Summer Heating and Plumbing Advice

The good thing about summer is that it gives your poor old heating system a bit of rest. The past few years have seen some of the harshest winters the country has ever had, so the chances are your boiler, radiators and pipes will have had quite a load placed on them.

Now that the weather is nice and sunny though, I suggest you give a 24 hour London plumber here at Bates a call so we can give your whole system the once over and leave it in tip top condition for the coming winter. You may be thinking that your heating system and pipes have been fine for years. But wouldn’t you rather know NOW if there is a fault and get it fixed instead of waiting for it to pack up just as things turn a bit chilly? Surely it would be better to have no heating for a day in August than it would be for two hours in December?

Pipes cause absolute nightmares if they burst or crack. With all the harsh weather of the last year, your pipes may have significantly weakened. Another frost could tip them over the edge and before you know it you could be facing a hefty bill for their replacement. This is a big and often complex job that will eat into your Christmas savings. I’d recommend you call a Bates heating engineer now to be on the safe side.

My team are skilled in spotting problems before they actually start causing you trouble. It could be that everything is fine – but at least you’ll know one way or the other. What is there to lose?

Be Gas Safe with a Qualified Heating Engineer

Believe me when I say that you shouldn’t feel like you are the only one confused if you cannot get your head around what you should look for in a gas engineer. The powers that be haven’t exactly made it easy for the general public to know who to trust and what you should be looking for.

From my own personal experience, the name CORGI was widely known – people would know that a reliable gas engineer had to be CORGI registered. But far fewer consumers know that CORGI has been replaced by Gas Safe.

Gas Safe is what you now must look for when hiring a London heating engineer. At Bates, all my team members are Gas Safe registered – meaning they can do all manner of works on your boiler, radiators, pipe work – you name it – legitimately and more importantly, safely and with a guarantee.

It is easy to check what anyone claiming to be a heating engineer can and cannot do. All you need to do is ask to see their Gas Safe card. On the back should be a list of all the work they are qualified to perform. If they are there to fix your boiler but you cannot see boilers listed on their card, turn them away and call someone else. Incorrectly fitted, badly repaired or poorly maintained gas appliances are a major cause of carbon monoxide poisoning and lead to many deaths in the UK each year. Never take the risk and assume that the person working in your home is qualified.

Only ever use a Bates Gas Safe registered engineer for total peace of mind. If you suspect that someone who has worked on your gas appliances was not Gas Safe registered, give Bates a call and we’ll check everything out for you and make sure your home is 100% safe where gas is concerned.

Landlords: Take Advantage of Bates Gas Safe Engineers

As a landlord you’ll always have something to worry about, whether it’s tenants late on the rent, a contract dispute or a property lying empty. With all this to worry about, it must be a nightmare when something such as a boiler breaks down. Not only will you get a tenant complaining to you, but you’ll also have to find a reliable company to fix it. Rather than searching through the Yellow Pages, simply give Bates Heating a call. We can fix boilers, install radiators – anything you need.

Dedicated Landlord Gas Maintenance and Servicing Programme

What’s more, we have a dedicated landlord gas maintenance programme which many property managers across London take advantage of and their tenants have commented on as a reliable and prompt service. Our Gas Safe registered heating and plumbing engineers will give your whole system a once over every year, meaning any problems can be sorted out and anything which may cause you problems in the future will be spotted – and fixed – before they become an issue.

Remember, you're legally required to have all gas appliances in the properties you let checked every 12 months and to hold a Gas Safety Record. If you think you have things to worry about now, it could get ten times worse if you were caught without a Gas Safety Record. You could face a heavy fine or even a prison sentence.

I’m sure that as a landlord you are always looking at ways to reduce the stress and costs involved in managing your properties. When it comes to gas safety, a landlord gas maintenance contract from Bates can make a huge difference.

Trust Bates with your Solar Heating Installation

Most people have probably had experience in dealing with various tradesmen in the past. When problems arise, most of the time it’s obvious who you should call. Need a new power socket installed? Call an electrician. Got a leak? Call a plumber. But who do you call if you want a solar heating system installed?

Well, me! At Bates we are installing more and more solar heating systems as the months pass. Why? Because we are BPEC certified professionals, meaning we have the skills, knowledge and qualifications to safely install solar heating and solar panels in domestic properties.

