Getting your central heating system thoroughly checked and tuned up before the cold weather really kicks in will not only give you peace of mind that it won’t let you down when you most need your home to be warm and cosy, it will also perform more efficiently which in turn will help save you money.

Lagging Helps Prevent Disaster

One of the first actions is to make sure your pipes are properly lagged, as prevention is always better than a cure. Frozen pipes can lead to no water supply and/or burst pipes and good lagging can reduce the chances of these events occurring.

Timers Can Save You Money

Another great way to run your heating system more efficiently is to install a timer or programmable thermostat. There are times of day, for example during the night or when you are out at work, when the heating is not needed. However, you’ll want your home to be nice and warm when you wake up or come in from work so let a timer do the work of managing when you use your heating. And with a programmable thermostat, even lowering the temperature by a couple of degrees will save money on heating bills yet still keep the rooms warm.

Recommended Checks

Gas Safe registered C Hanlon recommend the following checks to ensure your system is safe and working efficiently:

• Checking boiler controls and components.
• Cleaning out vital components to prevent carbon monoxide leaks and boost efficiency.
• Checking radiators, valves and pipes for corrosion and leaks.

Rejuvenate Your Old Boiler

Central heating servicing and maintenance is especially important if your boiler is getting on in years. Dirt build-ups can cause malfunctions such as no hot water and heating cutting out and a thorough clean out will improve capacity as well as help reduce your energy bill.

A tell tale sign that you have a dirty central heating system is unusual sounds so if you hear loud rumbles coming from your boiler you may need to have your system flushed.

C Hanlon Plumbing and Heating offer gas safety checks and boiler maintenance at very reasonable prices so contact us before the cold snap really begins. And don’t forget we have a 24hr Emergency Callout service for all your heating and plumbing emergencies – just call us on 0141 621 0100.

• Installation is relatively inexpensive
• Economical to run
• No ongoing maintenance
• Total heat distribution
• No radiators, freeing up wall space
• Can be installed under most types of flooring

In addition, under floor heating can even be laid on existing flooring and covered with tiles.

There are two types of under floor heating: wet (water fed) and electric. Wet systems are more suited  to new builds where access to the under floor area is unrestricted whereas electric systems are better for existing floors because the heating cables have such a low profile (3mm) and as such are a great choice for refurbishments.

Although under floor heating can be installed by a competent DIYer, an electric system must be connected to the mains and signed off by a fully qualified electrician.

Electrical appliances which run during this period operate at the lower rate of billing so the cheaper tariff benefits night-time electricity users more. If used correctly, you will use more electricity during the lower rate hours which vary with suppliers but are usually sometime between 12am-8am.

How Do They Work?

As a rule of thumb, to make substantial savings it is necessary to use at least 20% of your electricity during lower rate hours. To use economy tariffs efficiently, every appliance must use a timer to switch on and off during the lower rate hours. Not every appliance has such devices. However, most modern kitchen appliances such as washing machines, dishwashers and storage heaters do.

Although clothes and dishes can be washed overnight, it is important to consider your water and air heating. Early morning water will be nice and hot and room temperature will be high, but as the day progresses water and room temperature will grow colder; a situation which may not suit all family households, for example.

A Lifestyle Decision

It’s worth thinking about how switching to an economy tariff will affect your home lifestyle before deciding to change. Alternatively, there may be ways to change your lifestyle to help you save money and run your home more efficiently.

Requirements
Depending on your type of meter, it may need to be changed (which your supplier can do for you), but not always. Economy 7 meters for example, are designed to run on both two and single rate tariff and can display both the higher and lower rates as well as having an integrated timer which automatically switches from the high rate to the low rate.

Electric Boilers

Modern electric boilers are extremely efficient, and as such as becoming increasingly popular. Their energy efficiency can be as high as 99% and more responsive than their gas counterparts as radiators can reach maximum heat within 3 minutes.

Significant Savings

Running an electric boiler and central heating system in conjunction with an economy tariff can make significant savings but also to the environment as less electricity is used, what is used is used more efficiently, and has less impact on the environment. Gas boilers can still run on economy tariffs very well, but only on the proviso that most electricity is consumed during the lower rate hours.

Compare Prices

With energy prices showing no signs of becoming cheaper, and consumers more aware of the need to save electricity for the benefit of their wallets and the environment, many are looking for ways to change the way they use electricity. If you are considering switching to an economy tariff, it is prudent advice to check with a few price comparison websites before committing. The results can be surprising.

A CCTV survey can be carried out with minimal disruption and is a quick, reliable, accurate and cost effective method of determining drainage problems. The engineer can instantly see where the debris or damage is without the need for the more time consuming excavation. The drain repair will obviously require some sort of excavation but thanks to the CCTV survey the hole will be in exactly the right place.

So if you have a problem with your drainage system want to know the cause, call Power Rod Drainage Services on 0843 289 2038 for a CCTV survey and free quotation.

• Plumbing Services Callouts: 3 hours
• Emergency Plumbing Services Callouts: 2 hours

Chris Hanlon, Allan Dickson and Ken Thomson

Thanks to all who advised and supported the expedition and to those who donated so generously to such a worthy cause.

Once completed, we extend an open invitation to public and trade to come in and see just how effective and efficient these energy saving systems are.