What would you do if your boiler breaks down? Who would you call? A heating engineer or a plumber?

We get phone calls all the time from worried customers form across south Wales with faulty boilers who are unsure whether they have called the right person. It’s fair to say that the lines between a heating engineer and a plumber can be blurred and when the pressure is on to stop a leak from a boiler or restore heat to you house, knowing which one to call can make all the difference.

Your boiler uses a lot of water pipes and is plumbed into the mains, so should you call a plumber to repair your boiler? The answer to this question is …. No.

Here’s the difference between the two.

Heating Engineer

The clue is in the name! A heating engineer will work solely on heating in domestic and commercial properties rather than working across the broader industry, making them specialists in heating and gas work. They carry out a wide range of jobs from maintaining and installing heating pipework to fixing appliances when they break down. For this reason, you may prefer to contact a heating engineer rather than a plumber, as they may be more familiar with your issue.

You should still ensure that your heating engineer is Gas Safe registered before allowing them to work on your boiler.

Plumbers

We feel the confusion has come from plumbers, as their trade can cover a multitude of tasks when it comes to bathrooms, kitchens, wet pipes, dry pipes, boiler maintenance or servicing and heating systems.

While many plumbers do possess a number of plumbing skills and qualifications, they are not essential in order for them to trade as a plumber, meaning that anyone can refer to themselves as a plumber without any formal certifications. Although they may be experts in their field and highly recommended, they may not be Gas Safe registered and therefore can not work on your boiler.

Some plumbers are also Gas Safe registered, however this should not be expected as standard. If you find a plumber who is also offering gas central heating services, check the Gas Safe register to make sure that they are legally permitted to work with gas.

Gas Safe Register

A boiler repair or service involves working with gas, so only a Gas Safe registered engineer can legally work on a gas boiler. The gas industry is highly regulated to ensure that relevant services are provided to the highest safety standards, so if your repair is to a boiler or other gas appliance, you must make sure that you contact a Gas Safe engineer.

Luckily Limgreen has everything you need right here, with just one phone call and a few simple questions we can have the right person on the job.

Boiler Check list.

• Check your gas supply – are your other appliances working? Is the emergency control valve open? If none of your appliances are working, then call your gas supplier as it is likely to be a problem at the mains.
• Press your reset button – it might have tripped due to a safety precaution. You should find it on the front of your boiler but otherwise check manufacturer’s instructions. You should NOT have to remove a panel to locate the reset button.
• Is your boiler pilot light? Older models with a pilot light might require reignition. Follow your boiler manufacturer’s instructions. If it’s a newer model, then you could try pressing the deblocking button to reignite the burner.
• Check your power supply – check to see whether one of the fuses hasn’t tripped on your fuse box. Sometimes the obvious is overlooked! And can be fixed with a simple reset.
• Heating controls – check the times on your thermostat / programmer. Get the manual out and make sure you’ve got them set up correctly. Check your timer. Your thermostat will lose accuracy as it gets older and might need replacing.
• Check your boiler pressure – low system pressure in boilers can cause them to run at a lower capacity or cause them to stop working completely. It’s especially common in combi boilers. The pressure gauge should be at 1 bar when your system is cold. If your boiler has a flexible filling top, you’re able to fill up (charge) your system with water yourself. If you’re at all unsure as to how to do this then please call us and we’ll set out one of our Gas Safe Register engineers to service your boiler.
• Radiator valves – these might be a problem. Fiddle around with them to see if you can get them warming up. For a standard lock shield valve, you’ll need to remove the plastic cover and use the appropriate tool (can be from DIY shop) to adjust the setting, whereas a thermostatic valve can just be turned to the desired setting.

Contact limegreen 

The post Do I need a heating engineer or a plumber? first appeared on Limegreen.

The days are getting longer and the traditional deep chill that sweeps the country seems to be lifting. That doesn’t mean it’s plain sailing from here through to Spring. February is the month that we experience more boiler call outs than any other month of the year.

Figures reported by insurer Direct Line for Business state that boiler repair claims during February are 163% higher than the monthly average, with last winter showing a 27% increase in broken down boiler claims compared to the previous year.

Despite having a moderately warm winter our boilers have been under a large amount of stress over the winter period. While we all hunker down and cwtch up in our living rooms and blast the heating first thing in the morning to help the transition from your warm bed to the kitchen, it is easy to get complacent with our boilers. So if you have been lucky enough to have a problem free season so far, it is not uncommon for small problems to start appearing in your heating systems now.

Boiler breakdowns can happen at any time and it is not always the cold weather that causes these problems. Taking the proper precautions can prevent these problems from surfacing and regular maintenance will ensure that your boiler runs smoothly,  so you don’t get caught out with a chilly house next winter.

If your boiler is starting to show the strains of winter  call us on : 029 2066 6620

The post February is the worst month for boiler problems first appeared on Limegreen.

Walking through Cardiff’s Bute Park in the mornings it is clear to see the leaves are turning and winter is well and truly on it’s way. Soon we’ll all be turning our boilers on for the first time, but before you bring your boiler back from it’s relaxed summer holiday, it could be time to book it in for a service.

Having your boiler serviced regularly is essential to ensure that it runs efficiently and safely.  Yet most people only ever call a boiler engineer to arrange a boiler service when it’s too late  and their boiler stops working. By this time the problem is usually major, costly and you could be putting your family’s health at risk.

A well-maintained boiler will be safer and more efficient

A regularly serviced boiler will also help reduce your heating bills. The correct checks and cleaning will not only help in the efficiency of your boiler, but it will also detect any wear and tear or distress to the boiler. This means it may be easier and cheaper to treat effectively. So, a safe boiler is less likely to breakdown if you have it serviced regularly

Our team of fully qualified gas engineers have over thirty years experience in the industry, safely installing reliable and cost effective boilers into homes throughout Cardiff & South Wales. Their approachable manner and broad knowledge is the foundation of their dedication to providing a high level of service for all customers.

To book your boiler in for a service or simply a check up call our engineers who are all Gas Safe registered engineers.

The post Winter’s coming, Have you had your boiler serviced? first appeared on Limegreen.

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