Our blog

Frequently Asked Questions

In my latest blog post I thought I'd answer some of the most frequent questions I've been asked by customers recently.

Is it worth changing my gas boiler?

Possibly, depending on the age and condition of your boiler. Changing a boiler can cost from as little as £1,400 for a straight swap and take just a day, although some can take 2-3 days. All new boilers are over 92% efficient, so you'll probably save money if you currently have an old one; they also no longer have permanent pilots lights, so only burn gas when required. With many boiler companies now offering guarantees of up to five years, it's certainly worth consideration.

Should I get my boiler serviced?

Boiler servicing isn't compulsory, but it does ensure that your boiler will work as efficiently as possible, which saves you money in the long run. And don't forget about gas fires too; these should be serviced as regularly as your boiler to ensure they're working properly and not emitting carbon monoxide, which can be a silent killer.

How can I avoid frozen pipes in the winter

Last winter we had many callouts to attend to frozen or burst pipes, so it's a good idea to make sure all your exposed pipes are fully insulated to prevent them freezing in cold weather. Pipe lagging costs around £2 per metre, whilst a callout to fix your pipes will cost from £60 - or more if damage has also been caused to a building. This is one case where prevention is definitely better than the cure!

What is a Landlord Gas Safety Certificate?

As house prices continue to rise, more people are now renting properties rather than buying, which in turn means there are more landlords asking us this. Every landlord must have a Landlord Gas Safety Certificate, which ensures that a rental property's gas appliances and pipe work are safe to use. We are very happy to issue these for you, with the average price being around £80; a small price to pay for the peace of mind of knowing your tenants are safe.

I need to adapt my bathroom for disability - can you help?

With an increasing number of elderly and disabled people now being cared for at home, we are often asked about disability-friendly bathrooms, and we certainly can help! If you give us an idea of your particular requirements we'll be happy to give you an idea of designs and costs, then supply you with what you need.

Save money with the right heating controls

Many people think installing a new boiler is the best way to save money on their heating bills, and sometimes it is. But if you have the wrong type of controls - or none at all - installing a condensing boiler may well be a waste of time and money. If you're in doubt as to what you need, the Energy Saving Trust's website will give a good indication to what controls suit which boiler. It's a good idea to check, as having the right controls will save you money.

Landlord Responsibilities

I'm always being asked what are the legal requirement for landlords regarding gas, so here is a brief summary. By law landlords must ensure that:

Pipe work, appliances and flues provided for tenants are maintained in a safe condition.
Appliances and flues provided for tenants have a gas safety check every 12 months.
Maintenance and annual safety checks are carried out by a Gas Safe-registered business or engineer.
All gas equipment (including any appliance left by a previous tenant) is safe or otherwise removed before re-letting.
They provide a record of safety checks to the tenant within 28 days of completing the check, or to any new tenant before they move in.
They keep a copy of the safety check record for two years.

Advice on landlords' responsibilities are contained in the HSE's Guidance to Landlords and Letting Agents, which can be found on the HSE website.

Carbon Monoxide Street!

The recent Coronation Street storyline where Fizz Stape was poisoned by carbon monoxide from a boiler that had been badly fixed by a friend has helped to highlight the importance of using a Gas Safe-registered engineer to install all household gas appliances. Gas Safe engineers have to take exams in order to be qualified to work with gas appliances and are also regularly inspected to ensure their work is up to standard.

There is plenty of information about this on the Gas Safe website, including the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning and a comprehensive list of Gas Safe-registered engineers, so you can check that whoever is working on your appliances is on there. Better safe than sorry - gas can be very dangerous and needs to be treated with respect!

Frozen/Burst Pipes

Last year I had many call outs to frozen/burst pipes, its now the time to make sure all exposed pipes are fully insulated or lagged to prevent them freezing. Some of the questions I was ask were “ how to insulate my pipes?” it is quite simple, all we need to do is insulate all exposed pipes making sure they are fully lagged, “is it expensive to insulate pipes?” not really, pipe lagging is around £2 per metre, “how much to fix a frozen pipe?” it all depends on what pipe it is, also what other damage it has caused to the building, it could be form £60, but I always say prevention is better than cure.

Boiler Services

With the cold weather soon arriving now is the time to make sure all your boilers are working as efficiently as possible by getting them serviced. “how much does a service cost” most boiler services cost £40, “how much for a fire service” fire services cost £40 too. “should I get my fire serviced” fires should be serviced as regular as boiler because carbon monoxide is a silent killer.

Landlord Certificates

With house prices rising, people are renting properties more now which in turn means there are more landlords. Every landlord has to have a landlord certificate which ensures all gas appliances and pipework are safe to use .People ask “how much does a landlord certificate cost?” Well they don’t actually cost as much as people think, with the average price being £80, I believe it is little amount to make sure your tenants are safe.

Disability Bath Bathrooms

Disability bath bathrooms are becoming evermore popular, with people been cared form more at home now, I come and design a bathroom suitable to your needs. People ask “is it easy to design a bathroom for their needs?” yes it is, you tell me what you want and I do my best to give you what you want.

Boiler Deals