More than 30% of  boiler breakdowns last winter could have been avoided through better planned maintenance, according to a recent survey. A high proportion of boilers that broke down had not been serviced for some years and the weather was the final straw.

All Gas Appliances should be safety checked and serviced annually anyway, but sometimes people forget until the bad weather comes. This year why not have your appliances serviced in the summer while our Gas Engineers are quiet. Contact Hometech to find out more

When the problem could be electrical or plumbing related, you need to make just one call, to Hometech. Within group companies we have Plumbers, Electricians and Bathroom Craftsmen. We can repair or install Electric shower, immersion heaters, water heaters etc … all of which might need a plumber AND an electrician.

Some properties, mainly flats and apartments, have been built with boiler flues which cannot be inspected because they are hidden behind walls or ceilings. The boiler flues that this information relates to are connected to room-sealed fan assisted boilers.  If you live in one of these homes then please read on for more information so you know what to do.

Gas Safe registered engineers need to be able to see the flue − which take fumes away from the boiler − as part of essential safety checks whenever the boiler is worked on. A flue in poor condition, combined with a boiler that is not working properly, could put you and your family in danger from carbon monoxide poisoning, which can cause death or serious injury.

If your boiler is situated on an outside wall, it is unlikely you have this type of flue. Alternatively, if your engineer can see all of the flue, you will not need to take any further action in relation to this matter.

If you do have a boiler where all, or part of, the flue cannot be seen, you, or your landlord, will need to arrange for inspection hatches to be fitted. This does not mean that your flue system is suddenly unsafe. As long as the boiler passes a series of safety checks − including having audible carbon monoxide alarms fitted − it can be used normally for the time being.

Carbon monoxide alarms are not an alternative to being able to see the flue and you will still need to have inspection hatches fitted. You have until 31 December 2012 for this work to be completed. It is recommended that inspection hatches are fitted as soon as you are able to do so. From 1 January 2013, any Gas Safe registered  engineer will turn the boiler off and formally advise you not to use it  until inspection hatches have been fitted in appropriate places

Although most of the affected boiler and flue systems are relatively new (installed since 2000), the risk of faults leading to the release of carbon monoxide increases as the system gets older, especially if it is not serviced regularly. It is important that you have your gas appliances serviced annually.

You need to take action now

If your property is less than two years old then contact your builder. If your property is between two and ten years old contact your home warranty provider, as you may be covered by them if there are defects in the flue. A list of the main home warranty providers is shown below. If your property is 10 years or older you should contact a Gas Safe registered engineer.

If you are a tenant, it is the responsibility of your landlord to ensure that inspection hatches are installed and that the boiler and flue are checked every year.

If you require any further advice, please contact Hometech of Harrogate or go to the Gas Safe Register web site.

This advice has been developed by the Flues in Voids cross-industry team. It is made up of representatives of Gas Safe Register, house builders, home warranty providers, registered gas engineers, appliance manufacturers (including HHIC) and others and assisted by HSE, to provide clear communication to industry and consumers around the issue of flues being located in voids which do not allow inspection.

I can believe it seems to be getting even colder, hopefully it will ease off for Christmas.

Top tip – dont leave your taps dripping. While its this cold outside, constant drips can form into ice and block even a correctly installed waste pipe.

Worse still, dont ignore dripping overflow pipes. If an overflow pipe freezes it could lead to the tank or toilet cistern overflowing inside your house. If in doubt turn off the stop cock and call a Plumber.

lastly, dont forget to turn off the stop cock and leave the heating on if you go away this Christmas.

During the current period of very cold weather, we are receiving enquiries from  homeowners and tenants whose boilers’ do not appear to be working.

If the temperature outside is below freezing and you have a modern condensing boiler, you may have a frozen condensate pipe.

Based on our experience, the problem particularly seems to affect early Worcester Bosch Greenstar models.

(If you have a Worcester Boiler go to http://www.worcester-bosch.co.uk/homeowner/customer-service/common-winter-boiler-enquiries for specific details).

The condensate pipe is a plastic pipe (usually white), coming from the bottom of your boiler. If this pipe is less than 32mm in diameter and runs outside of the property or through a non-heated area then it should be fully insulated with waterproof lagging. If it is not fully lagged it will be prone to freezing in the winter.

For more details about possible solutions from Hometech, please contact our Customer Service team.

A Pub chain  has been fined £300,000 after a Landlord dies from Carbon Monoxide poisoning.

The court found that only 394 out of the chains 868 tenanted pubs had up to date Gas Safety Inspection records.

All Landlords and their agents are reminded that in Law, a Gas Safety Inspection MUST be done at least every 12 months.

Landlords are reminded that they should have a valid EPC or Energy Performance Certificate for a rental home before going to market.

Hometech Electrics Ltd offer a great value EPC package for local Landlords and Letting Agents. Valid for 10 years (for rental purposes) and providing useful advice and guidance for both Landlord and Tenant, the EPC is required by government and European legislation.

Tips for getting the best result from your EPC: (or good energy saving advice for everybody!)

• Consider replacing older boilers and heating appliances if they are not modern condensing appliances.
• Insulate the loft (or add more!).
• Consider cavity wall insulation.
• Add an extra jacket to your hot water tank.
• Fit energy saving light bulbs.
• Fit double glazing throughout.

Contact us for more information or advice

Hometech are highly experienced in attending to the specific needs of  Landlords and tenants.

From response maintenance and repairs, annual Gas and electrical safety checks to all water, gas and electrical installations.

We have friendly office staff who will  take care of all the arrangements for you. Why not call (or email) us today and see how we can help.

TrustMark is a government incentive to help consumers find reputable firms to carry out repair, maintenance and improvement work in homes or gardens. The government consumer line receives more calls for regarding trades people than second-hand cars and they now advise the general public to use a TrustMark registered company.

TrustMark members are deemed to be not only technically competent but also carry out business ethically and deliver a fair job at a fair price with no hidden costs and can insure their work, in the case of NAPIT members it is 6 years. Tradespeople and firms can only get the TrustMark logo by signing up with one of TrustMark’s approved scheme operators such as NAPIT displays the TrustMark logo the firm has been checked and found that it meets certain standards the Government has set out.

For more information, or to arrange your FREE estimate for Plumbing, Heating or Electrical work either call us on 01423 54 6641 or email us from the contact us page