Condition ratings
Radiators were cold on a summer visit with the heating off. Has the heating system failed its rating?
No. Radiators that were cold on a summer visit, with the heating off, have not failed their rating. Cold metal in July, when the system was not running, only shows that it was off. It does not show a seized valve, a failed pump, or a boiler that will not heat. The look was visual. It was not a test of the heating.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
A summer visit with the heating off is the usual picture. Radiators are cold because nobody asked for heat, not because the survey has proved they will not heat. Services are inspected visually and are not safety-tested. The surveyor can note leaks, heavy corrosion, a missing valve, or a radiator that has already come off the wall. Those are visible defects, and they can be rating 2 if a repair is needed but is not serious or urgent, or rating 3 if what they saw is serious or urgent. Coldness itself, with the system off, is not a failed rating. If no defect was seen, they may say no repair is currently needed, which is rating 1, and that still is not a firing test.
The what to do now note advises you. It does not invoice the seller for a new heating system because the radiators were cold in summer, and it does not ask you to switch the heating on in someone else's house without agreement. Pipes under floors are concealed and are not guaranteed sound. Ask whether any radiator showed a real defect, separate from being cold. If you want the system run, agree that with the seller. Until it is run, do not tell the lender the heating failed.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Was the heating off for the whole visit?
- Which radiators, if any, had a visible defect rather than merely being cold?
- Are you clear this was not a test of the system?
What are the typical next steps?
- Do not treat cold summer radiators as a failed heating rating.
- Separate any leak or damage from the fact the system was off.
- Agree a run of the heating with the seller if you need one.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
If one radiator is leaking, does the whole system become rating 3?
Not unless the report says so. A leak is that radiator. Ask what rating they gave it.
Can rating 1 sit beside a system that was not turned on?
Yes, for what was seen. Rating 1 is not a test, and it is not a promise the system will heat in January.