Fitting a Gas Fire in Rented Accommodation

This series of pictures shows the installation of a Robinson Willey 'Firegem' gas fire. It's a basic, no frills, radiant convector fire. We have fitted thousands of them over the years mainly in private rented accommodation and social housing.       The first picture shows the correctly sealed closure plate and the supply pipe which on this job is concealed. Note the air relief opening in the bottom centre of the plate. We have also serviced thousands of these fires. An essential part of the service is to remove the closure plate and check the builders opening is of correct dimension, fully sealed and clear of debris. One of the commonest faults we find is incorrectly sized openings. Indeed this opening wasn't quite right and required some slight modification work which you can see above the plate.                                                  

Picture 2 shows the supply pipe cut to size and a gas service cock fitted A flue flow test has been carried out and it's all ready for the fire to go on now.   Picture 3 shows the fire fitted securely to the wall. The gas has been tested for tightness and the gauge is now connected to the fire to measure the burner pressure. A spillage test is then carried out to ensure the flue is removing all of the products of combustion. The final picture shows the finished article with the front cover now fitted. We just need the painter to make good to our little bit of patch plastering and that's it. Note that no closure plate tape should be visible above the fire once fitted. If it is it suggests that the builders opening is too high or the plate hasn't been cut correctly to size.                                                                

   This is the hearth standing version. It can be wall hung if the feet are removed. The builders open for a wall hung fire is different to that of a hearth standing one. It is smaller in height and higher off the floor due to there being no hearth. We still often find these fires fitted freestanding on hearths with no fixings to the wall. The only thing holding them is the gas pipe! Even if hearth mounted they must be securely fixed to the wall.                                                               If you are a landlord or letting agent and need any advice about suitable fires for rented accommodation please free to get in touch. Also if you have any concerns about chimneys or correct sizes for builders openers for these or any other fires we are happy to advise.                                                        

Commercial Water Heater Maintenance

Here I am swapping a sacrificial anode on an Andrews water heater during some commercial boiler room maintenance. It is for a for a health centre for whom we have just taken over the maintenance.
Sacrificial Anodes are highly active metals that are used to prevent a less active material surface from corroding.  They are created from a metal alloy with a more negative electro-chemical potential than the other metal they are being used to protect.  The sacrificial anode will be consumed in place of the metal it is protecting, which is why it is referred to as a "sacrificial".

If you would like to discuss any maintenance of commercial equipment such as this we are always happy talk and hopefully help you

Gas Safe Work Inspection

Here's John carrying out a gas tightness test during a recent visit from the 'Gas Safe' inspector. This test is to check that there are no leaks on the installation. Our work gets inspected at regular intervals to ensure we meet the high standards of safety required. The tightness test is always one the favourite tasks the inspector asks us to perform.
The inspector normally asks to see three recent gas jobs. On this visit we took him to the new build site we completed last month where there were nine bungalows to choose from.
I first registered with C.O.R.G.I. the predecessor of 'Gas Safe' way back in 1985. The gas U-gauge or manometer in the pictures is the one I used for my first inspection which those in the trade will recognise as the tough old Abbirko traditional model. It is still going strong now and still in active use all these years on. We do of course carry equipment in our vans to enable this test to be done electronically. This is done with our flue gas analysers and is useful because it enables us to do a print out of the result. If you have any questions or queries about testing gas installations please feel free to contact me.

Protect Your Boiler

 New boilers cost a lot of money so it is crazy not to protect your investment. This curious looking fitment is the Worcester Greenstar System Filter. It's not the easiest object to get an interesting photo of but it is worth investing in one for two very good reasons ~
{1}It has been specifically designed to combat the damaging effects of
any debris and pollutants within your heating system by trapping them.
{2} When fitted with a new Worcester boiler it earns you an extra year on the warranty.
At its centre is a very powerful integral magnet that catches and retains any metallic debris that is present in the system heating water. Any non-magnetic debris is caught by the twin-action cyclonic trap. They can be cleaned each year during the annual service or sooner if need be.
They are sited on the boiler return pipe and as such ideally suited when boilers are hidden in cupboards so they are concealed but still easily accessible. They cost around £120 which is a small price to pay for something that protects your boiler 24 hours a day, everyday.
Please do contact me if you'd like to know more about this or any other brand of magnetic filter.

