze.

Try running your taps: if there is no water from any of your taps the mains have probably frozen. If this happens you won’t be able to use your combination boiler until the mains defrost.

Regardless of whether you have a combination boiler; a condensate boiler; a gas fire back boiler; a wall mounted boiler; or a solid fuel appliance, switch your boiler off or let your fire go out until the water comes back on. Keep checking your taps. When the water comes back on you can use your appliance again.

Unfortunately there is nothing we can do to repair your boiler if your water supply has frozen.

An example of a condensate pipe is shown below. The condensate pipe is the diagonal pipe running along the side of the house.

Pipe 1

Helpful Hints - Radiator Valve Settings

Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs)

Your radiators may be fitted with a Thermostatic Radiator Valve. These work by sensing the air temperature in the room and adjusting the heat accordingly.

A TRV is different to a room thermostat. A room thermostat determines the maximum temperature for the house and the TRV lets you vary this temperature room by room, meaning you don't have to waste money warming rooms you seldom use. The number on the valve corresponds to a specific air temperature.  Once you have selected a number, the thermostatic valve will maintain this temperature

Some things to remember when using TRVs:

If you turn a TRV down to low in a room, keep the door to that room closed. This will reduce condensation and prevent the radiators in other rooms from working overtime trying to heat the air in there too.

The radiator will not be hot all the time. The purpose of the valve is to allow you to control the temperature in individual rooms. It turns the hot water flow off when the room reaches the set temperature. Before you ring to report a radiator that is not working, check that the TRV isn’t set too low.

Helpful Hints - Gas Central Heating Problems

Help us to help you! Before you ring to report a repair to your gas central heating, we ask that you carry out a few simple checks:

Is the gas supply turned on? Check if other gas appliances, such as your gas cooker, are working?

If you have a combination boiler, is the ON/OFF/Reset select switch in the Heat/Water position and is the display lit? If not, check that the electricity to the boiler is switched on.

Is the timer/programmer set correctly to Heat/Hot Water?

Is your room thermostat set high enough? Turn to maximum to check.

If you have thermostatic radiator valves fitted, are they turned up?

If you have a pre-payment or token meter, is there enough credit on your meter?
If you have checked all the above and still can’t get the heating to work, contact our Customer Access team on  01302 862862

Helpful Hints - Preventing Frozen or Burst Pipes

To help prevent pipes bursting:

Keep your heating on constantly, even if on low, during the night;
Open the loft hatch, this will help warm air circulate to the attic and prevent the pipes in your loft from freezing;
Open doors on kitchen cupboards that are on exterior walls to allow warm air to circulate around any pipes inside the cupboard;
If you are going on holiday, or will be away from your home during a cold spell, turn your water off at the mains. This will help prevent potential burst pipes while you are away.
Know where your stop tap is so you can turn the water off quickly!

The stop tap is a valve on the cold water system in your home. Turn the stop tap clockwise to shut it off and anti-clockwise to turn it back on.

Regularly check that your stop tap is working by running the cold water tap in your kitchen and then turning the stop tap off (clockwise). If the water doesn’t stop running, contact the Customer Access Team straight away. Remember to turn the water back on (anti-clockwise).  

If a pipe does burst:

  • Turn off the water at the stop tap.
  • Try and block the escaping water with thick cloths or towels.
  • Open all taps to reduce flooding.
  • Call the Customer Access Team right away.
    Don't forget to turn off your taps once the problem is fixed!

Help and assistance

If you struggle reading or hearing the messages we send, contact us on 01302 862862 or email us to let us know how best to contact you. 

Email us