| |
Posts Tagged ‘boiler<’
Alan – he’s one of our regular London plumbers here at Mr-Skill – tells us that he gets several desperate calls from customers faced with sudden large water bills. Invariably, the problem traces back to a leak in the system somewhere in the property, or in the house, and more often than not invisible to the eye. A simple leak-detection service from one of Mr-Skill’s pre-screened members will quickly identify the problem area, and alert your plumber to what needs fixing.
Check the Obvious 
Unless you are a trained plumber, chasing and fixing water leaks is not something you should consider taking on yourself. That said, there are a couple of quick checks you could conduct to confirm that you do in fact have a leak. The first indication is usually an abnormally high water bill. Perhaps you have been watering the garden excessively over the last month – or maybe someone else in the household has?
Find and turn off your water-main. This is usually located near the front door or at the point-of-entry to your property. Now, turn off any other isolator switches you know about, the hot water cylinder for example. Remember to play safe with gas-fired water heaters before isolating the water supply to them too.
Time to open all the taps in the house both hot and cold supply. Allow the water in the system to drain down – your water supply should reduce first to a trickle, and then just a drip or two. Return to the water meter and check that the dial or digital counter has ceased clocking. If it is static, it is reasonable to assume that you have no water leaks, and that your consumption has simply been higher than usual. If the meter continues to clock though, you most certainly have a leak, and this needs urgent attention. 
Once you have confirmed the presence of a water leak, you can get a plumbing quotation right here on Mr-Skill. Then you can just sit back and relax, knowing that your high water bills will soon be a thing of the past.
Plumbers Know Best
Plumbers spend a long time gaining qualifications. They have to learn all the ropes under supervision, and then prove themselves in terms of theory too. So, when it comes to water leaks, you can be sure that any one of the professional members here on Mr-Skill has received the necessary training, and is ready to assist you. Find a plumber right here, and you could be in line for one of the many special offers on tap now.
Tags: boiler, cold water supply, excessive bill, find a plumber, gas boiler, high water consumption, hot water supply, leak, leak checks, leak detection, london plumber, mains, meter, pipe, plumber, Plumbing, plumbing quote, special offer, water drips, water leak, water mains
Posted in Plumbing, Heating & Gas | Comments Off
Central Heating Blockages
Now is a good time to check your central heating system, with a view to professional maintenance before the arrival of the cooler weather. It is far better to inspect for smooth running now, than wait for a problem to present itself when you least need it. Besides, there are some good offers around, so make a call and find your plumbing, heating and gas expert now. Mr-Skill has a number of qualified specialists able to assist you in next to no time. 
The purpose of our central heating system is to provide warmth throughout the home, thus keeping the ambient temperature even and pleasant. It all works off a series of pipes carrying hot water, which is pumped to the radiators around the home before being returned to the boiler for re-heating. Sometimes, dirt or internal rust can lead to a build-up of debris, which can cause a blockage and restrict or even stop the flow.
The quality of the water in some areas varies greatly, and if you live in a particularly hard water area – such as the South Downs for example – softening the water before you pipe it around your central heating system could be a good move. Otherwise, your pipes and radiators can fur up very quickly, and then you could be looking at major costs to replace your system.
Checking for Blockages
Manually switch on the boiler to ensure that it is operating normally throughout your home. Set the thermostat to warm, to make the testing process easier. It will take a while the water to circulate through the system. As you walk through each room, it should not be difficult to spot the pipes and radiators that are not responding. This indicates a blockage or possibly even a leak.
Mr-Skill recommends that once you have identified the problem area, you ought not to attempt any further DIY intervention. Get your plumbing, heating and gas quote right away instead. Then sit back and leave it to the experts. 
Our leading London plumbing, heating and gas expert advises that cleaning and bleeding a central heating system – and chasing down leaks or blockages – is a job for a properly trained technician. He goes on to warn, “This is definitely an area where a little knowledge is potentially dangerous.” Don’t take chances, call in the professionals right now – Mr-Skill has a number of them waiting to sort your central heating system out for you right away.
Tags: blockages, boiler, DIY, expert, find a plumbing-heating-and-gas specialist, gas, hard awter, heating, inspection, leaks, london plumbing-heating-and-gas expert, maintenance, pipes, piping, Plumbing, plumbing-heating-and-gas quote, professionals, qualified, radiator, water softener
Posted in Plumbing, Heating & Gas | Comments Off
Most homes in the UK use natural gas for central heating, cooking and boiler-warming purposes. What makes natural gas so popular is that it is clean burning, smokeless, quick and highly efficient. However, despite advanced safety measures, leaks can and do occur, so it is important that you know what to do should you become aware of a leak inside or outside your home.
The first clue of a leak will be a sulphurous smell in the home. This odour is actually a chemical additive mixed with the gas by the supplier. Its only purpose is to alert the user to the fact that there is a leak in the system, and that it needs urgent attention to avoid the risk of asphyxiation, or an explosion. Remember to train children from the earliest possible age to report any gas smells around your home.