A Nice Money Saver - The FW100 Weather Compensation Controller

This unit is a weather compensation controller. It is linked up to your boiler and an outdoor sensor. It may sound complicated but for us, they are fairly easy to install. They don't cost a great deal more than a typical wireless programmable room thermostat either. It can fit on the fascia of your Worcester boiler or be wall mounted remotely like a room thermostat {as this one is}. They are about the same size as a typical programmer.  It enables your boiler to anticipate changes in heating demand in relation to external temperatures and regulate accordingly. Or to put it another way; it will save you money! If you have any questions or enquiries about 'Intelligent Controls' as these types of control are called please feel free to e-mail or call me.

New Build Site

We are currently carrying out the plumbing, heating and gas installation in nine new build bungalows.

 Here is Joe one of our engineers installing first fix pipework prior to plasterers coming in. All the plumbing and heating pipes are in plastic due to cost and to deter theft as it has no scrap value. This seems to be the case now in all new build schemes.

This is a pipe drop which will be serving a radiator. It is enclosed in capping and will be covered over by plasterboard. A metallic tape is stuck onto the face of the capping so the presence of the pipes can be detected later with a cable / metal detecting device. There are blanks on the end of the pipes so we can pressure test them.

 10mm branches off the main heating circuit are routed to radiator positions in one continuous run without the need for joints.

A Bit of Plumbers History

When I was an apprentice {1980 - 1984} with I.C.I .we did a lot of work with lead pipes. Indeed it was still a large part of the Plumbing City & Guilds syllabus back then. I.C.I. owned an estate of houses adjacent to their factory all of which were plumbed out entirely in lead pipe. Interestingly these streets, two straight roads and a crescent, if viewed from above spelt I.C.I.
We spent a lot of time repairing lead pipes and doing wiped joints just like this one in my picture in those houses. Some of the Plumbers who I was apprenticed to actually lived on 'The Estate' as it was known. The square thing in the picture is one of my old wiping cloths with which we moulded the molten solder into shape. You had to be fairly quick or the lead and tin which made up wiping solder would start to separate making it hard to work with. We are currently re-plumbing a big old six bedroom house on the Wirral and have pulled a lot of old lead pipe out. I saved this bit as it brought back many memories. I was aching all over after lugging all the lead out as well as a cast iron bath. The Plumbers in those days must have been very strong men.

Shower Bath

This is a square offset shower as opposed to the more common curved offset versions. We fitted it on a full house re-plumb we've just finished. It has its own unique side panel and screen.

 Here it is from the front elevation.

 The shower we fitted is a Mira 'Adept' built in thermostatic mixer with a large pan style fixed head.

The Bad, The Ugly and The Good!

THE BAD. Thankfully this boiler and its shocking pipework were stripped out by us yesterday. Sadly I've actually seen worse than this but just haven't had my camera with me. The boiler itself is a bottom end, low cost type model. Such poor quality cheap boilers actually have greater lifetime costs over their short lives than the better quality boilers. They are unreliable and the spare parts for them are vastly over priced. The installers who fit such boilers are invariably from the lower end of our trade and this type of pipework is their hallmark.

THE UGLY. Note the poorly soldered joints and the green corrosive flux residues. The joker who did this work has used self cleaning flux and not bothered to wipe down his joints.

THE GOOD. I love the old quote about how you should never argue with an idiot in the street, as anyone walking past wouldn't be able to tell the difference! Likewise a good tradesman should never try to join on to such poor pipework. It is impossible to make it look neat and you are simply pulling yourself down to the original installers level. We stripped this mess all out and started again. The new boiler is the Worcester 28CDi 'Compact' complete with seven year warranty. The pipes are much neater now thanks to the spirit level on the left of the picture. We only use Fry's traditional 'Fluxite' on our soldered joints. You have to clean your pipes and fittings with wire wool but it is is much cleaner and gives better results. Luckily the customer has some spare matching tiles which we will slot in later leaving the job in much better shape than when we found it.

