Simple Boiler Checks You Should Make during the Winter Months

With summer rolling on and another British winter just around the corner, boilers are going to have to take the strain. There is nothing worse than having to put up with a broken boiler in the winter. What you can do is make sure you have plumbing services in Glasgow at your disposal to make sure you are ready for anything.

In the meantime, there are a number of checks you can carry out to make sure you do not have to spend the time and the effort calling in a team of professional boiler installers.

Check the Heating on a Regular Basis

If you always keep your boiler on zero during low temperatures, this could cause a lot of damage to the boiler. It makes it harder to warm up because it has to do more to bring the cold pipes to the right temperature. You should check your heating regularly to make sure it can still warm up and down again.

Doing this will decrease the chances of it freezing up and breaking down. Ideally, it should always be kept at a low temperature when you are in the house.

Is the Boiler On?

It sounds incredibly patronising to ask this question, but the fact is it is more common than you think. If it is off or the gas/electricity supply has stopped working, the boiler will not work because you have not given it the chance to. Look to see if your energy supply is up and running. If it is, now check the pilot light. The pilot light should be on, assuming you have a pilot light in the first place.

In the event the pilot light has gone off, reset the boiler manually. You can do this without breaching your insurance policy or calling out an engineer.

Check the Boiler Instructions

Always check your boiler’s instructions before doing anything to it. You want to make sure that you have not inadvertently done something wrong. Furthermore, if you are carrying out any simple manual repairs by yourself this manual can help you understand what you should and should not do. The instructions given will not invalidate your insurance policy.

The Pressure Levels

Combi boilers often fall victim to low pressure levels during the winter months. This can stop them from working. If the boiler has stopped, check the pressure dial and the pipes for any signs of a leak. If there are no leaks, you can increase the pressure in the system by turning the valve handle.

Before you do this, always switch the boiler off and read the manual first. Increasing the pressure in a closed system like this can lead to explosions. This is why we often recommend sending for the plumbers when carrying out these repairs.

Overall, a problem with your boiler does not have to mean a big repair bill. Many issues can be solved by carrying out the four simple checks listed above. The important thing is to not panic. Most problems can be resolved in the matter of an hour.

How Should You Take Care Of Your Boiler In The Summer?

Boilers are not exactly the first consideration on our lists during the summer. Most households will turn the boiler off, forget it exists, and then look to switch it on again when autumn arrives. Unfortunately, many boilers do not play ball and a call to plumbing services in Glasgow is not far away.

You would not expect to leave your car idling in the driveway for three months and expect it to work as if nothing happened. The same thing applies to your boiler. If you are not interested in calling someone out to help with your boiler repairs in Glasgow, read this article to find out more about summer maintenance.

Tick the Central Heating Over

Even if it is roasting outside, always turn your central heating on for about ten minutes every month. This will make sure all the parts remain in good working order for when you really need them. There is always a risk of components seizing up when left to fester for an extended period.

Another reason to put the central heating on is to remove any grit that has made its way into the system. Grit build-ups are one of the main causes of boiler problems come the winter.

The Pressure
Boilers will lose pressure when they are not used. If your boiler’s pressure falls below 1-1.5 bars, you have a problem. If the boiler is still cold, turn the water valves to make sure the pressure gets back within this range.

It is not a difficult maintenance task to carry out. Your instruction manual for the boiler will tell you how to do this. It will not invalidate your insurance policy if you do it yourself, so there is no need to call out a professional.

In the event the pressure is too high, this is when you need to call a professional. Fiddling around with a system with high-pressure levels is incredibly dangerous and can be hazardous to human health.

What about the CO?

CO stands for carbon monoxide and it is the silent killer. It is estimated 50 people per year are killed through carbon monoxide exposure from faulty heating appliances. You cannot see, taste, or smell this dangerous gas. The only way you can detect it is through a carbon monoxide alarm close to the boiler. It will go off when carbon monoxide levels rise to an unsafe level.

This is especially important in the summer when boilers are more likely to breakdown. Since we do not consider our boilers in the summer, carbon monoxide can leak out without our knowledge. This is why many of these deaths occur during the summer.

What about Professional Maintenance?

It is always wise to schedule an annual maintenance call either during the summer or just before the summer. Your boiler goes through a lot of continuous usage throughout the winter. By having professional plumbers in Glasgow give you the ‘okay’, you can go into the summer with confidence knowing your boiler is in tiptop condition.

Depending on your plan with your energy provider, this might be something you have access to completely free of charge.

