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NO - as air conditioning systems use fluorinated gases as refrigerants, all work on them must be done by professionals holding valid F-Gas certification. There is a range of different qualifications and certifications that apply for this, so it's always best to ask someone who is qualified to do this.

Can You Replace A Gas Boiler With An Electric Boiler?

In the UK, there are about 22 million households that are heated with the use of a gas boiler. However, do not assume that they’re the best type of boiler to install. The fact is, if your house isn’t connected to the main gas supply, the best option is for you to install an electric boiler rather than a gas boiler. So is it possible to replace a gas boiler with an electric boiler? The simple answer is yes. Both heating system options work in varying ways and also with a different impact on the environment.

The gas boiler is able to generate heat with the help of a gas burner. A heat exchanger is linked to the burner and heats the water available in its chamber. The hot water is then supplied to the heating circuit.

However, the thing is that natural gas can actually be more affordable when compared to using electricity to operate your boiler, but they have a negative impact on the environment. This is because gas boilers make use of an odourless, colourless and poisonous gas - carbon monoxide.

Meanwhile electric boilers are powered by electrical energy, hence, no carbon monoxide leak risks. Instead of using gas to heat up water, electric boilers distribute energy to heating elements which, in turn, heats up the water. So thinking about what’s best for the environment, you’d go for electric boilers. However, they’re more costly and are not as efficient as oil boilers.

If you reside in a smaller house that’s not connected to the main gas supply, then you might want to consider installing an electric boiler. However, if you live in a larger house, an electric boiler may not be the best option as they’re mostly designed to generate little quantity of hot water.

Fitting a new bathroom can be a strenuous and very complicated task which usually comes with serious financial implications. But even more importantly, you’re most likely going to be working tight to a time schedule. So you’d like to know how soon you can have your bathroom space back and ready to use. This mostly either because you’re really impatient to see how your new bathroom will turn out to be or because you do not really fancy using another bathroom for long pending the time your new bathroom is being fitted and we definitely do not blame you. Having your bathroom back new and sparkling can be the best feeling ever and all professionals seek to get the job done as soon as they possibly can.

Overall, one thing that everyone would need to consider is mainly setting realistic expectations. Giving an accurate time it’ll take to complete the installation of your bathroom is almost impossible as there are many factors that can play a huge role in that. These factors include the size of the project as well as the design’s complexities, materials to be used and any other special requirements in the project. As a result, while 5 days is the average number of days it’ll take for the professional installation of a new bathroom, this can vary depending on the size of your bathroom and more. And you would have guessed, a smaller bathroom will require less number days when compared to a bigger bathroom with the same design. Also, designs can go a long way to determine the duration of a bathroom installation project with complex ones requiring more days as compared to simpler designs.

Are you looking to create some more space in your home with your garage being almost dispensable? If yes, then considering a garage conversion project may be the way to go. Unlike many other extension options, garage conversion does not take up an additional space as it only changes the current structure of the garage. As a result, the cost of completing a garage conversion project can be relatively attractive when compared to other space creating alternatives. So exactly how much would a garage conversion project cost? Well, there’s no precise answer for this as several influencing factors come to play. However, in this guide we’ll give you a rough idea of the average costs that you’re likely going to encounter. Some of the factors that can influence your budget dramatically includes the following:

• The size of the conversion. The larger the size of the garage per square feet, the more cost you’ll have to expend.

• The type of your property - listed buildings are usually more expensive.

• Your location in the UK. If you stay in London where there’s a higher demand, you’ll most likely pay more.

• You’re likely to pay more if a specialist knowledge is required.

• The amount of glazing to be installed

• Quality of the materials to be incorporated.

• Quality of the professional to carry out the installation service.

On average, when it comes to garage conversion projects, you’re likely to pay the following depending on the per square metre given:

• A single garage of about 15 square metre will cost within the range of £6,000 to £15,000.

• A double garage of about 30 square metre will cost within the range of £12,000 to £30,000.

As an environmentally conscious homeowner, it’s very likely you would have heard of a wood pellet boiler or maybe even considering fitting one in your home or property. So if you’ve heard about wood pellet boilers, you’d probably want to know about it especially how it works. In this article, we’re going to walk you through the wood pellet boilers operating process. Let’s take a look!

