For people installing a new boiler, or radiators, or replacing other bits of their central heating system, or for people worried about the effectiveness of their system, the option of powerflushing often crops up.

Firstly, what is powerflushing and when is it appropriate to use such a technique on your central heating system.

Powerflushing is a radical method of getting rid of sludge and sediment which gets built up in your central heating system. It involves using an electric pump to force water through the pumps, literally pushing all the muck out of the system.

This muck is a common cause of radiators having cold spots at the bottom, as the sludge which can build up stops the full circulation of the hot water within the radiator.

But power flushing can be a time-consuming and expensive procedure, with plumbers charging varying rates depending on the size of the system. Quotes can vary from £150 to nearer £500. And people should be aware that the technique of power flushing is only effective if the system has been pre-treated with the right chemicals in order that the sludge and sediment is softened to a degree that it can be power flushed. Without this first part of the process, your money will be wasted.

These chemicals will also help any build-up of lime scale.

Although, it has to be said that some plumbers believe that if these chemicals are used properly, then a normal draining and refilling of the system, will work just as well as a power flushing. So it’s not the option for everyone.

This appears to be reinforced by The Domestic Heating Compliance Guide which comes together with the Building Regulations. It states that when a new boiler is installed, then the system should be thoroughly cleaned and flushed out before using. Not power flushed notice, just flushed. This means that a normal draining and flushing through with water would do the job. And if some preparation is carried out the right chemicals, then so much the better.

So, power flushing can seem like a good idea, but you had better make sure it’s a worthwhile expenditure, otherwise it can be simply a waste of money.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

Boiler group Valliant has been working with its development partner Shepherds Bush Housing Association, The Sir Oswald Stoll Foundation and Sandwood Design and Build Ltd, on a sustainable redevelopment of 18 flats for ex-servicemen.

The development is part of the Chiswick War Memorial Homes estate at Burlington Lane, Chiswick, London. Valliant has supplied 36 solar flat plate collectors and these have been fitted at the project, along with 18 auroSTOR 200-litre cylinders and 18 ecoTEC plus 618 system boilers.

Six of the newly built flats are specifically designed for disabled use and the project is the first phase of the redevelopment programme for the whole estate.

William Eastman, Mechanical Projects Manager for Sandwood Design and Build Ltd, said:
“Part one will see veterans move from their existing accommodation into the new flats. Part two will then see the homes these veterans have vacated refurbished with similar solar systems.

“The aim of the scheme is to provide affordable, good quality housing for the residents. By using Vaillant’s boilers and solar DHW systems, we have been able to reduce servicing costs while providing residents with economic and sustainable heating solutions. Vaillant’s reputation and products are both renowned throughout the industry, so they were the obvious choice for this project.”

Set up after the First World War to provide accommodation for ex-servicemen, The Sir Oswald Stoll Foundation works in partnership with Shepherds Bush Housing Association which provides homes and rehabilitative support to vulnerable and disabled ex-Servicemen and women, including those who have been homeless.

The company claim that a Vaillant solar DHW system can provide around 50-60% of annual domestic hot water requirements. It uses indirect solar radiation, not just direct sunlight, which means that it will work as efficiently in the UK as it does in other countries with similar climates.

The solar control system has a built-in intelligence allowing it to automatically switch from solar to conventional power when needed. And the company also claim that the Vaillant’s solar DHW system ensures hot water comfort, helps reduce fuel bills, adds value to a property and is a positive benefit to the environment because it reduces CO2 emissions.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

Landlords are continuing to find themselves in hot water when it comes to trying to service their own gas boilers.

Another landlord, this one living in Colchester, has fallen foul of The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) and has been fined a total of £11,300 by Colchester Magistrates Court for five breaches of the Gas Safety (Installation & Use) Regulations 1998. He was also ordered to pay costs of £8,700.

The charges were brought after the landlord fiddled around with gas boilers in his own rented properties. Two of the charges concerned carrying out work on a gas boiler whilst not competent to do so. In other words, the landlord was not a qualified gas engineer who was not, legally, able to service, or repair a gas device.

This has been the law for years and the Gas Safety Register, run by The Health and Safety Executive HSE, is now the official body which controls a list of qualified engineers and their status, and training. It took over from the CORGI gas registration process on 1st April 2009. The register should make it easier to find a qualified service engineer and more details are available at www.gassaferegister.co.uk, or telephone 0800 408 5500.