5 Tips for Winter Boiler Maintenance You May Not Have Thought Of

Boiler maintenance becomes ever more crucial in the winter, and that is not just because you happen to be using it. On the contrary, this is the time were pipes become damaged and the whole system can be broken down in a matter of days. There are ways you can prevent your system from going down.

Here are some useful tips for making sure you do not have to order a plumber in Glasgow to fix your boiler in the dead of winter.

1. Bleeding the Radiators

Many plumbers in Glasgow find themselves being called out to people’s homes for boiler problems when the only real problem is the fact they have not bled the radiators. If you can feel a cold patch on the radiator, trapped air has blocked the system. Anyone can bleed a radiator and it does not need the help of a professional.

Only if you bleed the radiator and the cold patches remain do you need to call someone in. This could be an indication that you require a chemical flush to remove any sludge that has blocked up the pipes.

2. Insulate the Condensate Pipe

If you have a condensate pipe that carries away the condensation, there is a good chance the winter months are going to lead to problems. The problem is the cold weather can freeze the condensation inside, which can lead to blockages. It can lead to holes and cracking within the pipes.

It does not take much to solve this problem. Wrap the pipes in lagging. This can be picked up at most DIY stores. Simply wrap it around the pipe and you have some homemade insulation.

3. Thaw the Condensate Pipe

If insulating the condensate pipe is beyond you, you now need to consider whether to thaw the pipe yourself or call in plumbing services in Glasgow. Although the process is relatively simple, if you get it wrong it can cause a lot of damage, which may require the complete replacement of the condensate pipe.

You can place a hot water bottle on the pipe or pour some relatively warm water over the pipe slowly. However you thaw the pipe, it is a matter of simply gradually increasing the temperature until the ice melts.

4. Consider a Replacement

Older boilers are most at risk during the winter months. The majority of boilers have a lifespan of between twelve and fifteen years. If your boiler is in this age range, consider whether it is worth keeping. Sometimes, spending the money now to replace your boiler saves you money on costly repairs later on.

5. Know When to Call in the Professionals

Most of us will try to solve boiler problems ourselves before we start to look towards professionals. This is a mistake because our own repairs can make the issues more expensive to resolve. Another consideration is your insurance policy. If you try to tamper with the boiler in certain ways, it can completely invalidate your policy.

Know when to call in the professionals. If a problem is beyond your field of expertise, call in an emergency plumber to get the heat back on.

The Secret to How Your Plumber is Estimating the Price of Your Job

Plumbers need to have the professional expertise required to perform a quick and accurate estimate. In the industry, it is considered good practice to provide a written estimate and to stick to this estimate. Getting it wrong can lead to a lot of embarrassment for any plumbing agency.

Customers also need to know how estimates are conducted, so they know they are getting a fair deal. This is why in this article we are going to discuss how agencies like Plumbtec24.co.uk provide their estimates.

A Visit to the Site

The fact is most plumbing jobs are easy to provide a quotation for without a visit. Most professionals will be able to give you an idea of how much they will charge for a clogged toilet or a leaky tap. They will not need to visit your home or business to figure it out.

Sometimes, it will be necessary to conduct a visit. This is because the details matter. It is not a case of looking at the symptoms of a problem and coming up with a solution. For example, a leaking tap could be indicative of a broken part or a much deeper issue. You just do not know until a thorough inspection has been conducted.

The Blueprints

Plumbing professionals are also responsible for building new plumbing systems. They will have blueprints for these jobs. A Plumbers in Glasgow will inspect these blueprints and begin listing the materials they will need to purchase and how long the job will take to finish.

Estimates and Quotes

It is not just the customer who gets an estimate. To give you an accurate quote, plumbers will go to a local supplier and get an idea of how much the materials will cost. This is not where they make their profits. The price they pay for materials is the price you will pay them for the materials. You are paying for their labour not their supplies.

Most plumbing agencies will already have deals with local suppliers, which lower their costs due to them being regular customers.

Additional Expenses

Any miscellaneous overheads will be added on to the total bill. There are many added fees they have to take into account to keep their business afloat. Some of these expenses include:

1. fuel
2. insurance
3. taxes.

Most plumbers will aim to make about a 25% profit margin. This is what they will charge for their labour costs. Everything else goes towards covering what they have to pay out to initiate the job.

Written Estimate

Responsible consumers should always look to have some form of written estimate. You do not want to receive an estimate verbally only to discover this is not the price you are charged when the job has been completed. There’s nothing you can do to prove the original quote, so you’re left with a bad taste in your mouth from having to pay more.

