Safety
Hewro
7 things to do before leaving for your holiday ...

1.Do not switch off your boiler.
There is an internal clock inside your boiler system which comes on every day to run a cycle.
It does this so the ‘running’ parts and pump keep moving and the system doesn’t seize up.

2. Check your radiators are not leaking and have no green residue around the connections.
You do not want to come back to at best a west spot to worst a massive leak, pipes age and leak which is why they need maintenance.

3. Set your room thermostat to away mode or manually to 10° – 12°
Yes, even if it’s summer time, or it’s just hot when you leave, set your thermostat or floor heating to a low temperature to keep pipes warm and to stop damp from forming.

4. Keep your house ventilated.
Security when you are away is important which is why your windows and doors should be locked but make sure the air vents and air grills are open to let fresh air go around your house, other wise you will come back to stale not nice smelling house.

5. Run a final cycle through your washing machine and dishwasher
Once everything is dry and put away, wash out the soap drawers, leave the doors fully open and unplug the appliances at the mains.

6. Turn your water off
If you know where your stopcock is, it’s wise to turn the water off at the mains. This will vastly limit the threat of flooding. If you’re not sure where it is, just ensure that your taps are securely turned off.

7. Take a portable carbon monoxide and smoke detector with you on your holiday.
You and your family safety is the most important thing, there has been many horror stories in other place with not the safety track and regulation of the UK. Place them in areas where you are sleeping.

7 things to do before leaving for your holiday for your Plumbing!
Hewro
Do you have a garden, does your garden have a ...

We have been through a lot as a country and now it is the 1st of June 2020 the SUMMER is here!

The sun is shining, it has been most of the month and the view from our offices show life is starting to get back to a ‘new’ normal.

As the lock down is starting to ease people are starting to plan garden meet ups with their families and loved ones.

Horsham and West Sussex are well known for the clean air, cultural landscape and beautiful green space at the back of our homes. There has never been a better time to get cleaning, sorting and ready for those BBQ’s we have so far missed out on.

With the lockdown restrictions lifted ever so slightly, you can get yourself down to garden centres which have now opened ,and stock up on some flowers, seedlings hanging baskets and prepare those back gardens for the season ahead!

The stresses of lockdown mean many people are rediscovering the appeal of gardening, which hugely promotes physical and mental health, but how are you watering your flowers? How are you jet washing the garden or filling the kids blow up pool? washing your car? Is it a tap running though the kitchen window or back door? through your living room? Do you want to avoid the hassle and proposed risks of a hose running through your home every time you need to use it, and the risk of damaging plumbing fittings or a leakage in your home? Abbey Boilers have a great but simple solution for you, and that is to get yourself an outdoor garden tap, right in a place that’s convenient for you and your family.

Access to an outdoor tap can make life so much easier. It is a straightforward installation that takes no more than a few hours, and is a cost effective solution. We will assess and advise you about the best type of tap to install. If you are buying the tap yourself always ensure it measures up to British standards. Regulations stipulate outdoor taps must have a one way valve installed so water can only flow in one direction - out from the mains. Water, particularly in a garden can get contaminated with dirt, mud or grit, and the check valve ensures that any contaminants do not enter the main water supply.

It’s also possible to have a hot tap outside too - particularly useful for those of you with young children and to fill those paddling pools, as we know the British summer cannot be guaranteed to warm those pools! A hot tap could even be useful for washing your car, and the simple installation of a Y fitting means you can use the hot and cold taps like a mixer tap.

In addition we always ensure to complete installations with minimal pipework running along outside walls, and any pipes required will always be insulated to protect the pipes in all weather. If you want a problem free installation, a free no obligations quote, or even just advice, please contact us!

The summer is here -let’s all get out, get some fresh air and make the most of it as we have had a very ‘unusual’ spring!!

Do you have a garden, does your garden have a tap ?
Hewro
Safety of our customers and and staff will ...

Safety at Abbey Boilers will always be our first priority . Throughout the pandemic we as an organisation have taken swift and immediate action to keep our customers and staff as safe as possible.

The changes that have been implemented were significant to our business at the start of the pandemic, both in terms of our operations and how our engineers operate in the field. We have been maintaining social distancing in our offices with reduced staff and levels of strict hygiene have been adhered to by our engineers on the roads who have been issued with correct and sufficient PPE.

We will continue this while we carry on emergency work for customers across the South East and West Sussex, including priority jobs for key worker staff.

We are slowly starting to see signs of companies planning gradual return to work, and slow introduction of employees back into the workplace. A gradual return will help maintain social distancing in early days and give companies enough time to require employees to fill out health assessments and get tested if necessary. Rest assured meticulous planning is in place and steps are being taken to ensure safety of both customers and employees.