Here's a little shot of inside the aptly named 'Compact' boiler. I predict we'll be fitting quite a lot of these.

The Worcester 36CDi Compact

Here's one of Worcester's 'Compact' range of high efficiency combination boilers, with the cover off. It comes with a full seven year warranty. We fitted this one yesterday in readiness for our customer getting his new kitchen installed. He wants the boiler to be completely hidden and this model solved his problem.
We have moved it slightly and tidied up the pipes so it will all now fit within a 600mm wide wall unit. The filter on the left of the boiler is a Sentinel 'Eliminator' which will pick up any magnetic and non magnetic system debris and contaminants providing life long protection. This will also be accommodated within the same wall unit as the boiler.
If you would like to discuss hiding boilers from view and how best to to do it them please do contact us.

A Simply Solution To Frozen Boiler Condensate Drains

Have you had trouble with frozen condensate pipes over the last couple of winters? All the best solutions to problems tend to be simply. Here is a device from Worcester for you, which will prevent this happening. It clicks onto the flow pipe beneath the boiler. The condensate from the boiler fills into it and is warmed up by heat transfer from the flow pipe. When a certain level is reached the now warm condensate is discharged by a syphonic action. Due to it being warm coupled with the velocity of discharge it doesn't freeze. There are no electrics or running costs to it. It can be retro fitted in most cases for under £70 all in. The one in the picture was given to us by a supplier to field trial. We were upgrading a customers boiler to a top of the range Worcester CDi, so we threw this in free of charge as she had been troubled by frozen condensate pipework. There's a link here to a short video from Worcester which explains it much better than me. If you need any more information about this product or have been troubled by frozen condensate pipes please do give me a call. It's far better to get these matters in hand over the spring and summer.

http://www.worcester-bosch.co.uk/installer/our-company/news/prevent-frozen-condensate-with-our-new-device

The Ultimate Gas Saver

Do you want to reduce your gas bill? It's a silly question; of course you do. We normally do this for our customers by ensuring they have the latest energy saving heating controls and high efficiency boilers. However there are other ways.

If you have the right type of chimney and a ready supply of logs then a high efficiency wood burning stove may well suit you.

This one that we have fitted is the Hamlet 'Solution' inset 7KW model. It comes with a ten year warranty. We also fitted the fire surround which is the 'Palmerston' cast iron with polished back and slabbed hearth and took care of all of the associated building work too. These stoves are becoming more popular and rightly so. There is something rather pleasing about sitting in front of a log fire especially when the price of gas continues to rise.

Designer Radiators

Are you looking for something a bit different from the standard panel radiator? We can supply and fit all manner of different radiators to match your home or taste. Here's an example of one we fitted last week. It's a reproduction period style cast iron radiator. They are available in various different finishes, styles and sizes; this one is in metallic pewter. They come with a ten year warranty

 

The valve which is traditionally styled is actually thermostatic.
If you have any questions or queries about radiators of any type or style we are always happy to help.

Change of use job

Here are a few pictures from what the planning department call a 'Change of use' job. A former bedroom has been converted into an en suite bathroom. It compries of a 760mm shower cubicle, a wash basin on a pedestal, a toilet and a towel rail radiator. We are just doing the finishing touches today.

We had to excavate the driveway and form a branch into the the main drain for a soil vent pipe to serve the new bathroom. We also replaced a broken rainwater gulley and resited it against the wall. I took this picture whilst waiting for the building inspector to pass the drains so we could stone it up and back fill.

 

All walls inside were tiled and the existing radiator was replaced with a chrome ladder style towel rail with concealed pipes.

The shower valve is a built in Mira with a variable riser kit. All pipework is concealed in the cupboard we constructed that backs onto the shower.