Always remember an estimate is an estimate and nothing more. If the cost does need to increase, due to unforeseen problems, it’s considered good practice for them notify their customer of this as soon as possible. You should the choice as to whether they continue the project.

How to Unclog a Toilet Without Using a Plunger

Clogged toilets are amongst the most common plumbing problems you will experience in the home. Whether you simply do not want to pay for plumbing services in Glasgow or you believe you can solve the problem yourself, you might be tempted to attempt to deal with the issue without professional help.

Plumbtec24.co.uk endorses people who can fix minor problems using common household items. In the case of a clogged toilet, you may not have a plunger available. This does not mean you cannot clear the blockage. Here is our favourite way of doing it, and by far the most successful.

Chemical Drain Cleaners

A word on the use of chemical drain unclogging agents before we begin.

These do not work. They often do not fully clear the blockage and they do a good job at eroding the pipes. No respectable plumber will find himself or herself using them. Long-term use of these chemicals will only lead to more expensive and more significant problems further down the line.

What we are going to do in this article is show you how a homemade agent can do the same job as these dangerous commercial cleaners.

What You Need

You need nothing more than detergent you would normally use for the washing up, a large pot, and some warm water. The goal of this mixture is to loosen the blockage and provide a form of lubricant to allow it to slide down the pipes and out of your home.

This will work with the majority of obstructions. Only the most serious blockages will not react to this solution.

Create the Mixture

Begin by putting some detergent into your toilet. This acts as the lubricant. You’ll only need a few squirts from the bottle. Now you need a large pot filled with water. Place it on the stove, heat it, and bring it to the boil.

Start Pouring

Take the pot of boiling water and pour it into the toilet from a height of about three feet. Any lower and the water will not fall with enough force to begin breaking up the obstruction. If you pour from too high, the water may splash so much it comes out of the toilet. You do not want this to happen because it is incredibly unhygienic.

Plumbers in Glasgow recommend pouring slowly and continuously. You should notice the contents of your toilet disappearing. In the event the blockage does clear, the water level in the toilet bowl should return to normal.

Rinse and Repeat

There are some scenarios where this will not work. Particularly large blockages may require multiple rounds of this treatment process. Keep doing it until the water returns to a normal level. If the blockage is serious, you will notice no change.

As a test, you should flush the toilet when you are finished. The flushing process will remove any residues and should return the water to a normal level. If the water does not return to normal, it means there is a blockage further down the pipes. This will require the services of a professional to step in and help.

What to Ask Your Plumber before Hiring Them

Hiring a plumber means whipping out the phonebook and investigating which of the hundreds of professionals suit you best. It is long and time-consuming, but by asking a number of key questions, you can find the right person for you.

Plumbtec24.co.uk, based in Glasgow, believes there are a number of ‘must ask’ questions you should ask any plumber on any job. In this article, we go through the questions you should always find the answers to.

Do You Charge a Flat Rate?

It is important to establish immediately whether your plumbing services in Glasgow are charged by the hour or not. Every professional is different. You might have a preference for one or the other. The main goal of this question is to make sure you know what you are likely to pay before you hire them.

Will You Carry Out a Free Assessment and Offer a Free Quote?

You shouldn’t have to pay a plumber to find out how much you need to pay to get a job done. What if they come to give you a quote and charge you for the time spent forming a quote? It is not fair and it will mean you end up paying plumbers even though you have not hired them. Thankfully, most plumbers in the city are competent enough to provide comprehensive quotes over the phone.

Will You Provide a Written Quote?

This is essential. You should always have the quote/rate written down. If you don’t, there’s no evidence a plumber ever said anything about the price. This ensures the price you pay is fair and your plumber is not being unreasonable.

Can You Offer Any Written References?

You want to know your plumber has a history of doing good work. Unfortunately, you cannot take what they say at face value. Even the worst plumber in the world will not admit they cannot do their jobs correctly.

What you need is a written reference from a previous customer. The vast majority of plumbers have no issues providing written references. Reading these will give you peace of mind when hiring them.

Do You Have Insurance?

Every plumber should have public liability insurance. They are working in a public place and you do not want to have to deal with any legal repercussions if things go wrong. All plumbers should be fully insured and should have employer’s liability insurance if they have a team working with them. You should be able to see evidence of a valid insurance policy.

If they have no insurance, they should not be practicing their profession.

What about an Emergency Service?

A Plumbers in Glasgow will be able to attend to you at any hour of the day or night. You need to have this assurance in place. If something goes wrong, you cannot afford to wait until the morning. What if a pipe bursts and it is leaking water (or worse raw sewage) onto your kitchen floor? Things like this cannot wait.

