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How Much Is A Landlord Gas Certificate?

Do you know as a landlord in the UK, not only does the law requires you to conduct an annual check on all your gas appliances and chimney, but you’d also have to pay for it? Hence, giving birth to the commonly asked question, how much is a landlord gas certificate? With so many variances in CP12 certificate prices everywhere, it can be so confusing knowing the actual one you’re expected to pay. Just by surfing the internet alone you’d come across loads of ads claiming they can help you with a cheap gas safety certificate only to discover that reverse is the case when you reach out to them. Here, you’ll get to know the real amount you’re expected to pay for the annual checks on your gas appliances and chimney.

First and foremost, let’s look at what a Gas Safety Certificate really is. This is a certificate that’s given out to landlords and property management companies after a check has been carried out on all their gas appliances and chimney. This statutory check is expected to be done every 12 months to ensure the safety of all those who make ue of your rental property. Homeowners living in ther property are not required by the law to conduct annual gas safety check, but it’s highly recommended that you get in touch with a Gas Safety engineer to ensure the safety of both you and your loved ones.

As a landlord in the UK, to get all your gas appliances and chimney inspected by an approved Gas Safety engineer and obtain your Gas Safety Certificate, you’re expected to pay within a range of £55 to £65. However, you should note that this cost will increase depending on the number of gas appliances you have (about 30% increase for each additional gas appliance).

Condensing boilers are the in-thing when it comes to modern heating systems in UK homes and across the globe for a good reason. This is primarily due to the fact that condensing boilers happens to be highly efficient as it enables the fuel you’re burning to heat up your home go a lot further. Having a new high efficiency condensing boiler rather than an old G-rated non condensing boiler will not only enhance your heating controls, but also save you a lot of money annually. In this article, we’re going to take you through the basics of a condensing boiler. Let’s take a closer look!

If you’re interested in getting a greener and more efficient boiler, you simply can’t afford to look beyond a high efficiency condensing boiler. This is purely due to the fact that these condensing boilers happens to make a better use of the heat they’re able to produce from burning fuels like oil or gas ( in other words, they require less heat from the burner, which makes them a lot more efficient).

So how does a condensing boiler work? Unlike a non-condensing heat-nly boiler, some heat will be wasted in form of hot gases which are released from the flue. Meanwhile a condensing boiler captures some of the heat from these gases and puts them to use for heating up water that’s coming back from your central heating system. As a result, it requires just a minimal heat from the burner which make the boiler more efficient.

You should take note that all new modern boilers are condensing boilers. Therefore if you’re planning to replace an old boiler with a new one, you’ll definitely be buying a new condensing boiler and benefit from all the efficiency and savings that comes with it.

How Do You Bleed An Oil Boiler?

Bleeding air between the oil supply and an oil fired boiler’s burner is a process that’s often required when the system has run out of oil and the burner has stopped working. Upon refilling the oil tank, the air that has been trapped within the oil pipe when empty has to be freed to ensure that the oil reaches the burner and allows it to start again. So how do you go about the process?

First and foremost, it must be noted that it’s always better to be on the look out for the amount of oil in your fuel tank and get it refilled before it runs out. However, if it does run out, you can take the following steps:

• Identify the burner

The burner is a red plastic cover and it’s usually positioned on the bottom part of the boiler (mostly inside the boiler casing). Once identified, inspect it to see if the lockout button is lit red. If yes, simply unscrew and detach the burner’s red case using a flat head screwdriver.

• Identify the oil pump

You’ll find the oil pump on the burner’s left side which is connected to the flexible oil line. Once done, simply locate the 3 inches long hexagonal stem protruding from the pump and with a small threaded plug screwed into the end. Unscrew the plug in just half a turn ( 180 degrees) with a 4mm Allen Key. At this stage oil will be released, do ensure there’s a cloth or rag underneath the plug to grab the oil freed.

• Press the lockout button

This is the next and final step. However it’s also crucial to note that the burner fan will run for about 12 seconds and discharge some oil from the loosened plug which you can grab with a cloth or rag. Immediately you hear a buzzing sound, use the Allen key to tighten the plug. If enough air has been bled, the system will fire. But if not, then you’ll have to repeat the process again.

When it comes to boiler insurance in the UK, two companies easily comes to mind - British Gas Homecare and Homeserve. Just like any other choice you’d have to make, choosing the company that’s best for you might be a bit difficult especially if you don’t want to make the wrong choice. This article will give you a good insight into the pros and cons of the two companies’ boiler cover to help you make the best choice for your home.

British Gas Homecare Cover

Pros

• Reduced cost of services as a result of the annual payment option.

• An array of affordable packages including both few and several services

• Although vulnerable customers are prioritized, the company offers a 24/7 services.

• Unlimited claims

• Depending on what you wish to get, be it only a monthly boiler cover or more services, you’ll get several services’ options.

Cons

• With a 50% bad rating on a reliable customer review site, you know there is a question mark on the company’s customer service.

• Increment in renewal price after first year of service.

• Lacks cover for the boiler’s sludge or scale.

Homeserve Cover

Pros

• For most individuals, the 5 packages offered are affordable.

• 24 hour help hotline

• From reliable customer rating websites, the company offers a great service.

• Cover costs include both parts and labour.

• There are good options for one-off repairs.

• The options are cheaper than British Gas services.

• There are multiple choices for excess payments for various packages.

• An option for annual boiler repair.

