Well, it’s certainly been that ‘boiler time’ of year recently. The calls started coming in November as the temperature dropped and boilers across the land were switched on. Some boilers would cycle on and off repeatedly, some were leaking, some just didn’t do anything. For some customers, this was an inconvenience, for others it was a major problem resulting in no heating or hot water for their children. Someone wrote in The Guardian recently “I have a theory that you’re not really an adult until you’ve experienced boiler bereavement.” An interesting thought!
She goes on, “First, there’s denial (“It’ll just be the pilot light, I just need to press this button a few times”), anger (as the landlord screens your frantic calls), bargaining (with a succession of plumbers you find in the Yellow Pages whose names all begin with AAAA), depression (no one will come out until next week) and finally acceptance (of call-out charges hovering around £200 per half hour or part thereof). Most importantly, there’s the realisation that your home isn’t the impregnable fortress you had complacently assumed it was.” An amusing story but not quite so amusing if it happens to you! Luckily it doesn’t have to be this way. A boiler serviced during the ‘non boiler time’ will keep it fit and healthy.
Hopefully you’ve been one of the lucky ones and your boiler started without problem, but smaller niggles can still be troublesome and many people don’t realise that many of these can be fixed fairly easily. I’ve had a few calls about radiators that are only lukewarm or cold. This is usually a problem of air in the system, and by getting rid of this and balancing the radiators properly they should all warm up evenly.
One final thing for those who read my regular articles, last time I spoke about water softeners. I have fitted several now and I’m getting feedback from some customers. People seem to be very happy for a few reasons. Not only have they seen a great reduction in limescale build up around taps and in kettles, but the limescale that was round the spout of the taps is being broken up and disappearing. Another thing often mentioned is the new cleanliness of shower screens and doors. Reduction in the hardness of the water results in less streaking, which of course means less cleaning – always a bonus!
I hope this has been helpful. If I can help you at all, please call me on 07905 908143.