Some of the big housebuilding companies like Taylor Wimpey will be starting to build again shortly and car firms such as Nissan and Jaguar Land Rover are preparing to resume production in their factories.

These are all positive signs for the economy and our amazing country. This does not mean battle against COVID-19, which is by no means close to ending yet.

The way we live and work will be quite different from what we are used to for many months to come or even longer. The Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty said during one of the recent government daily press conferences that social distancing will need to be in place for ‘some considerable time’.

If that is the case, the country and its business community have to be able to adapt. The health of the nation is, undoubtedly, the first priority, but having an active economy filled with businesses that create employment, follows a close second.

We know the lockdown as it is now cannot continue for the long term and there are reports that the pandemic has reached its peak and has levelled off, but the same time, we can’t risk ruining the hard work we have all put in to stop the virus spreading further with a second spike.

Therefore, we have to adapt and evolve, which is something entrepreneurial businesses in the UK have been doing for generations as we have at Abbey Boilers when we started fixing our first boiler all those years ago.

As a business that provides an essential service from workers that cannot work from home, we changed quickly. Times like this spur innovation and we implemented new ways of working that would keep our people safe, but also our customers as the majority of the time the only way we can carry out our work is to enter their homes.

We will continue to apply these processes for the foreseeable future as we return to providing more than emergency call out jobs.

We too will be looking forward to get back to normal working conditions in people’s homes and business premises as before.

But until then we have to together as a country beat this, only together can this be achieved.

Stay Safe!

Abbey Boilers

Safety of our customers and and staff will always be our number 1 priority at Abbey Boilers
Hewro
Coronavirus (COVID-19) update by Abbey Boilers

With Coronavirus (COVID-19) impacting us all, it’s more important than ever to support each other - together, we can get through this.

These are difficult, fast moving and concerning times for everyone.

At Abbey Boilers we have been serving our community for almost 20 years, and we will continue to serve the needs of our customers in West Sussex, Surrey, South West London, Brighton and Hove whilst doing our best to prioritise emergencies and put our most vulnerable customers first.

At some point life will start to return to normal but during these unprecedented times we will do our best to help our customers with their essential work. Gas safety is very important and now is the time to make sure your boiler is fully safe and tested. The government has declared our service as key workers, we therefore will remain open during this time of social distancing, following all advice and recommendations to ensure the absolute safety of both our staff and customers.

We place the safety of our employees and our customers above all else which is why we will implement a social distancing when carrying out works in your property.

If you’re experiencing problems with your plumbing or heating, or even if you simply require an annual gas safety check, you can rest assured Abbey Boilers will provide a professional, reliable safe service.

We continue to review all our practices and guidelines as government information changes, but don’t worry, should anything change we will let you know.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) update by Abbey Boilers
Hewro
Abbey Boilers Heating Systems For Rural Areas

At Abbey Boilers, we serve Horsham and the surrounding areas of Surrey and West Sussex. As such, a lot of the land we cover can be considered quite rural. The beautiful countryside of West Sussex has a considerable number of farms, country houses, and villages. Sometimes a traditional boiler heating system just isn’t practical or EVEN possible. And so, our service engineers at Abbey Boilers are skilled and certified in the installation and maintenance of LPG boiler systems.

Abbey Boilers Heating Systems For Rural Areas

Cold

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How would it feel to have your heating break down this winter?

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How would it feel to have your heating break down this winter?

We have all felt the cold this week with the white snow parts of Kent and Sussex. As the weather is starting to get frosty, it is very important to take the time and prepare your home. That involves making sure your boiler is serviced and working in its peak condition, with minus temperatures we are facing your pipes can freeze and burst.

It is very important to check the pipes of your house. If they are not insulated, you are increasing the risk of letting them freeze or burst during cold temperatures like we are experiencing.

The boiler is even bigger issue than a frozen pipe. As it’s a safety issue and if it breaks down, you are risking yourself of having costly repairs and not having heating or hot water in the coldest days of the year.

Here is a simple guide to prevent such a scenario from Abbey Boilers:

Have your heating system and boiler serviced by a qualified engineer. Just in case you forgot to have your heating system or boiler checked this year, the best time to have it checked is when winter is still on its way. Having it serviced means our heating experts from Abbey Boilers can take a look at your equipment and check if it is working properly. If any defects or malfunctions are detected, we can repair it as soon as possible. It is better to find out minor problems and solve them as soon as possible rather than wait for the problems to get worse then have the issues fixed.