Cons

• Lack of annual payment option

• The price of the packages will increase after the first year

• The services are mostly for houses or flats, while businesses and other types of property are being neglected.

During the cold months ( winter), there’s a high chance for a more frequent occurrence of faults and breakdowns of your boiler as this is the time in which more strain is being placed on the device. Unfortunately, this is exactly the time in which you’d wish to derive maximum benefits from your boiler to keep you warm all through the winter. As a result, home owners are given no other option than to pay the mega boiler repair bills to keep themselves warm and cosy all winter long. There is, however, an option which can greatly soften the blow and that’s having a boiler breakdown cover.

Boiler breakdown cover provides coverage for cost of hiring an engineer to get your boiler back to a top condition while also paying for the parts as well as labour needed to resolve the boiler’s fault. To select a boiler breakdown cover, you should take into account factors like whether or not the policy provides coverage for limited or unlimited call-outs within the coverage period. You should also ensure to go through the terms and conditions of the cover if you can stake a claim if your boiler were to be damaged by a different thing in your central heating configuration or a persistent fault.

There are an array of boiler breakdown package types with little differences which relates to one or more of the following:

• The package monthly cost

• The call outs excess to be paid

• The nature of the helpline. It may be a 24/7 service or just a few selected hours of the day.

Therefore, to answer the question of which boiler breakdown cover, you’d have to compare the different packages to determine the most suitable one for both your needs as well as pocket.

If you’re building a connected home, a smart thermostat allows you to change the temperature in your home. And not only do several smart thermostats come with touch screens and a user friendly interface, but they’re also compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and other voice controlled personal assistants. So how does a smart thermostat work? Let’s have a look!

Generally, smart thermostats are connected to the home’s Heating and/or Air Con system via C wire (common wire). Homes that lacks a C wire (especially older homes) will have to install one first before getting a smart thermostat. The C wire is a crucial element in the installation process as it works mainly to wire your smart thermostats into the Boiler system without tampering with the wiring for the other appliances in the house.

The smart thermostats comes with some special temperature setting which you can access by connecting them to your home’s WiFi. These include:

• Mobile Control

Most smart thermostats are specially designed to enable users to control the temperature of their home from the comfort of their couch or car via their unique mobile apps. This feature is just perfect if you particularly like getting the perfect temperature in your home without having to get out of bed.

• Humidity Controls

Although, the humidity of your home can not really be adjusted with a smart thermostat but you can always stay on top of it by monitoring it or setting an alarm on your phone to go off when the humidity changes.

• Geofencing Feature

With a smart thermostat, you can choose the particular times of the day you want it in action. This feature enables you to go on impromptu travels without having to worry about your energy bills - some smart thermostats come with the geotracking feature which determines when you’ve left the house and adjusts the temperature of the home accordingly with your energy usage in mind.

How To Fix A Boiler

A boiler is subjected to regular usage, working for a several hours a day and providing hot water for shower on a daily basis and even more so during winter. With it’s power and efficiency, we tend to postpone or even totally overlook its maintenance. However, no matter how good your boiler is, it consists of many moving components and it’ll certainly develop some faults some day. When the inevitable occurs, you might want to save some money and get it fixed all by yourself.

When it comes to fixing boilers, seeking help from a licensed heating engineer is usually the best solution, however at times you might be just lucky to be faced with minor issues which you should be able to handle yourself. In this article, we’ll look at some of the most common causes of a broken boiler and how you can get your heating system up and running again. Let’s have a look!

✓ Low system pressure. In the event whereby your boiler display a low system pressure, it could mean that the system is about to breakdown. You’ll have to carry out regular inspections on the pressure gauge to see if there’s any noticeable changes and call in a heating engineer immediately to prevent a system breakdown from happening.

✓ Poor heat production. Although this is unlikely to lead to any great issues, but it’ll reduce the effective functioning of your heating system. To prevent a debris build, it’s important to have your boiler cleaned regularly.

✓ Strange noises. Boilers often make noises, so there’s nothing to worry about unless it’s a banging or whistling noise that’s very odd , then there may be a serious issue. You’ll have to check the air intake, pressure, exhaust and piping to ensure they’re working just fine, if not there may be a need for replacement.

How Do Electric Boilers Work?

Electric boiler are installed in residential, commercial and industrial properties to serve as a reliable source of heat. Unlike other types of boilers that depends on fossil fuel burning to be able to operate, electric boilers are fuelled by electrical energy which ultimately makes it more reliable and powerful compared to its counterparts. This heating option was basically provided for home or property owners who don’t have an access to the main gas supply.

So how does an electric boiler work? Basically, an electric boiler work by heating water. Once heated, the hot water supply is then distributed to various areas across the house or property. In order to achieve the best possible efficiency at the lowest possible costs, new model electric boilers are installed by licensed and professional boiler fitters with the help of a microchip control system. Meanwhile, the microchip control system functions to oversee the management of both temperature level as well as output.

Unlike other types of boilers such as a gas boiler, electric boilers only require minimal service. If you own a gas boiler, it’s crucial to ensure that it’s serviced every single year by a licensed and reliable professional that’s into boiler repair services. During the checks and maintenance services, the gas boilers would need to be checked for possible gas leaks, as well as ventilation poisoning and other problems.

Overall, electric boilers are considered to be one of the most environment-friendly heating system which is more affordable to install in your property than a gas boiler. It represents the most ideal option for homes with gas boiler issues as well as those that are not connected to the main gas supply. What’s more? Electric boilers are also one of the best options for wet central heating and under floor heating.