I had to stand on a step ladder to get this shot. The tray is also by Mira as is the fold down seat and the cubicle. The floor you will note has been over layed with plywood in readiness for a non slip vinyl covering which is getting fitted once we are completed.

The 450mm wide basin is rather compact and has been selected due to space being of a premium. The tap is by Bristan.

 

We carried out all the external drainage work, the plastering, joinery, resiting a boiler, electrics and tiling as well as the plumbing. Our customer had just one company to deal with; us. If you'd like another bathroom and aren't sure if it's possible or think it may cost too much or don't fancy dealing with lots of different trades or building inspectors please give us a call. We can take care of everything and it may not cost as much as you think.

Vertical Flued Installation

Here's a roof flue on a boiler change job we completed yesterday. It always brings back many happy memories when I get my lead dressing tools out as a large part of my apprenticeship involved working with lead. Note the two hidden lead straps which are fixed to a roof batten and fold over the bottom of the flashing to hold it in place. This is good practice in exposed areas. Once dressed to the contours of the roof tiles the lead is treated with patination oil. We get to see some shocking examples of poor workmanship by heating engineers when trying to fit these type of terminals. Only last month we were called to a boiler that was reported as leaking. It wasn't the boiler it was rainwater running down the incorrectly fixed vertical flue terminal. Here's how it should be done so it's aesthetically pleasing and most importantly weather tight.

 

 

 In the not so distanct past we'd have done this job using a cat ladder hooked over the ridge of the roof. Happily those days are gone and we now work from safe platforms and don't have to worry about lead dressers and other tools sliding down the roof.

 

Here's the access tower. John is on the lower platform terminating the pressure relief outlet pipe.

 

 

 

Here's the business end of the job; a Worcester 'Greenstar' 30Si, high efficiency combination boiler. It's fitted in the former airing cupboard so is hidden but easily accessable for servicing. An old Plumber who did some small jobs for a housing trust we work for once said to me "I can always tell when boilers have been fitted by you".

"How's that" I asked him?

Your pipes are always neat, straight and clipped" he replied.

"Well it's only how they are supposed to be" I told him!

I guess it's about having pride in your work. I insist on neatly routed pipework. Strangely a great friend of mine who I served my apprenticeship alongside and now plies his trade in the USA suffers from the same insistance on perfection. It has stemmed from our training at ICI which I still rate as the very best.

If you'd like to know more about my neat workmanship, high efficiency boilers, energy saving controls and how to keep warm whilst paying the very least possible for your gas then please do give me a call.

 

The Perfect Modern Replacement For Those Big Old Cast Iron Gas Guzzlers

The old, inefficient boiler in the previous post was replaced with this excellent piece of engineering. It's the Worcester Greenstar 42CDi Regular. A heat only, floor standing boiler with a seasonal efficiency of 90.3%. It weighs a hefty 55.1KG but thanks to some ingenius rollers is very easy to handle in and out of position during fitting. It proved a perfect replacement for the previous big old Myson 'Marathon'. It occupies the same alcove in the kitchen but its more compact size means it fits better and doesn't obtrude like its predessesor. We also replaced the hot water cylinder with a modern high efficiency model and upgraded the system from an inefficient 'gravity hot water / pumped heating' to 'fully pumped'. The controls are a Honeywell 'S-Plan' utilising a radio frequency analogue room thermostat. We also replaced the secondary return pump, which had been taken out at some point in the past, with a new Grundfos bronze hot water pump. It's a very large house with several bathrooms plus basins in each bedroom so the secondary return was vital to ensure instant hot water at all points of use.

 

We fitted this excellent piece of equipment on the return pipe to the boiler. This is the 28mm version. Despite power flushing this system it still filtered out some debris from what is a very old system. It is also an excellent dosing point for adding inhibitor. It's reassuring to know that this working all day everyday to keep the system clean. Our customer now has a system and controls up to modern standards with an extended warranty boiler and her gas bill will be dramatically reduced. The job she and her family were dreading wasn't as bad as they feared thanks in no small part to these innovative products.

Out With The Old.

