How Healthy are your Pipes?

You don’t need me to tell you that the past few months have been extraordinarily cold, and with snow and ice covering the whole of the country for a good few weeks, your pipes will have taken quite a battering.

But what’s surprising is that if damage has occurred, it will not become apparent until the thaw sets in. So with temperatures nowhere near as bitter as they were in December, now is a good time to check your pipes for damage.

There are a number of things you can do. You could wrap any external pipes in foam to protect them from the effects of a sudden thaw, or visually inspect them for signs of damage.

If there are any clear signs of splits, then call a 24 hour plumber. At Bates we regularly check pipes for damage and I encourage you to do the same. What’s more, I’ll put a few preventative measures in place to protect your pipes from the effects of any further cold snaps that can easily creep up just as you think spring is setting in.

Use this relatively mild weather time wisely. It could save you serious money in the long run. Otherwise you might find yourself calling me up in the middle of the night as the frost sets in, complaining about a burst pipe.

The Link between your Health and your Boiler

Carbon Monoxide poisoning is a threat in every home. You may not realise it, but a faulty boiler can be a killer.

I’ve looked a few stats up and found that there were 83 suspected cases of Carbon Monoxide poisoning between 2009/10 in London alone. But what is even more tragic is that these instances most probably could’ve been easily prevented.

Usually they are caused by a boiler or flue system not being installed correctly. This could be the fault of a rogue trader or a homeowner who is looking to save a bit of money and decides to install the boiler themselves. Never attempt to do this. It might save you a few quid, but could end up costing you a lot more in the long run, and not just in monetary terms.

For anything boiler or gas related, give me call. If you’ve just moved into a new home, call my 24 hour London heating engineers so they can give your system the once over. If you’ve had a boiler installed but something didn’t seem right about the person who installed it, let me check their work.

If it’s not up to scratch, I’ll get it sorted for you and I’ll let you know what to do about pursuing the person who did the original job. Everyone I employ here at Bates is Gas Safe registered. Don’t settle for anything less.