Get up to 12 year guarantee with your new Worcester Bosch boiler

Get up to 12 year guarantee with your new Worcester Bosch boiler

As We discussed last month in our blog, boilers need work done to keep them running as efficient as they can be, but there will come a time when they need to be replaced.

When buying a Worcester Bosch product through Abbey Boilers , your product will also come with a guarantee as standard. However, you can get different length guarantees depending on your product and accessories.

  • Lifestyle Boilers

Our Lifestyle boilers now come with a 12 year guarantee for customers who choose accredited installer like us at Abbey Boilers to install your new boiler along, with a Worcester Bosch Greenstar system water filter.

  • Greenstar Gas Boilers

    The guarantee on Greenstar gas boilers starts from 5 years. However, we offer an exclusive 10 year guarantee to our customers who also install their boiler along with a Worcester Bosch Greenstar system filter.

  • Oil Boilers

    The guarantee on oil boilers start at 2 years. However, as an accredited installers we offer up to a 8 year guarantee on Worcester Bosch oil boilers when you choose to opt for a system filter and a new Worcester Bosch cylinder.

Seven ways to help your boiler be more efficient!

Seven ways to help your boiler be more efficient!

The Winter is coming, and we might be indoors more than we thought, so now is the time to sort out your boilers efficiency. If your boiler is inefficient it will cost you more money and is bad for the enviromenent.

By following the following steps you can increase your boilers and radiators lifespan.

1. Bleed out your radiators.

Instruction:

If your radiator takes a while to warm up or has patches of cold spots, then you should bleed it. You get a brass radiator key from any hardware store and let the air out of the vent valve. Retighten it as soon as water comes out.

Purpose:

This low-key maintenance task gives your radiators a heat efficiency boost and should mean cheaper bills too!

2. Run your heating system on a regular timescale.

Instruction:

No matter what the season, make sure you pop the heating on for about 10-20 minutes at least once a month.

Purpose:

It might feel strange to fire up the heating in the summer, but it keeps the system active and prevents it from seizing up. This hugely prevents problems occurring in winter, when you need it most.

3. Insulate your pipes.

Instruction:

Get some foam tubes from a DIY store and lag your central heating pipes with them. Make sure that they’re the correct size for your pipes!

Purpose:

Insulating your pipes reduces heat loss and stops your boiler from working too hard and provides a simple way to protect it and save money.

4. Get a Powerflush by a professional.

Instruction:

If you’ve bled your radiators and they still fail to heat up properly, it might time for a powerflush. This pumps water through your central heating system and can be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

Purpose:

Rust or debris builds up and clogs the central heating system over time making it hard for a boiler to operate efficiently. A powerflush clears the sludge, which can corrode the system if it is not cleared, and is a much bigger and costly problem to fix.

5. Top up the pressure of your system.

Instruction:

Check the gauge on your boiler. If it’s between 1 and 2 bars of pressure – ideally 1.5 - then it’s healthy. If not, then you’ll need top up by opening the filling loop valve beneath the boiler until the pressure hits 1.5.

Purpose:

High pressure can prevent your boiler from working properly, while low pressure means higher energy bills and poor boiler efficiency.

6. Get an annual service for your boiler.

Instruction:

Call a Gas Safe registered engineer once a year and arrange a service.

Purpose:

Boilers are like cars: they need a regular service to ensure peak performance. Arranging this annually will optimise its safety and efficiency and prevent more costly problems later on.

7. Upgrade to a new boiler.

Instruction:

Replace your boiler with a high-efficiency option if all of the above did not help.

Purpose:

Ensuring you boiler is regularly serviced and maintained will help maintain its efficiency, but there will come a time when it’s time to replace it.

For advice or help with any of the above points, if you live in our SERVICE area, feel free to get in touch with us.

Does Underfloor Heating Increase your homes Value?

Does Underfloor Heating Increase your homes Value?

When you are making changes to your home and installing a new heating system, would you consider how it might impact your homes sales price ?

Did you know that underfloor heating can actually add value to your home, allowing you to demand a higher sale price should you choose to sell up or make it more sellable then another house with out it?

This happens for many reasons:

Smart Heating in your Home

Smart Heating in your Home

2020 has been an interesting year but when it comes to technology the future is here. With smart heating systems you control your heating via your smartphone or tablet from the comfort of your bed or office desk ay work, with the added benefit of cost saving on your bills.

The convenience of leaving your house and remembering you left your heating on full blast, and switching it off with touch of a button or driving home on a cold winter and getting your heating to your desired temperature.

Some are even more advanced and can help you set different temperatures for each room or have motion sensors so they detect if your home or not. Here at Abbey Boilers, we offer a range of intelligent heating systems that allow you to control your heating system.

Here are a few examples of system we have installed:

  • The Nest by google

With Energy UK finding that turning down your heating by one degree can cut your heating bills by 10% and save you around £85 a year, using your thermostat properly is pretty essential if you want to save money.

Even though programming a thermostat has been made simpler over the years, it’s still a task that many of us can do without. On top of entering every start and stop time you need throughout the week, you need to decide on the right temperature and plan for when you’re not going to be home.

This is where the Nest can help. This is a learning thermostat that, once installed, just needs to be set manually for a week – turn it on or off, or up or down, at certain times of the day and then it begins to program itself.

The artificial intelligence inside will learn your ideal timings and preferences, and start to apply them automatically.

No two homes are exactly the same, but the Nest will learn about your home when programming how quickly it heats and cools, and how it’s affected by outside weather conditions and adjust accordingly. It also turns itself down when you’re out by using sensors and your phone’s location.

This smart technology can save energy, and improve the efficiency of your home’s central heating and you’ll hardly need to do anything yourself.

