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Our Boiler Maintenance Tips To Prevent A Boiler Breakdown

Most of us know that boiler maintenance is important but that doesn’t stop countless homes across the UK neglecting it. Failing to maintain the upkeep of your boiler can lead to expensive repairs, increase running costs and even produce potential health risks. Thankfully, there a variety of ways you can keep on top of your boiler maintenance and reduce the need for boiler repairs.

 

Use Pipe Lagging To Prevent Boiler Breakdowns

Your home houses a complex network of water pipes and one of the best ways to maintain them and your boiler is through insulation. Also known as lagging, insulating pipework offers a few benefits. The better insulation keeps pipes from freezing, preventing boiler breakdowns and burst pipes as well as the consequent flooding and repairs. You can carry out lagging yourself with foam pipes though you may require help for some of the harder to reach pipework.

 

Switch Your Boiler Off In The Summer

Once the weather warms up and your boiler is going to see less use you can turn it off. With a combi-boiler simply change the settings to water-only. However, you should turn it back on for 15 minutes once per month to avoid problems when winter rolls back around. Turning the boiler back on for a short time each month will help prevent the pumps from seizing up.

 

Get Your Boiler Serviced Yearly

Possibly the biggest key to maintaining your boiler is having it serviced annually. A boiler service should be carried out by a gas safety registered engineer. This will help you make sure everything is running smoothly and enable you to identify and fix any issues (before they turn into a bigger more expensive problem). This annual check will go far in making sure your boiler is performing optimally and running efficiently.

For more on why you should get an annual boiler check read “Why should you get your boiler serviced regularly?

 

Pay Attention To Your Radiators

Radiators are an integral part of your heating system and as such, they play a big role in boiler maintenance. There are a couple of ways you can better maintain your boiler when it comes to radiators. Firstly, remove air from your central heating system by bleeding your radiators. Secondly, if you find that your radiators only heat up at the top it could mean that debris has gathered in the bottom of them. You can fix this by having them professionally cleaned with a power flush. A power flush will clear out debris from your radiators and pipes.

 

Don’t Make Repairs Yourself

It can be tempting, especially if you’re a handy or DIY-oriented person, to attempt to make fixes yourself. Do not do this. Boiler repairs and checks should always be carried out by a professional. Unless you are a gas safe registered engineer you should leave your boiler alone. If you suspect an issue call a professional, if there is a problem, they will confirm your suspicions and carry out the necessary repairs. By following the tips in this post you should see few if any, issues between your annual boiler service but if one does come up speak to a qualified engineer.

 

There are a few ways to maintain your boiler and avoid emergency boiler repairs. Some of them you can implement yourself such as switching your boiler to hot water only during the summer months. Others, however, require a professional. When you require boiler repairs or checks always make sure they are carried out by a gas safe registered engineer. At Kiasu Workforce our engineers are fully certified and gas safe register approved which is why you can count on us to deliver the highest standard of work on all boiler services and repairs.

The Importance of Electrical Safety Testing

What Is Electrical Safety Testing

Electrical safety testing refers to tests that are designed to check that products using electricity meet safe operating standards. The standards that are tested against depending on a variety of aspects as they are set by various agencies and government bodies. Electrical products sold world-wide are subject to many safety standards. But it is not just commercial products which are subject to stringent requirements. Commercial buildings, for instance, must meet an array of standards and require electrical safety testing on everything from sockets and lighting to hardwiring throughout the building.

 

Your Responsibility

As mentioned, when it comes to electrical safety there are rigorous standards that must be met. Property owners, property manager and landlords all have an obligation to look after those who work and use their building safe by ensuring their property meets safety standards. This includes making sure your electrics are safe.

 

EICR – Electrical Installation Condition Report

One of the first steps in electrical safety is earning an Electric Installation Condition Report (EICR). An EICR is a certificate you receive from passing a fixed wire test which covers hardwiring thorough the building, as well as lighting, sockets and air condition among other items. The report is very thorough and will include improvements you need to make if the test reveals your electrical systems do not meet the necessary standards.

 

PAT Testing

Fixed electrical products such as lighting and air conditioning are not all that you need to test regularly in order to meet safety standards. Various health and safety law and regulations also require that you carry out PAT testing on any electrical product which is connected to electricity via lead or plug. PAT, short for Portable Appliance Testing, is required for all relevant products in the workplace and each item must be routinely PAT tested.

 

Why Electrical Safety Testing Important

Testing is essential to identify a potential fault with electrical systems and products. Such faults can cause serious harm. The risk of an accident occurring increases if you do not regularly test for faults with EICR and PAT tests. Workplace safety is a serious issue which is addressed in a wide variety of ways across industries. From food hygiene to labelling ingredients there are many rules and regulations in place to protect workers, consumers and everyone else that interacts with a business. 

Electrical safety testing is simply another part of protecting people and companies from accident or injury. Regulations and law both contain many stipulations to ensure the highest level of care is taken to prevent electrical fault related incidents. As a landlord, property manager or property owner it is your job to ensure your building meets requirements. A thorough test such as PAT or EICR will reveal if you are or not. If you are, congratulations, you are good for now and can revisit it on your next tests. If you are not, however, your tests will show you all the areas that need improving and it is your duty to see that the improvements are made – it could literally be a case of life and death.

 

Some Final Thoughts

At Kiasu Workforce we provide electrical safety testing across London. From fixed wire testing to PAT testing we can help you meet regulations with our testing services and reports which will show you any changes which are needed. Our expert team has a huge knowledge bank and plenty of experience to draw from but the best advice we can offer is, don’t put it off! Testing is not an option. You need to meet standards and regulations and failing to do so puts people at risk. Regardless of the result of an electrical safety test, it is a good thing – meeting regulation puts your mind at ease until your next check, whilst failing gives you the chance to make changes and prevent potential accidents.