You can expect to pay more for an emergency plumber, but it is important to have this type of service available to you. Most prominent plumbing agencies will have this service already available for their customers.

How to Go About Becoming a Plumber in Glasgow

Plumbers have an important role in maintaining water and waste management systems within residential and commercial facilities. You have to be able to contend with difficult work conditions, unreasonable hours, and major health hazards. In return, you can earn a lucrative salary going all the way up to £35,000 per annum, and sometimes more.

Glasgow is one of the UK’s major cities. There are always new construction projects around the city. This makes it an area where there is always a demand for people with the right skills. If you want to join this profession, read on to find out more.

Can You Work?

You need to understand the requirements of the job. Although you do not need a permit to begin your training as a UK national, you need to have the right attributes. Plumbing requires you to be physically fit. You have to be comfortable with staying on your feet for extended periods.

What Qualifications Do You Need?

The UK government requires you to hold the City and Guilds National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) in Mechanical Engineering Services – Plumbing (Domestic) at levels 2 and 3. In short, this is the primary plumbing training course in the UK. There are plenty of local colleges in Glasgow for a prospective plumber to get started with.

Take note, some colleges will require an entry test. This is a popular profession and spaces are often taken up quickly.

Some people, instead, train with a private company. These courses are an option, but they do cost up to £7,000.

Take an Apprenticeship

If you want to offer plumbing services in Glasgow, you can train as an apprentice under the UK government scheme. This scheme applies mainly to people up to the age of 24. On the other hand, there are also options for older workers who want to retrain and join this profession.

We discussed college training above, so by the time you think about taking an apprenticeship you should have passed your college course, or be well on the way to passing it. Most people do both at the same time. Plumbing requires you to have both a theoretical and practical knowledge of the job.

As an apprentice, you can earn up to £10,000-a-year.

Final Qualifications

Even after all this, you still have to have another qualification. This is the City and Guilds Technical Certificate. It is made up of Level 2 Plumbing Skills and Level 3 Plumbing Studies. You can take these at a local college in the city or through a private company. Experienced engineers and plumbers are able to skip the basic mechanical courses outlined above and move directly onto these.

Once you’ve passed these qualifications, what you do next is entirely up to you. You can register as self-employed and begin plying your trade, or you can apply for a job with an established company.

Take note, it is far better for novices to join a company to give them real experience of the job. Running a business at the same time only adds to the pressure on you to get things right.

How to Find a Plumber in Glasgow

Glasgow is filled with plumbers. This is both a blessing and a curse. You have many professionals to choose from, which offers you a lot of choice, but you also have to spend time finding the right plumber for you. You do not want to pick the one who ends up worsening the problem.

This is why this guide is here to show you how you should go about finding plumbing services in Glasgow. Let us look at some of the things you need to look at.

Start with a Recommendation

The easiest way to find a competent professional is to ask someone you know for a recommendation. The chances are you know someone who has required their services before. They will be able to tell you how good they are and whether they are worth calling. Even if you do not get a recommendation, you might well gain some useful advice on who to avoid.

In the event you do not receive a convincing recommendation, search for some of the major companies in your area of the city. It is best to go with an established name over a local self-employed person with no real reputation.

Always Get a Quote First

Make sure you get a quote for the job. Most plumbers can conduct an assessment over the phone. Unless it is a specialist job with a number of unique nuances, they will not need to complete a preliminary assessment before giving you a quote.

Get them to write this quote down before they accept the job. This protects you in the event they attempt to jack the price up, or charge for work or additional services that were not mentioned in the beginning.

Qualifications Not Words

All plumbers in Glasgow should have the appropriate NVQs in plumbing. You should be able to see these before they start the job. Choosing an unqualified professional is putting your home at an enormous risk. You do not know whether they are a maverick genius or someone who is prone to botching every job they take up. It is just not worth the risk.

Your plumber should also have the appropriate insurance forms. You need to know they are covered against causing harm to both your home and the general public. Without insurance, it can make recouping any damages difficult, if not impossible.

Contact Them at the Right Address

One way to avoid picking up a bad plumber is to make sure they have a registered office address. This is why you should contact them at this address. Do not contact them via a mobile phone. Anyone can have a cheap mobile phone. The problem is when someone does not have a proper business address they can easily disappear when things go wrong, therefore leaving you in the lurch.

Use the Internet

The best way to find a plumber, though, is to use the Internet. It gives you a complete directory of prominent plumbers and plumbing companies in your area of the city. Make sure they fulfil your needs before working with them and you can’t go wrong.