Landlords that market rental property without a valid EPC or Energy Perfomance Certificate could be fined up to £200 they were warned recently by Harrogate Borough Council.
The EPC is designed to give prospective tenants an idea of the running costs of the property they are considering renting. With worries about global warming and the price of GAS and electricity these days its worth checking out the EPC before taking on a rental property.
To commission your EPC in the Harrogate, Ripon, Knaresborough and Wetherby areas of Yorkshire, Contact Hometech of Harrogate Ltd.
Hometech of Harrogate are qualified Domestic Energy Assessors or DEA s registered with Elmhurst Energy. Working for Landlords and letting agents in the local area.
Why Powerflush the system before fitting a new boiler ?
“We can’t believe that not every installer offers Powerflushing when fitting new boilers”!
WHY?
1. A quieter boiler results from the removal of lime scale build up in the system, this is commonly called “Kettling”.
2. Hotter Radiators and a quicker warm up from the removal of Black Sludge “Magnetite” cold spots and Hydrogen build up produced by corrosion within the system.
3. A longer lasting system, pumps will last longer and radiators will have an extended life if there is no corrosion present and suitable corrosion inhibitors are used.
4. Lower fuel bills due to a more efficient system, costs more to heat solid magnetite than it does water! It is estimated that up to 25% saving can be made on your fuel bills compared to a heavily clogged system.
5. Helps to comply with The Benchmark Code of Practice, manufacturers warranties and Building regulations Part L, BSI 7953 when installing new boilers on old or new installations.
What do we do when we power flush?
Put simply, we couple up a specially designed powerful pump to the heating system and with the help of specialist chemicals, blast the debris out of the system, radiator by radiator.
The power flushing process will cure most circulation problems, but cannot undo the corrosion and gradual decay of heating system components that has led to the need to power flush the system. Note that we always check for signs of corrosion before and after the process.
Occasionally some systems may have radiators with localised deep corrosion pits, with only a scab of rust preventing the system water from leaking out. The vigorous flow rate required to mobilise sludge and deposits may dislodge such a scab, leading to a leak from the radiator during the flushing process. The advanced stage of corrosion required for such a situation means that the leak would occur imminently even without a powerflush. If it should be brought forward slightly by the flushing process, then it is better that it occurs whilst a heating engineer is present to remedy the problem, rather than for it to arise over a weekend or whilst the house is unoccupied.
Remember to check that your installer has included POWERFLUSHING in their estimate. (or ask us if not!)
As well as power flushing before new installations, Hometech of Harrogate offer powerflushing services on older boilers to potentially cure noise, poor flow, cold radiators etc… in Harrogate, Knaresborough, Ripon and Wetherby. Contact Us for more details
Recently, an elderly Landlord was fined £5000 for supplying a faulty electric heater that led to the tragic death of a 33 Mother in a rented property in Cornwall.
It is estimated that there are around 30 deaths and 4000 injuries each year in the UK resulting from electricity in the home.
The case has prompted the Electrical Safety Council to produce a downloadable guide providing information as to the duties and responsibilities of the Landlord in rented domestic property.
Electrical services available for Landlords from Hometech of Harrogate Ltd include visual checks, Periodic testing, PAT testing and Fire alarm testing.
The ESCs guide can be downloaded here free. Please Contact Us for further information.
In the light of the recent strike threat by British Gas’ Engineers its worth knowing that boiler-owners who would like to INSURE their boiler against the cost of breakdowns can do so from just £79 per year.
Breakdowns are managed by Hometech, the cost is insured through Aviva and its about £5 cheaper than any British Gas scheme I can find!
Terms and conditions apply and I have a leaflet to pass on. Please Contact us if you feel you would like further information.
The Health and Safety Executive has fined two Landlords and a Gas Engineer in Southhampton a total of £19000 for risking the lives of a Mother and her Daughter. The tenants who suffered serious symptoms of Carbon Monoxide poisoning, drifting in and out of conciousness with headaches and vomiting, were taken to hospital, barely concious. They had previously warned their landlord that the boiler needed servicing, an obligation that was ignored. The Gas Engineer involved, who had not found the appliance to be “AT RISK” during 3 annual inspections was found guilty of offences under the Gas Safety (Installation and use) Regulations 1998.
All Landlords are reminded of their obligations to have appliances checked anually by a Gas Safe Registered Engineer and to have them maintained.
It is now 1 year on since The Gas Safe Register took over responsibility for gas safety from the well known Corgi on behalf of the HSE.
Less well known is the fact that not all Gas Safe Registered plumbers are registered for all aspects of domestic gas, in particular things like LPG, or Calor GAS, this is a separate qualification for individual Engineers. Remember always ask to see the back their GAS Safe CARDS.
Hometech of Harrogate, Providing Plumbing, Heating & Electrical services to Homeowners, Landlords and small business in Harrogate, Knaresborough, Ripon and Wetherby.
7 out of a total of 17 deaths due to carbon monoxide poisoning in the UK in the year ending July 2009 were attributed to gas cookers.
Alarmingly figures released by the Gas Safe Register suggest that up to 100,000 cookers in the UK may have been illegally fitted by un-registered people.
4 out of the 7 deaths were caused by users operating the grills with the top oven door closed. Some cooker manufacturers implicated are offering free of charge upgrades to the door seals. All users are urged to check their user instructions to ensure they are aware of the correct operation of their cooker. Those in doubt should consult a Gas Safe Registered Engineer.
Hometech are Gas Safe Registered Engineers who install check and service domestic cookers and hobs in Harrogate, Ripon, Knaresborough & Wetherby areas.
If you let a property the law says you must have annual Gas Safety checks performed by a Gas Safe Registered Engineer on all pipework, appliances and flues.
You must give your tenants a copy of the Gas Safety Certificate within 28 days of it being carried out or before they move in. Old certificates should be kept for 2 years.
You are also obliged to show your tenants how they can turn off the gas supply in the event of a gas leak.
Hometech are Gas Safe Registered and perform checks and maintenance for Landlords. Please contact us for further details.
For all our Customers from the Internet generation, our blog is now available on RSS Feed & Twitter.
Follow us at twitter.com/hometechteam
Subscribe to our RSS feed hometechuk.com/blog/?feed=rss2
RSS requires compatible web browser (Explorer, Safari, Firefox,Opera) or Reader (Google reader, Outlook etc…)
From the 1st April 2009, The Gas Safe Register took over the responsibility for the registration of gas workers from Corgi. On the site you can check the registration of companies and the identities & qualifications of individual Engineers.
In addition to being unaware of this change, members of the public often unaware that a Gas Safe Registered company can only undertake work that they are qualified (and registered) to do.
Hometech of Harrogate are Gas Safe Registered Engineers, qualified to install and maintain the following gas appliances in a domestic or small office environment:
Boilers, Waterheaters, Fires & stoves, Cookers & Warm Air Heaters. Running on natural gas or LPG.
For more information on our services please contact us