We know that you may have a few questions regarding solar heating, which is why as a company policy we offer everyone a free, no obligation survey where we will visit your property, advise whether it’s suitable and work out how much you could save – and earn via the Government’s incentive schemes - by having a solar heating system installed.

What’s more, if you already have a solar heating system in place we can service it for you and upgrade it if necessary. This is an area where technology is moving at a fast pace, but you can rest assured that at Bates, we’ll always be on top of the latest developments.

Only Vaillant trained, BPEC certified London plumbers should be trusted to take on your solar heating project. To find out how much you could save in the long run and whether solar heating is right for your property, call us to book your free, no obligation survey and relax - you’re in the best possible hands.

A Bates Guide to Plumbing Ethics

It’s a fact of life that as 24 hour London plumbers, we sometimes get a rough deal thanks to less reliable companies who give the trade a bad name. But unlike some other plumbing companies, at Bates we go out of our way to make our customers feel comfortable from the moment they pick they phone up. Why? Well, because we consider ourselves to be ethical London plumbers.

There are certain company policies that separate us from the rest and put customers in a much more relaxed frame of mind.

Going Green

At Bates we fix problems quickly and without fuss. We’ll let you know your options before we start work, and our recommendations, for example a greener solution, but you’ll never feel any pressure.

In fact, our dedication to offering homeowners a greener alternative is a major plus point that many of our customers like. Environmentally friendly alternatives often end up saving money in the long run, and we always have your long term needs in mind when we visit.

Smartly Presented, Clear on Pricing

You may have a certain image of what a plumber looks like - scruffy and covered in dust, perhaps? Not Bates London plumbers. We turn up looking smart and professional. What’s more, our pricing is clear and will be discussed before we start work. We don’t charge a call out fee - simply a minimum charge of one hour on all jobs with further work billed in 30 minute increments. Try getting this information out of some other plumbing companies and you’ll struggle, I can tell you!

At Bates we keep it simple, which is why we feel we’re amongst the most trusted London plumbers in the capital.

The Renewable Heat Incentive and Solar Panels

Without going into too much detail, the government has launched the Renewable Heat Incentive, which is a scheme designed to support businesses and homeowners by rewarding those who reduce their dependence on fossil fuel heating systems. Quite a mouthful isn’t it?

So in short, by switching over to renewable energy systems such as solar heating, you could be rewarded by the government. From October 2012 onwards homes may qualify for tariffs for each kWh (Kilowatt hour) of renewable heat they produce themselves. This is quite an incentive in my eyes, and a further indication that solar heating is the way forward for homes throughout the capital.

These tariff payments would be made quarterly over a 20 year period, so consider that if you’re still wondering whether solar panels would be worth the investment.

If you’re interested in finding out more about solar heating or the Renewable Heat Incentive give me a call. I’ll talk you through it all and give you specific examples of how much you could save on your energy bills or receive in tariffs if you qualify.

Do I Qualify for Solar Heating?

Do I qualify? This is one of the most common questions people ask me when it comes to solar heating and solar panels. And with good reason, as not all homes do qualify unfortunately. But if you’re unsure, leave it to me. After arranging a free no obligation survey with Bates, my team will inspect your property and see if your home is suitable for solar panels.

The first job is deciding whether your roof is suitable or not. A sloping roof will have to be free from shading and cover and face south, south east, south west, east or west. Ideally, a south facing roof is best. If your roof is north east, north west or north facing you will still get some power from the solar panels, but in all honesty you may not generate enough to support the financial outlay you’ll need to install it in the first place.

Don’t worry; we know everything there is to know about positioning and installing solar panels on sloping roofs and I’ll tell you straight whether it is worth you having them or not.

If you’re lucky enough to have a flat roof, solar panels would be a perfect addition, although I may need to gain planning permission on your behalf before I can start work. Just leave it to me – I know these regulations and red tape can get people confused but I’ll do all I can to make it as painless and trouble free as I possibly can.

To find out for sure if you qualify, book a free no obligation survey. With summer just around the corner you could soon be making significant savings on your energy bills – savings that will carry on all year round. Give me a call today and I’ll set up a meeting.