Why It Makes Sense to Change Your Boiler

If you have a boiler that’s older than 10 years, then it may be time to consider replacing that boiler for a newer model. There are many advantages in changing a boiler, and although the initial cost of boiler installation may appear high, in the end, you are likely to save yourself a fair amount of money. Here, we’re going to consider the various reasons why you might choose to replace your existing boiler. Clearly, this will not be true for everyone, and very high quality boilers can last for decades, but in the majority of cases, a new boiler will help in several different ways.

Improving the Efficiency of the Heating System

Modern technology moves very quickly, and the central heating technologies are not exempt from this forward march. Today’s boilers are exponentially better than the boilers from as little as ten years ago. Some estimations show that a poorly functioning boiler can add 60% to the cost of your energy bills. Clearly, the older the boiler, and the lower the quality, the more inefficient it tends to be.

New boilers have a rating scale that is there to inform you concerning their efficiency. A boiler that has an efficiency rating of A is at least 90% efficient, where as those on the lowest scale; G may be much less efficient, with some of the poorest boilers struggling to hit an efficiency rating of at least 50%.

You may think that efficiency matters little to you, and that it’s just the difference between having to wear an extra jumper in winter, but it actually has much greater impact. An efficient boiler can save you as much as £350 per year on your household bills. That is a saving that many of us cannot afford to miss.

Superior Control

Again, because today’s boilers are more technologically advanced than those boilers of a decade ago, today’s models offer much better control over the central heating system. They will have more sophisticated timers – for instance, you could tell it to turn on at 6am, switch off at 8am, come back on at 5pm and switch off again at 9.30pm. In the past, you’d be lucky to be able to programme the boiler to a single timer, and often they were controlled using those weird clicking disks that nobody really understood!

Not only do you have better control of the entire system, new technology enables you to have better control of individual radiators. This means that you can control the temperature in a given room at a given time of day. For instance, you want the bathroom to be warm for 7.30am, because that’s when the family starts to shower, but none of you uses that bathroom after 9am, except for the occasional toilet break. You can programme the heating to come on for that room at that time, and the rest of the central heating system would be unaffected.

They’re Quieter

Today’s boilers run far more quietly than they used to. If you hear a lot of whizzing, popping and clicking, then it may be time for a new boiler installation. Even the cheaper boilers today are quieter than the high quality boilers of yesterday.

In conclusion, a new boiler will save you money on household energy bills, will provide you with greater control over the heating system, and will run more quietly.

How to Find a Reliable Bathroom Fitter

Do you need a job doing in the bathroom? Do you need to hire a bathroom fitter? Are you worried about potentially employing a cowboy-builder? If so, then you’ve come to the right place. Here, we’re going to explain the things that you need to know, and do, in order to choose a reliable bathroom fitter.

Trading Standards

There are a few things that you need to do to make sure that the fitter is bona fide. Firstly, there are several different governing bodies with relation to tradesperson of all types. Once you find the name of a potential tradesperson, you need to ensure that they belong to one of the governing bodies. For example, your local council/government office will have a list of builders and fitters that adhere to Trading Standards legislation. The first thing that you need to do is ensure that they are registered with trading standards. To do this, visit the Local Authority Assured Trader Scheme Network. If the tradesperson is not listed with the LAATSN, then find someone else to do the work.

What Does Your Insurance Company Say?

Oftentimes, you will not be protected against losses, and you may invalidate any house insurance that you have. For instance, if the bathroom fitter breaks a pipe and it floods the second floor of your home, you may not be able to claim back damages on insurance if your insurance company stipulates that you used only authorised tradesmen. Our second piece of advice it to therefore to check with your insurance company who they expect you to use for any bathroom repairs.

What Do The Locals Say?

The best way to know how good a bathroom fitter is, is to speak to someone who has used them for their own bathroom. Ask around the people you know for any reputable fitters. Going local also means that it will be easier to deal with any problems. For example, if you choose a bathroom fitter Preston, and you live in Preston, then if something goes wrong a complaint will usually ensure that they come back around and fix the problem. If they lived further afield then they may not have as much as a stake in insuring that you’re happy with your bathroom. It won’t matter to them because you are unlikely to damage their reputation by criticising them to people that probably won’t use their service. However, if you live in Preston, and you use a bathroom fitter Preston, and they do a bad job then you will make other people in the area aware of their shoddy workmanship and they, in turn, would find it difficult to find new customers. Therefore, our third piece of advice is to find out how other people rate the bathroom fitter that you want to use. Various websites allow people to rate local tradesmen, visit a number of different sites to see what others think of their work.

Bathroom Design 2014: What’s Hot and What’s Not?

If you're planning to redecorate your bathroom, then you probably want a contemporary design. A design that is clean, tight and well thought through. If this is the case, then you need to read this article, because here, we’re going to look at some of the biggest trends in bathroom fashions for 2014. If you want your space to be contemporary, modern, and up-to-date, then read on.

Lighting
If you know anything about design, then you know that lighting makes the difference between good design and great design. The right lighting can make an incredible difference to your bathroom, creating a luxurious ambiance.

However, you need to get it right. For example, if you want to create a relaxing atmosphere, then you should avoid fluorescent lighting – fluorescent lighting is generally a bad idea anyway, because it looks cheap and tacky. Instead, a style that is modern and creates a great atmosphere is spotlighting. Spot lighting is subtle and understated, it doesn’t distract from other features in your bathroom.

However, some people like to make an impact with their lighting schemes, and if this is something that you want to do, then a chandelier, or other glass-type light will work wonders. Glass lights look clean, which is the entire theme that you want to create in a bathroom.

If you would like further information about bathroom design service Preston – especially concerning lighting fashions, then please follow the link below.

Sinks and Basins
For the past few years, all-in-one vanity sinks have been all the rage. However, this year, they are going out of fashion, so we would advise you to avoid this style of sink if you're looking to create a contemporary bathroom. Instead, we’ll be going back to a minimalist fashion for the remainder of the year. This means choosing sinks based on their functionality, rather than on their merits as a point of decoration. Keep colours neutral. Neutral colours always go well in bathrooms because it creates a clean look, which is what you want from your bathroom.

Shower

There are a number of key trends in showers this year. Firstly, walk-in showers are much more popular than over-the-bath showers. If you have the space, create a walk-in shower. We would even go as far as to recommend changing the bath for such a shower. A nice set of marble stones for the floors and walls, and a glass front, will work wonders. It will certainly improve the value of your home.

In terms of the shower itself, then choose a wide head if you want to create a contemporary space. There are plenty of different styles from which to choose, but those that tend to mimic natural waterfalls seem to be particularly popular today. If you live in Preston, then our bathroom design service Preston can provide you with further information about this type of showerhead.

The Bath

Although showers are preferred, there’s still a place for baths. This year’s trend appears to be the freestanding tubs that you might have expected to see in the Victorian houses of the last century.