Prevent Christmas Sliding Down The Greasy Pipe And Blocking Drains!

/0 Comments/in /by

It’s Christmas! Hoorah, lots of snoozing in my basket!

But Bernard my master always expect there to be emergency call outs – and he’s never been wrong yet! The weather’s mild at the moment but if temperatures do drop, there’s bound to be pipes which will freeze up because they’re outside and haven’t been lagged properly.

Can’t wait for Christmas Day – all those scrumptious scraps which find their way into my bowl – even if I have to fetch them off the table myself! Woof woof! Bernard pretends to be annoyed but then he fills my water bowl with beer and I suddenly need to start chasing my tail!

Turkey fat, oil or grease

Of course, it’s all about eating and drinking over the festive season and sinks can so easily get blocked, especially if someone decides to pour the turkey fat, oil or other types of grease or thick foodstuffs down the plug hole. Trying to clear the blockage with hot water may not help very much because in some properties the pipes may have not been correctly installed.

The problem of misaligned pipes is not uncommon and can sometimes be the reason why residue easily builds up into a blockage causing a kitchen sink to take an unusually long time to drain away and start to smell, even if not excessively used. However, a smell coming from a kitchen sink drain could simply mean the waste pipe traps need to be cleaned out. It’s no fun for me trying to sniff out buried bones!

Preventing a build up of waste

Apart from ensuring that turkey fat is never poured away down the sink, one good tip to help prevent a build up of waste blocking up the pipes is to pour boiling water down the kitchen sink followed by hot soapy water on a weekly basis. Follow this up with half a packet of soda crystals and another kettle full of boiling water down the sink every two weeks.

If the toilet or bathroom sink and bath plug holes appear to be blocked then there is likely to be a problem with the drainage system. If the outside drain starts to overflow each time then it’s time for a plumber to lift the grates and trace the blockage.

Seasonal wishes

Hopefully, we won’t get too many blocked drains to deal with on emergency callouts! Bernard spends the whole year conscientiously telling all his customers how to take care of their water systems and reminds them to have their boilers serviced and radiators checked well before the winter season.

I’m sure Bernard would want to join me now in wishing you all – our lovely customers past, present – and those who might need to call because of a blocked or burst pipe – a very merry Christmas!

Just can’t wait for Christmas Day – every year, Bernard always has a present for me. A cat may have nine lives but Moo the dog expects to get a new leash on life! Woof woof!

See you all here in January!

Best To Be Gas Safe Than Sorry You Didn’t Check First For Plumbing Credentials!

/0 Comments/in , /by

On the 1st April 2009, Britain’s gas safety scheme known as Corgi was replaced by the Gas Safe Register. From that date onwards, by law, anyone who works on gas appliances, such as boilers, now needed to be on the Gas Safe Register.

Naturally, the fact that a Corgi was no more is something we canines are more likely to know than humans! But it is still of concern how Corgi continues to be mentioned whenever the issue of finding a properly trained and qualified plumber comes up in conversation. You may even spot a trade van with a Corgi sticker still attached to the side door.

Passionate about the job

Doing the job properly by a trained and qualified installer is something my master, Bernard feels passionate about. Just at the end of November he read about a gas explosion at a private residence in Manchester caused by damage to live electrical wires, which burned a hole in a gas pipe while a new boiler was being installed.

Apparently, the plumber had burnt the cables while using a blow torch to solder together gas pipes that ran alongside. Despite being badly charred, the cables were then wrapped in plastic tape instead of a proper repair made.

According to official figures, around 40 people are fatally injured each year from gas explosions and more than 25 people will die from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning due to badly installed or not properly maintained gas appliances. Even more people suffer health problems from CO exposure directly related to a gas appliance.

Deciding if the plumber is right as well as the price

Luckily for me, I can smell gas right across north and east London where Bernard spends most of his time installing boilers and taking care of customer’s central heating systems.

Humans may have bigger brains but can they smell a rat? The kind of rat I’m talking about is the type of installer that humans seem to not worry as much about checking up on their Gas Safe credentials as they are on securing a suspiciously low price.

Unfortunately, trying to decide over the phone if you have found a good plumber when they give the pricing for even small jobs may not be the answer. Most good plumbers will prefer to provide quotes only when they are actually front of the job to be done so their ‘fixed quote’ is certain to be 100 per cent exactly correct – and customers will have no nasty surprises later!

Check to ensure a plumber is fully licensed

Apart from guarantees, references, online reviews and obtaining different quotes ( for the same amount of work to be carried out), it’s always crucial to spend time checking to ensure a plumber is fully licensed and carries full insurance to protect you and your neighbour’s property in the event of a catastrophe. While asking about “long they have been in business for” may be reassuring, it’s not always the case that reputable trades-people last while rogue traders simply disappear!

I’m proud to be able to say that my master, Bernard is Gas Safe registered, a Worcester Bosch Group partner and gives a 5 year guarantee – and he replaced all his Corgi stickers, but sadly not with pictures of Moo!