Self-Checking Gas Appliances
 If the gas smell is only a mild odour, it will be fine to check out certain gas-powered appliances yourself. More often than not, it will likely be as simple as a failed pilot ignition system, and relatively easy to replace. Remember to switch off the gas and clear the smell from your house before igniting any gas appliance.
Gas heaters and gas-fired central heating systems require checking and servicing by registered gas fitters at least once a year. This is not a DIY job for obvious reasons, so you can find a gas fitter in your area right here on Mr-Skill. Ask for a gas fitting quote to service all your gas appliances.
Strong Smell of Gas
A hissing noise anywhere near a gas appliance or a powerful smell of gas in your home indicates a far more serious leak. Under such circumstances, do not attempt to trace the problem yourself. Open all windows and evacuate your home immediately, checking each room carefully for other people and pets. Avoid using any electrical switches or lighting up cigarettes – you could inadvertently trigger an explosion that way. Stay away from any electrical appliance, especially mobile phones. Once you are safely outside, you can call your gas supply company and declare an emergency. If you don’t have the gas company’s telephone number, then call emergency 999. 
Outdoor Gas Leaks
Ernest, our long-standing London gas fitter says that If you smell gas outside your property, or you accidently damage a gas pipe in your garden, you should call emergency services immediately. Do not attempt to repair or fix the problem yourself, because you could be risking life in your entire neighbourhood.
Tags: boiler, cigraette, clean burning, efficient, find a gas fitter, flame, gas, gas appliance, gas company, gas explosion, gas fitting quote, gas ignitor, hissing, leak, london gasfitter, matches, pilot light, smell.odour, smokeless, spark, strong gas smell
Posted in Plumbing, Heating & Gas | Comments Off
Posted in General Building on Feb 20
Before you even think about removing an interior brick wall, you first need to determine whether or not it’s load bearing. This is especially important when working with an older building. Sometimes homes were extended in the past, in a way that outside walls ended up inside houses.
 The only way to determine this is to get up in the ceiling and determine what is resting on the wall. Sometimes you’ll find rafters pressing down, and at other times planks supporting boilers. If you can’t run your finger all the way along the wall you must arrange a survey before proceeding.
While you’re up there, check for water pipes and electricity cables entering the wall through the ceiling, as these may travel a distance to reach their destination. Have an electrician isolate and terminate these (and any others that may reach a wall-switch from the floor below. You may legally disconnect a water supply pipe yourself.
Perhaps at this stage you have already decided that you need to Find a London Building Firm instead? No worries, simply click on this link to receive a Builder’s Quote. Here’s what you still need to do, to prepare in advance for the day the builder arrives.
 Remove everything from the surplus wall that you might conceivably use again
- Barricade off the immediate area with sheets of plastic
- Clear everything from inside the space, including semi-fixtures like draperies and light fittings.
- Invest in a heavy-duty drop-sheet to protect the floor.
- Resolve to be reasonable about the dust and dirt about to disturb you.
While any London Building Firm on Mr-Skill will do their best to contain the mess, the bottom line is that demolition is a dirty business. Ask yourself a simple question before you let the builders in – “Is this really necessary in the first place?” On the other hand, the results may be well worthwhile.
Tags: barricade, boiler, brick, builder’s quote, ceiling, demolish, dirt, disconnect, dropsheet, dust, electrician, electricity, find a builder, inside, interior, internal, isolate, load, load bearing, london building, masonry, mess, pipe, plank, plastic, rafter, remove, rest, sheet, solid, Survey, switch, truss, wall, water, waterpipe
Posted in General Building | Comments Off
At Mr-Skill we like to recommend that our customers review their heating requirements in the height of summer when they can afford to have an outage without getting cold.  The heart of every home is of course the furnace, and even the best of these cannot last for ever safely. When I was involved with a Gas Fitting London Firm some years ago, I began to wonder whether it’s not a case of the British going soft as opposed to their furnaces not working properly any more. No worries, our foreman always said, who needs to be cold these days.
Cheap of course is never cheap, or wise when it comes to gas equipment. The trick is to install the furnace that’s right for your own requirements – here are some criteria to consider:
o Find a Gas Fitter to work out the size of furnace you require in terms of output. After all, it makes no sense to pay for capacity you may never use. If you are going green like me, use the opportunity to determine your home’s heat loss factors too. You could save a deal of money down the years if you no  longer have to turn the panels on in summer.
o Some modern gas furnaces have condensers that convert energy that might otherwise be wasted into what amounts to free heat for your home. Trust me, when the North Sea Gas runs out we are going to start paying for alternatives through the neck. Plan for that change now.
o Buy your new gas furnace from a reputable firm, preferably local with after-sales service and good spares availability. It makes absolutely no sense to save a few pounds up-front, only to buy your self a bucket-load of troubles down the line.
At Mr-Skill we hope that these few ideas will hold you in good stead, when evaluating the Gas Fitting Quotes we hope you get from us too. Stay warm next winter, and thanks for visiting.