✓ Typically, wood pellet boilers possess 4 major components, these includes a burner ( which ignites or burns the pellets), a hopper ( which stores unused pellets), a conveyor ( which works to carry the pellets from the hopper to the burner where its ignited) and lastly, a controller ( which responds automatically to your thermostat and appliances’ demands).

✓ In the event whereby your thermostat demands heat or if you happen to switch on a hot water tap or appliance, pellets will be automatically fed into the burner which in turn ignites it and set the firing rate to match the needed heating load.

✓ In a situation whereby more pellets is needed by your boiler, the vacuum or augur system will act by pulling pellets from your bulk pellet storage bin and automatically refill itself.

✓ The wood pellet boiler will clean the burn pot and heat exchanger areas ( moving ash into the ash bin), during and after the burn cycles. The ash bin will be emptied once for every 2 to 3 ton of pellet that’s ignited.

Other facts about wood pellet boilers

✓ The wood pellet boiler can be directly linked to existing plumbing and heating system, regardless of whether or not there’s an existing heating oil boiler remaining.

✓ Wood pellets can be stored in bulk in a storage bin outside your home as the bins are generally weather resistant and also very durable.

1. Hang a plumb bob from the outlet to the drain to use as a guide while you draw several marks on the wall with a pencil to show you where the downpipe will run.
2. Join the marks up with a straight edge, creating a line to show where the centre of the downpipe will be.
3. Position a downpipe clip at the top of wall, in the centre of the pencil line. Mark the position of its fixing holes on the wall. If you need an offset bend, put a downpipe clip directly below the bend.
4. Repeat the process down the wall. Make sure there is no more than 1.8 metres between pipe clips.
5. Refer to the guttering manufacturer’s instructions to see which drill bit is required. Use a drill to drill the fixing holes and insert wall plugs.
6. Fit the first piece of downpipe starting from the outlet and moving towards the drain.
7. If you need to add more downpipe, join the two pieces with a pipe socket and clip. Leave a 10mm gap between the end of the pipe and the bottom of the pipe socket, because it will probably expand. Then attach a pipe clip over the joint.
8. Continue attaching pipe clips down the length of the downpipe.
9. If you need to, fit a downpipe show to direct the water into the drain. Attach a downpipe clip directly below the socket of the shoe.

What Is The Best Material For A Conservatory Roof?

In the past, conservatories normally have just a single roof material option - polycarbonate. However, there are a number of problems that was faced by some of the older models such as overheating, leaking roof, cold spots as well as poor sound insulation. With the great improvement in conservatory roof technology, better models have been developed which have completely eradicated these issues.

In recent times, we now have a wider varieties of materials that are incorporated to make conservatory roofs which are able to perform much better for a longer period of time. While tiled roof are incredibly useful to minimize heat loss, glass roof make use of clever reflective coating to keep the space at a comfortable temperature and modern polycarbonate roofs are now more energy efficient than it has ever been. So picking the best material for your conservatory roof is now a matter of preference.

✓ Glass conservatory roofs. This type of conservatory roof material is the perfect choice if you want a sleek, architectural finish for your conservatory. Not only are they available indifferent shapes and sizes, but you can also choose a large atrium style roof. They are made using solid aluminium frames that works to support the glass units which are thermally efficient and designed to retain natural heat while reflecting the sun’s glare.

✓ Tiled conservatory roof. Tiles roof are able to fit both the shape and size of your conservatory which provides you with a sloping or vaulted ceiling. They come in varying tiled finishes to match any style home like Marley clay, slate grey, pale shingles amongst others. Tiled roof are also called “warm roofs due to their particularly high levels of thermal insulation. They can also be installed quite easily and as quickly as any other conservatory roof options.

If your deck isn’t going to be flat to the ground, it’s a good idea to have some kind of balustrade to avoid any tripping. If the gap between the deck and the ground is less than 600mm, use a 900mm balustrade. If it’s higher than 600mm, the balustrade should be 1100mm tall.