Spring has Sprung! It’s Time for Annual Maintenance

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As London is enjoying some lovely warm weather, the last thing that is on your mind is your boiler. Unfortunately, the majority of people think about their boiler when they try to get it running again in the autumn. That tends to make us very busy as every job is urgent as the weather cools down. Get in early and get your boiler serviced now so that it’s in top shape for the next winter season.

The warm weather gives us a chance to get the windows open and have a spring clean. The sunshine does show up the grime on the windows and the cobwebs in the corners so it’s not surprising that this is a time when everyone spruces up their home. Many people take the extra time off work around the bank holidays to decorate a room or get out in the garden and tidy things up. But not many people think about their hard working boiler that would also enjoy some well earned maintenance.

Best Practice

We advise people to have their boiler serviced annually. This means we can check it over, clean the filters and make sure the boiler is safe. All our service staff are Gas Safe engineers who understand the importance of a safe boiler and meet the standards required. Having your boiler serviced means that you can be satisfied that there aren’t any leaks. Carbon Monoxide is a silent killer that has no odour and is very hard to detect. Having your boiler regularly maintained by a professional means you significantly reduce the risk of being poisoned in your own home.

Time for a Change

If your boiler is old, the summer is the best time to replace it. The latest condensing boilers save you money on your energy bills and are clean and quiet to run. It is sometimes difficult to get the spares we need to repair old boilers, so getting them checked out in the summer could save you a real headache when you actually need your boiler up and running.

Taking time off work in November while you wait for a heating engineer in your cold house is not an ideal situation. Take a summer day off and enjoy your garden while your plumber is servicing your boiler.

Hot Water!

Don’t forget that your boiler is doing more than heating your home, it heats the hot water too. You really don’t want to be without hot water in the summer when nothing refreshes you better than a hot shower after a day at work in the city. It is far better to utilise your boiler to heat your hot water than use an electric immersion tank. If your boiler runs on gas you will find it cheaper than electricity to heat your water. Also, by using the boiler for hot water in the summer it keeps the boiler ticking over nicely so it will be ready to fire up to full power in the colder weather. After all, you don’t want to find yourself in the wrong kind of hot water – with a boiler that has broken down.

Whatever spring cleaning you do this spring don’t forget your boiler!

Human Thermal Comfort Or Just Using A Doggy Blanket?

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“Where have all your shaggy dog stories gone?” asked a customer when calling up my master, Bernard, to take a look at their boiler, which had decided to give up the ghost just before Halloween, woof, woof!

If only I had a shaggy coat like some of my other canine pals. The clocks have gone back and the long, cold dark nights are drawing in. Luckily I have a big, warm doggy blanket and, of course, Bernard has checked every last valve and connector to make sure our heating system works perfectly.

It’s not just a matter of swapping energy suppliers

With energy bills soaring, it is now more important than ever for our homes to be energy efficient and not waste one kilojoule. It’s not just a matter of keeping the costs of bills down by swapping energy suppliers but also having the right type of boiler, and ensuring it’s checked and regularly maintained so it works to maximum efficiency. This is especially important during the winter months of heaviest use.

Humans always expect their central heating system to work and constantly provide the required level of warmth, when required. But to do this, a central heating system must firstly be well-designed and efficient, which means all the components, such as the thermostat, boiler, radiators, and pipework are in perfect balance to produce the desired “thermal comfort.”

Thermal comfort factors

“Thermal comfort” is defined as the measure of satisfaction achieved when a desirable heat balance between the body and surroundings are met – such as resting on my blanket just in front of the radiator!

For human thermal comfort, the conditions are not so easily satisfied. There are several factors, which influence the ability to achieve a comfortable level:

– Air temperature at floor level should not be greater than 30 C below that at head level

– Airflow around the body should be horizontal and at a rate of between 0.2m and 0.25m per second. A variable air velocity is preferable to a constant one.

– Room surface temperatures should not be above the room air temperatures.

– Relative humidity of between 40 – 60 per cent.

– Air temperatures should be between 16-220 deg.C, dependent upon the type of activity being carried out, age of  occupants and the quantity and quality of clothing worn.

Home value and energy efficiency

A degree of control over all of the above factors can be applied by insulation, draft reduction, control of condensation/ventilation as well as the heating. No two properties are ever alike – I know because I’m often allowed to sit in the van!

Ensuring hot water and thermal comfort heating to all parts of a home whenever it’s needed is more than just putting a boiler in and joining up the pipes. These days, the value of your home is bound up with how energy efficient it is at providing thermal comfort.

But not too bone dry – but that’s a pun better off buried. Hey its Halloween…woof, woof!

Welcome

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Welcome to Moo’s views about life on the job.

Hello London! Love Moo the BBS plumb and heat dog…

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“If you live in London, particularly North or South London, you know how we now don’t escape the cold or snow anymore, with London plumbing possibly becoming affected. I know my plumbing gets affected when there is snow on the ground ! What better time than pre winter to get your heating and boiler system upgraded or tested so it doesn’t become a pain later! I know my master, Bernard at BBS Plumb and Heat knows so much about this as he is always dragging me ( literally ) to different houses and flats across North and South London to install or upgrade the occupants heating systems. Brrrr.. with boiler installs from £1,500 ( something to really warm too ). What’s more I know all new boilers installed by BBS plumb and Heat come with great guarantees; 7 – 8 years and up, on such reliably named boilers such as Worcester Bosch, Valliant, Potterton – you name it Bernard’s got a first class price along with a great guarantee. On top of all that he can do those powerflushes everyone’s talking about. How do I know all this? He’s asked me to wail and bark it to the world as we drive along! ..Time for me to take a powerflush! Till next time ..Moo x “Oct 2013

