Water Heater Horror Story!
October 30, 2009 by carl
It’s not every day that you feel compelled to write about a situation that has come to your attention that is extremely dangerous and life threatening, but today is one of those days.
Essex Heating Services was asked to look at a Water Heater (Main Multi Point BF) for a commercial operation that was not firing up. The Owner of the establishment said that the unit had stopped working the day before and that an engineer had been back today (which would have been Tuesday 27 October 2009). When the engineer left he said that it was working ok.
Needless to say it wasn’t and could not have been!
When we took the casing off we could not believe the state of the unit. Have a look for yourself at the pictures we took. The front of the unit had been packed with chunks of Fire Proofing that was loose all around the inside of the case.
You have to ask yourself, “Why would an engineer leave a unit in this condition knowing it was unsafe and a potential death trap?” It left us speechless. Someone could have been killed due to Carbon Monoxide Poisoning or the place could have burnt down.
We issued a warning notice to the owner and isolated the Gas and Water supply to the appliance. After discussion with the owner it was decided to replace the water heater with a new one.
We keep pointing out time and time again to make sure that the Gas Engineer who is carrying out work for you is Gas Safe Registered. Ask to see his card and take a note of his Gas Safe Number. This is for your protection.
Contact Essex Heating Services to have your Commercial or Domestic Appliances: -
Serviced
Repaired
Maintained
Replaced
01376 516513
07717 748507
essexheatingservices@googlemail.com
www.essexheatingservices.co.uk
Don’t get caught out this winter!
October 21, 2009 by carl
The recent cold snap has concentrated people’s minds when it comes to heating their homes and providing hot water. It’s not much fun if you have children or elderly relatives that live at home when the boiler does not work.
Recent case
We had a call from a very distressed mother of four young children this week who was trying desperately to find a Gas Safe Registered Engineer to sort the Central Heating and Hot Water for her. She had been without Central Heating and Hot Water over the weekend. At Essex Heating Services we always try to respond to an emergency situation like this. We arranged to visit her that evening and upon investigation found that the “Burner Unit” was completely burned through. The seals had gone brittle and thus were not performing the job they were designed for and the PC Board had been cooked. We issued a Warning Notice to the customer because the unit was unsafe to use. It was not cost effective to replace all the components so it was agreed that a new boiler was required.
When we asked the householder “When was the last time you had your boiler serviced?” – She replyed,” I have never had it serviced.”
Fortunately this customer has an Immersion Heater so we showed her how to use it. We also had a number of small fan heaters on the van that we were able to leave with her so that she could keep the house warm we waited for the installation of a new boiler to be completed.
Moral of the Story
Far too many people wait for an appliance as important as their boiler to breakdown before they think about regular service or maintenance. Boiler repairs can be very expensive and lack of regular service or maintenance can lead to the boiler having to be replaced, as in the case above.
Don’t leave it too late – when your boiler fails you may find it difficult to find a Gas Safe Engineer to respond due to the volume of call outs.
Service Cost
For a standard service to a boiler Essex Heating Services charge £65 + Parts.
If you would like to arrange a service please contact us on:-
01376 516513
Or through our website at:-
www.essexheatingservices.co.uk Read more
Combi-boilers
October 13, 2009 by carl
Combination Boilers
Combination boilers are a very energy efficient method of delivering hot water on demand to hot water outlets and Central Heating Systems and have a number of significant benefits over the conventional System boiler.
The combi-boiler as it is known is a compact unit that heats the water directly from the mains and is perfect in situations where space is at a premium. In fact it is now so popular that 50% of households are fitted with one. Due to its popularity it is manufactured by a lot of boiler makers in a range of cabinet sizes and KW outputs that determine the Flow rate which is measured in Litres per minute. In fact there is one for just about any application.
The benefits of the Combi-boilers
- No need for a Hot Water Cylinder – usually in the Airing Cupboard
- No need for a F&E Tank in the loft
- No need for a separate Pump for the shower as the Hot water is mains pressure
- Less Pipework
- Less disruptive when fitting.
- Cheaper to run – this is good for your pocket and the environment
- Less expensive to install
Common boiler makes that are fitted in the UK
- ALPHA
- ARISTON
- ATAG
- BAXI
- BIASI
- BUNDERUS
- FERROLI
- GLOW WORM
- HALSTEAD
- HEATLINE
- IDEAL
- KESTON
- POTTERTON
- RAVENHEAT
- REMEHA
- SAUNIER DUVAL
- VAILLANT
- VIESSMANN
- VOKERA
- WORCESTER BOSCH
It’s very important to have a site survey done by a qualified Gas Safe Engineer so that the correct advice can be sort. Each installation is unique and requires careful consideration to ensure that the boiler selected can be fitted within the guidelines set down by the Gas Regulations and the Manufacturer.
Specifications such “Flue Position” are crucial for the safety of the house holder. Lack of care can lead to sickness and even death due to Carbon Monoxide fumes entering the house via a Flue to close to a window.
When a boiler is replaced to an existing central heating system or fitted to a new central heating system it is important to have the system either chemically cleaned or power flushed to remove any sludge or build up of flux during installation. A chemical inhibitor is then added to protect the entire system. Other devices that can be added to the system depending on water hardness are a Descaler (this is a small unit added to the cold water supply) or a MagnaClean (this is a unit added to the central heating system to remove the build up of iron oxide).
Essex Heating Services are a professional company that can assist you with the choice of boiler and system design to provide you with a quality product that will give you years of reliable service.
Give us a call now to discuss your requirements on 01376 516513
Or contact through our web-site: - www.essexheatingservices.co.uk
Carbon Monoxide, a Toxic Gas
October 2, 2009 by carl
In the latest copy of “The Maldon District Courier” on page 11, there is a very interesting item on Carbon Monoxide. I quote,”You can’t see it, taste it or smell it, but it can kill quickly and without warning”.
It is really important to have appliances such as domestic boilers, gas fires, water heaters and flues tested and serviced on a regular basis.
Essex Heating Services offer a 25% discount on the labour cost for OAP’s, who are a vunerable group.
Please make sure that the engineer carrying out the checks and service is Gas Safe Registered – ask to see his identification.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
October 1, 2009 by carl
A recent survey carried out by CORGI and reported in the “Gas Installer”, highlights that, from 2006 – 2008, carbon monoxide poisoning was responsible for 56 deaths in the UK from a total of 265 incidents. This is an appalling statistic and could so easily be avoided.
The first thing to do is have a carbon monoxide detector fitted. Sadly only one in four households have a carbon monoxide detector.
The second is to have all of your Gas Appliances checked and serviced. Essex Heating Services recommend that this is done annually. Its quite amazing that this is a requirement for Landlords and not for the rest of us.
You should make sure that the Gas Engineer carrying out any work is “Gas Safe Registered”.