The end of the road for this big old inefficient boiler as it awaits a one way trip to the scrap yard with our recycling contractor. It was a Myson 'Marathon' 150,000BTU, floor standing, open flued appliance with a permanent pilot light. It heated the hot water by gravity in an uninsulated cylinder with no controls. The water in the cylinder was reaching the same temperature as the boiler flow;82 degrees C, which was both dangerous and wasteful. The boiler itself was probably only around 55% efficienct. The radiators were once controlled by a room thermostat which had broke a long time ago and had been by-passed. All in all it was costing a lot of money to run.
Watch this space to see what we installed to bring this system up to current standards and save our customer money on her fuel bill.

Showroom Type Vanity Basin

This is part of a bathroom we recently completed.

WIAPS {Water Industry Approved Plumber Scheme}

Does our industry need anymore policing?

I remember way back in 1985 when I first registered with C.O.R.G.I. which then stood for the 'Council for the registration of gas installers. I'd been in business for about a year and like now trading conditions were difficult. CORGI, back then was an entirely voluntary trade association and cost £75 to join. An inspector came out had a look at a couple of your jobs, watched you perform a tightness test and checked you had a set of the British Standards relating to gas.  It was as simple as that.

I was a young pup of just 21 years of age trying to be better than a whole load of others just like me. I was installing full plumbing, heating and gas systems for a builder, in a street of houses in Bootle {Longfellow St} belonging to Merseyside Improved Homes who were one of the pioneering housing associations on Merseyside. Most of the street was getting renovated so I was able to take the inspector in any number of  houses I'd completed so he could check my work. Membership of CORGI helped me get on various tender lists and pick up commercial work I wouldn't have otherwise got as well as giving support and technical advice. It was a good move and one I'm glad I made though few members of the public had any idea what CORGI was in those days.

In 1991 it became mandatory for engineers who worked on gas to become registered and it helped tighten up the industry. Sadly CORGI lost sight of its core activities and as a result lost the contract to run the scheme. In 2008 Capita won the tender and have since operated the registration scheme in a much better way under the 'Gas Safe' banner.

There is currently talk about a 'Water Safe' scheme being implemented which would be another good step forward for the legitimate installers in the industry. The scheme is currently voluntary and recognises reputable Plumbers who hold formal qualifications,  have been assessed in the water regulations, passed the assessment and work to the correct standards. It allows them to self certify certain work too. We are members of this scheme. As Approved Plumbers we are are happy to answer any customer queries regarding water regulations, approved fittings, contamination, supplies or any related matters.

In view of some of the shocking workmanship and contraventions of  the water regulations we regularly see by unqualified 'Plumbers', well meaning 'have a go joiners' and so called 'multi skillers this scheme becoming mandatory should be welcomed.

Easy If You Know How

Here's some pictures of a boiler breakdown from this morning {saturday}. Our customer was faced with a possible weekend of no heating and no hot water. Luckily he rang us and I was able to attend within the hour.

The boiler is an Ideal 'Isar' 30KW combination boiler that's around five years old. It was attempting to ignite before locking out and displaying the 'LF' fault code.

 

 

Here's the boiler with the front case and sealing panel both removed. 'LF' is a flame error fault code but it can be one of several faults.

 

The first thing I check is the ignition electrode which is highlighted below.

I was right first time. It has been distorted by heat making the  gap too large for the spark to bridge. We look after a lot of these boilers and carry a spares kit consisting of every part enabling us to fix them in a single visit.

We don't just specialise in repairing certain brands of boiler; we can fault find and fix any for you. Please don't hesitate to call if you wish to discuss any such matters.

Bathroom Refurb

 Here's a new bathroom we finished last week. The old suite and tiles were stripped out. In addition to the plumbing works there was some replastering, a new door casing, stud work, floor tiling and wall tiling.

 

We like to do everything on jobs like this to ensure continuity and perfection.

 

 

We are always happy to discuss your dream bathroom with you. We can help with the design and planning and share our inside knowledge with you of the best products.