Tags: alternative, boiler, capacity, cheap, condenser, criteria, energy, equipment, find a gas fitter, furnace, gas, gas fitting London, gas fitting quotes, green, heat, heating, heatloss, loss, money, problem, replace, reputable, service, size, spare
Posted in Plumbing, Heating & Gas | Comments Off
From zero carbon to wind turbines, there are tons of eco features that can be added to your home. With Home Reports having been made statutory, it is more important than ever to be seen to be green. It is easier than ever to add a few eco features to your existing home – thus salving your conscience and saving you a few pounds on your energy bill.
 Green Eco Home Even if you just want to re-decorate, it’s possible to do this in an eco way. Many paints used in home decorating contain harmful chemicals, however natural paints are more popular than ever, and you can even choose from a gorgeous range of shade. Wallpaper also comes in environmentally-friendly options, using paper from sustainable, renewable forests, and even using water-based inks that don’t contain toxic chemicals or solvents. Eco design warrior Oliver Heath has a great range of environmentally sound wallpapers on his website www.ecocentric.co.uk
Ensuring that your home is well-insulated not only reduces the amount of energy you consume, but also cuts your heating bills. All types of insulation benefit the environment, but there are various natural options available, from recycled materials to sheep’s wool. Your builder will be able to advise on and source these products easily. Cellulose fibre is the newest insulation material to become popular. It’s made from recycled, fireproofed newsprint making it extremely safe to use as well as massively friendly to the environment. Other insulation types can be made from old denim jeans, hemp, cotton clothes or even recycled plastic bottles. The traditional eco choice, sheep’s wool insulation is highly efficient and very environmentally friendly. Once again, various grants may be available, depending on your circumstances. See www.government-grants.co.uk for full details of government grants.
Moving inside the home, another option is to install a wood burning stove, which is much more efficient than an open fire. Whether you want to just heat your lounge or the water for your whole house, wood burning stoves and boilers are becoming an increasingly popular alternative to oil and gas. And wood is a carbon neutral resource – well-managed woodlands also have benefits for wildlife and conservation, making your eco choice all the more effective. Stovax are one of the best manufacturers of stylish wood-burning stoves – see www.stovax.com for their modern and traditional models.
While it’s great to ensure you’re maximising the heat in your home, it’s even better to ensure that heat is generated in an ecological way. One of the most efficient ways of saving money in the long term is to maximise the free heating from the sun: harness solar energy. By absorbing as much natural sunlight and heat as possible, an eco home reduces the need for supplementary heating, a technique known as passive solar gain.
If you have a house or are on the top floor of a maisonette or flat, the roof pitch of your home could allow for solar panels. Water heated by the sun can cover around 65% of a family’s annual hot water needs, in the summer this can rise to 90%. A builder will be able to give you an idea of how effective this will be in your particular area.
Wind turbines are growing in popularity and are a great way to provide clean, renewable energy. They convert the kinetic energy in wind into mechanical energy. The cost of implementing this method really depends on how much energy you wish to generate. A low efficiency wind turbine can be picked up for as little as £200 and can be fitted relatively easily – although it’s always best to call the professionals! Planning permission is needed for the installation of a wind turbine, so make sure to check the legalities, although your builder or supplier should be able to advise. Also, if you should wish to sell your turbine at any time, there is a market for second-hand models. See www.provenenergy.co.uk for information on buying and selling wind turbines.
Geothermal heat harnesses energy from the earth by circulating water through plastic pipes buried in the ground. Because they can be fitted to the outside of any building (subject to the relevant planning permissions) they are perfect for retro-fitting. Grants can be available to add to the inherent financial incentives of incorporating these green technologies in your eco home. Further information can be found at www.energygrants.co.uk.
Saving water is an important consideration when trying to make your home more eco-friendly. A grey-water system stores water you have already used in a large tank underground. The water comes from the dishwasher, washing machine, bath and sinks, and is then re-used for flushing your toilet or watering the garden. Rainwater harvesting systems follow the same principle, collecting water that falls on the roof, discarding leaves and other debris, before storing the water for re-use. It is estimated that more than 50% of mains water can be substituted by rainwater – a very important saving when you think how much water we all use in an average day. A plumber will be able to maximise the effect of this sort of work. Dual flush systems on bathroom cisterns also minimise water wastage – something that can easily be installed as part of a bathroom renovation.
By using local builders, you also put money into the local economy. Thinking global and acting local is an important part of saving the planet. Compile a list of the eco jobs you need doing – whether it’s upping your insulation or installing solar panels – and let our local tradesmen quote for them. Being green is as easy as that!
Tags: boiler, cellulose fibre, dual flush cistern, eco, eco features, eco paints, green, green issues, grey water system, home insulation, home report, Home Reports, Insulation, lower heating bills, natural paints, passive solar gain, rainwater harvesting, re-using grey water, refurbish, renewable energy, renovate, roof, save money, saving water, sheep’s wool insulation, solar energy, solar heating, solar panel, solar power, wind energy, wind turbine, wind turbines, wood-burning boiler, wood-burning stove, zero carbon
Posted in Save Money through Home Improvement | Comments Off
|
Subscribe to our RSS Feed
