Tenants heating system wonky = should I offer to pay their gas bill?

[slackerinabox]

*Update*

The heating system was fixed last night (actually, one more piece needs to replaced, but that will be done today). I emailed my tenant earlier that day offering to take $100 off of next month's rent. She thanked me and, honestly, it made telling her that there would be no heat at all last night easier. She understood that we were doing everything that we had to do, instead of bitching. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[Eli]

That's a little different.
Maybe offer them $X off next months rent?

My dad had rentals and he used to not charge for Decembers rent if the tenants paid on time the other 11 months.

That's a pretty cool thing for him to do.

 

[DrPizza]

So in the end, what did they finally determine was the problem?

 

[slackerinabox]

So in the end, what did they finally determine was the problem?

Quite a few things, a chain reaction of sorts:
1. The initial problem was insufficient heat. The first tech incorrectly determined that the boiler just needed to be bled. This was not the case, so the problem just got worse

2. Two weeks later the thermostat was then replaced by a 2nd tech, since it was determined that the thermostat was shutting the boiler down (short circuit), not allowing the boiler to create sufficient heat

3. Since the thermostat was out of wack for 2 weeks (and the system basically off when the tenants were away on vacation), a pipe froze

4. The tech yesterday, a good friend of my dad who didn't take the easy way out, unfroze the offending pipe and determined that the igniter was also fritzing (perhaps the thermostat wasn't broken at all?), which he's replacing today

5. The tech also tested our own boiler, which he found also had a faulty igniter (which is why our unit worked but needed to have the pilot relit multiple times a week).

We kinda lucked out since the frozen pipe did not burst and was easily heat-gunned since it was very close to the boiler (it was near the ceiling). He also said that our pipes were inadequately insulated, which he's remedying today.

All of this boils down to crappy parts being used during the building process (new build). I'll be submitting the invoice for reimbursal from our escrow since I just bought the house 6 months ago