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.

If You Have A Boiler Emergency

It is really strange, but most people who experience a boiler malfunction often do not know who to call to fix the problem.  It is always better to choose emergency plumbers Preston before you experience the inconvenience of a breakdown.  You should always have a number handy near the telephone for such emergencies.

Choosing a professional early, either through recommendation or via the yellow pages, you can thoroughly research their proficiency in boiler repair.  All heating contractors should be a member of the Gas Safe council.  If they are not you should ignore them, even if they are cheaper than anyone else.

A cheap repair job can cost you much money later on as you will often have no come back if you are in a cash job situation.  You need to have been talking to someone who is a professional central heating engineer.  You will soon find out whether the firm you are going to choose is proficient. 

You also need to know that you can count on them on a twenty four hour basis, as boilers do not always break down at a convenient time.  If you find your room under water in the middle of the night, it will be essential that you call the emergency number, but not before you have turned off the water inlet to your home.  It is much easier to dial your trusted engineer if you are still half asleep if you have the number handy.

There is much you can find out about competent plumbers if you go on line.  Social media is very useful in such situations.  It will also keep heating companies on their toes as they cannot afford to get bad press.

If your boiler breaks down or you have a blocked toilet, it is always best when you ring the emergency line to be as precise as you can as to what you think the problem is.  Good heating firms will then always send you the person who has much experience with your particular problem.

Why You Should Not Attempt Diy

Winter is never a good time for your boiler to break down.  Before you call out emergency boiler repair Preston there are several things you can do to prevent your boiler from giving up on you.

Of course, the best thing that you can do is to enter into a yearly maintenance contract so that problems can be spotted early by your service engineer and parts either cleaned or replaced.  This will prevent you from incurring expensive call out charges, apart from freezing in your own home.

Condensing boilers can freeze up sooner than any other and it is therefore important to keep them running on low during the night when it is really cold outside.  This will prevent the pipe from freezing up.  It is also better to use your system regularly as they will work better when they are.

Burst pipes are also a common cause for the heating to pack up.  By preventing this from happening in the first place, it will save you a lot of hassle and mess.  Pipes often burst when the water within them freezes up.

You can prevent this by insulating the pipes that are most at risk from freezing up.  A little lagging left over from your loft insulation will be enough to prevent this problem.  If you tend to go away over the winter period, you should always leave your heating on low and ask a friendly neighbour to check up on your home regularly.

When you have done all you can, but your boiler has nevertheless stopped working, it is time to call in the professionals.  You should never attempt to tinker with the system yourself, especially if you have a gas boiler.  Gas is an extremely dangerous fuel and any leaks you may cause by doing some DIY could have serious consequences.

If your boiler is turning itself on and off at regular intervals, it may be that your thermostat needs replacing and that there is nothing wrong with your actual boiler.

How You Should Choose Boiler Efficiency

If for one reason or another you have to replace your boiler it will pay you to look at boiler installation Preston.  Especially where gas is involved it is better to have your new appliance fitted by a competent and qualified gas engineer.

There is so much that can go wrong if your boiler is not properly connected like gas leaks and a badly ventilated system can cause carbon monoxide poisoning if you are not careful.

Unfortunately, when it comes to choosing the best boiler for your home you are faced with an endless choice these days.  You may want to research the various options open to you, but if you need real advice you can do no better than getting your local central heating firm involved in the process.

They have much experience of what capacity you need when they come and visit you at home.  These initial visits are free of charge and it is up to you to take their advice or not.  It is really important not to buy more boiler BTU than you need as you will be wasting money. 

It is equally bad to buy a boiler that is too small as it will be doing overtime to heat your home to the required warmth.  There are boilers with different efficiency ratings and you should ensure that you get the best one for your budget.  Most modern appliance use less fuel to heat your radiators and warm water and you will save on your heating bills.

Of course, any new appliance will be expensive, but the modern boilers often have a long warranty period.  As long as you have your system serviced once per year you should have no problem with your new appliance for years to come.  Warranty periods are typically up to ten years.

If you have your boiler maintained regularly you will be able to prevent a sudden breakdown.  This would be very inconvenient in the midst of winter when you most need warm water and heat.

Your central heating contractors will have a maintenance system in place.

Keep Warm With Central Heating

There can be very few homes in the United Kingdom that do not have some form of central heating and for the majority of properties that means gas fired.

Yet it was only fifty years ago that the opposite statement could be said as there were very few properties with central heating. Only the very wealthy along with public buildings were centrally heated and it all kicked off in the very early seventies when door to door salesmen appeared with central heating system offers on very easy credit terms.

Easy credit was all part of the government’s attempt to kick-start a stagnant economy and it certainly worked because before the average householder knew it he or she not only had central heating but fitted carpets and double glazed windows all for the very first time.

Some of those old systems are still running but most could do with new boilers as the very latest are much more efficient and therefore cost cutters.

It is always best to deal with one local firm when it comes to all your plumbing needs as you can rely on a speedy response particularly if it is in an emergency and you require help with something like a burst pipe in the middle of the night.

For central heating installation Preston and surrounding areas that firm is Croston Plumbing and with only friendly and properly qualified gas safe engineers in their team you are assured of the best practical help and advice.

When they come to service the boiler they will be able to offer advice on the things like the latest ideas in insulation and whether you are likely to qualify for any grants or other assistance. It is possible they will advise a flush through of the pipes and radiators to increase efficiency and help prolong the life of the boiler.

It is also possible they may convince you without pushing the point, that a new boiler will save you money on running costs over your older less efficient boiler.