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Well, it’s that time of year at BBS plumb and heat. As well recognised London plumbers and connoisseurs of everything to do with plumbing & heating in North and South London, my big boss, Bernard is called all over the place to do boiler servicing and upgrades in readiness for Winter. Just think only last week I was lying on my back lapping up what was left of the Summer and then bang!…I’m dragged from pillar to post ( I don’t mind the odd post though, as you can imagine). On the way to all these different addresses I overhear Bernard talking to his partner about lots of good offers on new boilers and stocking up on parts for the older ones..circuit boards…valves….washers…it all goes above my head…well I am only 1ft six inches! Instead of talking about things he needs for boiler repairs, I wish he’d talk about food for me..like bones..pig’s ears and meaty chunks.
I was just thinking.. I much prefer it when the boss installs a brand new boiler at a house …. it gives me more kipping time in the van…while Bernard is in the house working like a dog, I’m in the front seat kipping like one…Aah Bliss! Till next time.. Woof woof…Moo x Sept 11th 2013

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Hi it’s Moo, BBS plumbing and heating’s very own popular mascot woofer ! Wow, it’s been hot ! Imagine doing your job with a fur coat on like mine?
Good job Bernard keeps a bowl of the clear liquid nectar in the van or I’d be a hot dog otherwise. Today we had to survey a property which was having some rather elegant solar panels fitted on the roof with the right boiler thingymejig inside. All professionally installed of course, by Bern and the boys..Well, you couldn’t have asked for a better day. So hot – I reckon if the guy had already installed his solar panels he would have collected the electricity equivalent for the output of a small city – and that’s in the time it took Bernard to shin up his ladder to take a closer look at the roof line. The homeowner was impressed and I overheard the conversation about “…new favourable tariffs which means you get a cheque for collected energy that isn’t used by the home”. How cool is that ! Talking of cool..I want to go and lay down, it’s far too hot for this…The great thing about belonging to BBS Plumbing and Heating is that they are constantly on the move across North and South London…gives me the chance to stick my head out of the van and get that cool breeze swishing over my face. Of course I lapped that up ! Touch noses soon..yours,Moo x Aug 1st 2013

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“Yikes! This is posh I thought..as we pulled up outside a smart 3 bed semi in Highgate. Bernard, my master had pulled up and was studying some sort of boiler configuration on his iphone. I was just coming round..just waking…after all, one must get their cat (or dog ) naps when we can and the 20 minute journey here was just right to do it.

Anyway in no more than 5 minutes..I was out of the van and standing in a large drawing room, wonderful, lots of light. Bernard was busy telling the owner of the house how he could install a new wet room and some underfloor heating..I like the underfloor warmth myself, for obvious reasons! Nice to lie on my back and feel the heat. I overheard Bernard saying “I’ll be round at just after 8 on Wednesday”…more early mornings..Ugh! Anyway the normal handshake ensued between Bernard and the house owner and we dashed back to the van…I’m hungry now, it’s gone 5pm and I wonder if there are any biscuit bits that may have dropped in the van from when Bernard had lunch…no such luck….Bern was famished today and could have eaten through his fingers! Ah well, I’ll just have to wait for dinner in a couple of hours…Oh no Bernard’s just taken another call and is asking what road someone’s flat is in…Until next time folks..and any spare biscuits would be greatly received..Moo x ” July 10th 2013

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” Underfloor heating day today, the team were up at the crack of dawn and just as I was finishing my miniature chocolate breakfast bones, I was grabbed by my collar and plonked into our trusty BBS Plumbing and Heating van. We were then on our way to Tollington Park in North London to fit lashings of wonderful underfloor heating at a rather splendid Georgian Abode. I knew it was Tollington Park because I saw another staffie pointing at the wall sign with his cocked back leg! Once inside, my boss, Bernard got straight down to work, pacing out the size, lifting floors and bringing in what seemed to be the biggest dog’s lead in the World. in fact it was the electrical heating wire for the underfloor heating! as the day wore on this long electrical piping was beautifully shaped into perfect swirls across the floor. Being closer to the action, as it were, I could witness this first hand! By the end of the day I knew we were getting to leave as the owner of the house came through the door after work and grinned widely followed by a pat on the back for Bernard and his team. Home then and back to those choccy bones… see you later all !    Moo ”   May 30

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” Went out with the team today….it was great staring over the dashboard, through the windscreen of the van, watching the world go by. Saw some other pooches just like me, being walked by their owners – Bliss, fancied that… but my master Bernard said I had to come with him first, to get a boiler serviced or repaired…can’t remember which it was….. those humans really speak garbled at times! Anyway  after about half an hour Bernard suddenly became really busy….I could tell because the back of his shoe at the heel was dashing in and out of focus….sometimes I wish I had a better view of things….plastic pipe thingys and many wrench type spanners and screwdrivers were all reached for near my head – I thought I was getting a sweet or some strokes but alas it was the tools needed on the job and the bag was right next to my right ear! ‘New Distributor Valve” I overheard…..mmmm not sure what that is but my master Bernard looked intent inside the boiler, like he was carrying out some sort of operation. Was almost expecting his brow to be mopped by one of the team. Time really seemed to fly and the next thing I knew we were heading off into the van again with the customer patting Bernard on the back and smiling….it was then I caught sight of a whiskery cat and just as I was about to say ‘hello’ to it, Bernard picked me up and whisked me into the footwell…..never mind….maybe the next customer will have a nice attractive blonde staffy to keep me company !……Till the next time, …. Moo”

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