You don’t want any issues from your boiler and heating system in the dead of winter. Just imagine yourself not having heating or hot water in your home with the weather we have been having this week. Apart from the fact that putting up with heating problems during winter is very inconvenient, finding a heating engineer to attend to you might be difficult because they are extremely busy during cold periods like this with all the other lockdown issues we are all experiencing.

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Big Energy Saving Week: Households given fuel bill saving advice

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Big Energy Saving Week: Households given fuel bill saving advice

Households across the United Kingdom are being encouraged to take steps to reduce their energy usage and save money on their fuel bills as part of a nationwide campaign.

Big Energy Saving Week (21st - 27th January), organised each year by Citizens Advice, aims to raise awareness of the simple steps we can all take to lower our energy bills through being more energy efficient.

OFTEC, which represents the oil heating industry, and the Federation of Petroleum Suppliers (FPS), the trade association for oil distributers, are official partners of Big Energy Saving Week and are encouraging oil households in the UK to think about their current energy consumption as well as offering money saving advice. 

Despite recent small increases in price, oil heated households in the UK continue to enjoy the cheapest fuel bills of all the main off-grid heating systems and are paying on average nearly £500 less than homes using LPG and over £800 less than those with electric storage heaters.

However, in the cold winter months, there are still ways households can reduce their spending costs even further, without having to turn down the heating.

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Households in England and Wales are urged to check on vulnerable neighbours and relatives following cold festive season

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Households in England and Wales are urged to check on vulnerable neighbours and relatives following cold festive season

Following the cold festive period, households in England and Wales are being reminded to regularly visit vulnerable relatives, neighbours and friends to check they are keeping warm and well.

The warning comes after 50,100 excess winter deaths were recorded in England and Wales  during 2017/18*.

Those living in rural parts of England and Wales are more likely to struggle to keep warm during the winter season because their houses tend to be older and less well insulated, making them harder to heat effectively.

People living within these households are often at greater risk of developing health problems, such as respiratory conditions, which are made worse by cold temperatures. 

In response OFTEC, which represents the oil heating industry, is encouraging people to regularly check on older relatives and friends to ensure they are taking care of themselves over the colder months.

OFTEC has shared five top tips on things to look out for which could potentially save a life, as part of a free 'Keeping warm this winter’ guide. 

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Safety Advice for Students Heading in to Rented Properties

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Safety Advice for Students Heading in to Rented Properties

OFTEC has supplied some basic Gas and Oil safety guidelines to help protect students in their search for a rented property.

What is a Powerflush?

What is a Powerflush?

A Powerflush is a cleansing process which aims to remove deposits of sludge, rust and any other debris from your central heating system.

These contaminants, if left, can seriously affect the efficiency of a heating system and, in severe cases, a powerflush could be the only option available. Over time the water in your pipes, boiler and radiators deposits unwanted byproducts like rust. This rust (plus other dirt and debris) becomes an unpleasant, mud-like substance that professionals affectionately refer to as ‘sludge’.

Sludge in your heating system can cause to blockages and corrosion which will lead to both inefficiency and / or breakdown. In extreme cases it can be so damaging that a complete boiler replacement is needed.

Households could be missing out on significant fuel bill savings

Households could be missing out on significant fuel bill savings

With the warm weather hopefully on its way, households are being urged to ‘spring clean’ their heating system to avoid missing out on significant savings.

The recent ‘Beast from the East’ double storm emphasised the importance of keeping your heating system in tip top shape. Now the weather has started to settle down, it’s a good time to check everything is working efficiently to ensure you make the most of the savings on your fuel bills during the warmer months.

In response OFTEC, which represents the oil heating industry, has issued a spring cleaning checklist to help people cut energy costs over the warmer months:

  1. Adjust your heating timers. Check the heating is coming on at the correct time, especially if you changed the ‘On/Off’ times to heat your home for longer during the cold weather.

  2. Turn off individual radiators. Ensure you aren’t wasting money heating rooms you aren’t using. Also check the radiator temperatures in your main rooms if these were set higher during the cold weather.

  3. Make sure you have enough heating oil. You may have used more oil than usual during the prolonged cold snap. Check how much you have left and top up early to avoid any emergency deliveries. We recommend you use an FPS fuel supplier.

  4. Have your boiler serviced. The sub-zero temperatures this winter mean that your boiler and heating system will have been working very hard. Have the system checked over by a GasSafe (for mains gas) or OFTEC (for oil) registered technician who will ensure it is working correctly and to maximum efficiency. Abbey Boilers do LPG, Gas and Oil annual services

Installing, servicing, and repairing boilers, oil tanks, Agas and much more in the Horsham, Crawley, West Sussex, Surrey, South West London, and Brighton and Hove areas.

Registered in England & Wales No. 7559426
Gas Safe No 529002
Vat No. 111 6410 69