The landlord was also found guilty over not making sure a boiler was kept in a safe condition, for not keeping records of any safety checks and not providing for a tenant a safety check record.

An HSE Inspector, Mr Matthew Tackling, said: “The HSE will not hesitate to prosecute landlords who fail to take their responsibilities for safety to their tenants seriously and to follow up on those who fail to co-operate with any investigation or fail to appear in court.”

The HSE has once again issued a reminder to landlords and property developers to bear in mind that although there is currently an economic recession, they should not forget their commitments and responsibilities as regards gas devices.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

Residential landlords are confused as to whether they can apply for a tax allowance should they wish to replace old boilers in their rental properties.

A number of professional bodies are voicing criticism over the current tax laws which they say are confusing. It comes down to whether all the costs (direct and related) of a boiler replacement in a residential property can be claimed as part of the ten per cent tax deduction which is allowed for improvements made to a rental property. The Revenue, claim the professional bodies, are not making matters clear and this is only having an adverse effect on landlords replacing new boilers for old.

New condensing boilers can be up to 40% more efficient than old boilers and, say the experts, if the landlords of private homes were encouraged to replace more through advantageous tax concessions, then it would greatly benefit the environment.

And what’s more, it might help curb a growing trend for landlords, in these harder economic times, to try and repair their old boilers themselves in order to put back their eventual replacement. A report from the Gas Safe Register concluded that landlords making DIY boiler repairs were on the increase and were putting tenants at risk. Landlords should be well aware, say the authorities, that only CORGI registered engineers are allowed, by law, to work on boilers, in order to try and reduce the number of deaths caused by carbon monoxide poisoning every year.

So, say the experts, good visible tax benefits will have the dual effect of helping the environment and tenant safety.

Guest Article by Neil Camp

Right, this sort of question is one of those tricky little conundrums that really depends on various factors and your personal situation.

And like most insurance situations, you have to weigh up what suits you in terms of the risks involved.

Let’s take the boiler. Nowadays they are quite complicated pieces of kit and whereas one might last 15 years without a hitch, another one might break down on regular intervals. And who’s to stay why. Take cars for example. We’ve all known cars that go on for mile after mile without so much as a kind word. Yet we’ve known others that breakdown if it’s raining.

So, if you own a modern, latest specification boiler with a nice guarantee, then maybe you are safe at least for the first year. But do read the small print on the guarantee as, let’s be honest, a number of companies have a way of getting out of any commitment if they can.

But once out of the guarantee period, you are then starting to run the risk of what happens if a major failure occurs? Modern new boilers can cost anywhere from £250 to £3,000, depending on the size of your property. So, if you have an expensive boiler, then you might want it covered. Mind you, even if you don’t have an expensive boiler, the cost of replacement could still be, in relevant terms, a fortune, given your own personal budget. What effectively an insurance plan does, is to spread the cost of a new boiler over a number of months, if you assume the worse and think that your boiler will inevitably breakdown. And, that’s assuming it requires a complete replacement, rather than just parts.

So lets say you take out a monthly policy of between £10 and £15 a month, which will cost you between £120 and £180 a year; it’s cheap if you’re boiler breaks down. But let’s say it doesn’t break down for five years, then the total cost would have been £600 to £900, maybe twice as much as a new boiler for an average house. But, who can say? It’s your judgement and your risk.

But, if there’s one strong argument for getting insurance, it’s that you have someone else paying your boiler attention. Boilers should be serviced once a year, otherwise you not only run the risk of having an inefficient boiler which is costing you more money than it should, but you are risking your own and your families’ lives. A faulty boiler can kill; it’s that simple. Carbon monoxide poisoning from faulty boilers kills around 30 people in the U.K. every year.

Now, to get your boiler serviced, you have to remember to book and arrange a Corgi-registered engineer to do the job. Boiler servicing is, by law, a job for a professional. DIY servicing certainly is not allowed and should not be tried, nor can some odd-job man do it for you.

So, a boiler service can set you back at least £95, so if you think that an insurance plan can start from £120 (and includes a yearly service), then it would make sense to pay that bit extra, spread over monthly payments anyway. And apart from the economic argument, you also have someone who will remind you about your service and arrange to do it. Which saves the hassle of you remembering your annual service and having to negotiate a service price.

Right, you pays your money and takes your choice, but on balance, a good boiler insurance seems sensible not only for your wallet, but also for your health.

Guest Article by Neil Camp