If you already have the nest app for your smart door bell or CCTV it is the same app and hey all connect to each other.

  • The Wave by Worcester Bosch

A smart, Internet-connected control for your home’s central heating and hot water, the Wave has a corresponding app that allows you to monitor and control usage remotely via a phone or tablet connected to the internet.

  • InTouch by intergas

You can turn your phone into your thermostat by connecting your smartphone to your boiler, thanks to the InTouch app, which turns your house into a smart home.

By connecting your boiler to the internet, you can control your home’s heating from anywhere in the world via the InTouch app. The app also provides an easy-to-use, visual control system for those that struggle to program boiler panels, making it a simple way to monitor your heating.

But best of all, the InTouch app can boost the efficiency of your heating system. By staying connected with your boiler and monitoring usage, the app can respond to varying demand and use more or less energy as needed.

All heating services & Plumming work now available again.

All heating services & Plumming work now available again.

Like all businesses, we at Abbey Boilers have had to make adjustments to the way we operate during lockdown period. Initially, that meant focusing entirely on emergency repairs as with he government guidelines. We then started boiler servicing, due to the important nature of this work, and throughout it all we have been operating within the guidelines set out by the government in terms of using PPE, hand sanitiser and social distancing.

This was all very necessary and our gas engineers, office staff and our customers welcomed it.

However, now that lockdown rules have started to relax and we know from the last three months that our working protocols are safe and embedded in how we operate, we are pleased to say that we are now almost back to business as usual out of Horsham West Sussex, and we could not be happier doing what we do best!

We are now offering our full range of services and no longer limiting it to just emergency repairs and boiler servicing.

Naturally, things aren’t exactly as they were before- all hygiene and social distancing rules remain in place and we do ask that you notify us if anyone in the household has any symptoms of covid19 or has done for the previous 14 days.

Now that we are able to resume plumbing and heating and home improvement work, you can call on us to sort out that dripping tap that’s been driving you mad, that temperamental toilet or even if you just fancy a new shower, Abbey Boilers is here for you like before.

Having worked throughout this crisis, we are confident that our covid19 working practices are safe for both customers and our gas engineers so you can book with confidence.

If you would like to book an appointment for any of our plumbing and heating services then you can email us on : admin@abbeyboilers.com. or call us on 01403 275512 during our office hours.

Our office staff are now back to work and we hope that we can get the economy of our country back on track.

Thank you for your continued patience during these challenging times.

Do you have a garden, does your garden have a tap ?

Do you have a garden, does your garden have a tap ?

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!!

Safety of our customers and and staff will always be our number 1 priority at Abbey Boilers

Safety of our customers and and staff will always be our number 1 priority at Abbey Boilers

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

Gas safe and Covid-19

Gas safe and Covid-19

Gas Safe have released their latest guidance on Covid-19. For my information please go to their website.

Can gas engineers still work?
Given the restrictions that have been put in place in order to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus, it is essential that any registered businesses undertaking work still follow the guidelines in terms of:

  • Keeping a minimum of 2m apart from other people (who are not from your household)

  • Washing hands frequently

  • Wiping down all surfaces

  • Maintaining their Gas Safe registration

Full guidance on precautions to take to avoid transferring or contracting the virus can be found at www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19

And: www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-decontamination-in-non-healthcare-settings/covid-19-decontamination-in-non-healthcare-settings

This is based on current guidance from the UK Government, at 24th March 2020, and is subject to change as the pandemic situation progresses.

We also note that registered businesses should conduct their own assessment of the risks before entering any property, as with any other risk.

Can I still carry out a landlord gas safety check?
Landlords still have a legal duty to repair and maintain gas pipework, flues and appliances in a safe condition, to ensure an annual gas safety check on each appliance and flue, and to keep a record of each safety check. The latest restrictions on leaving the home currently allow registered gas engineers to undertake essential work, whilst taking the appropriate precautions advised to avoid spreading or contracting the virus in a new setting.

In the event you are unable to gain access to the property, e.g. persistent refusal of access due to vulnerable tenants self-isolating, the landlord will be expected to be able to demonstrate that they took reasonable steps to comply with the law, and that they are seeking to arrange the safety check as soon as all parties are able. This will need to include records of communication with the tenant, and details of any attempts where the engineer tried to gain access.

What happens if my ACS is due to expire?
Whilst engineers are expected to take all reasonable measures to maintain their ACS qualifications, including planning ahead where possible, we appreciate that the current situation means this is not feasible. Maintaining gas safety competence is essential for registered gas engineers.

If engineers take all reasonable steps to update their expired ACS certification as soon as possible after the restrictions are lifted, and continue to work safely, HSE will permit registered gas engineers to remain on the Register for an additional period during the peak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) measures. Engineers may be required to demonstrate that they have taken reasonable steps to renew their qualifications. Engineers MUST maintain their Gas Safe registration during any extension of their ACS qualification period if they are carrying out gas work. This is a temporary measure and does not remove the standing requirement for registered gas engineers to maintain their ACS certification and renew certification every 5 years.

Gas Safe Register Inspections
We understand that there is some confusion amongst registered engineers following our recent update. We apologise for this and want to clarify the latest situation:

During this initial period of restriction, Gas Safe Register anticipates we will only conduct inspections undertaken by GSR Inspectors into high risk scenarios, and that these will be determined on a case-by-case basis with the HSE. All other inspections will be held and prioritised to be scheduled once the restrictions are lifted.

We have suspended all of our routine Inspection Events for the time being, and are looking at suitable alternatives to attending an event in person. This work will continue, and we will communicate details of these as soon as they have been decided.

Gas Safe Register's service
We are currently operating a limited service as we have closed our main office as of today until further notice, to support efforts to reduce the spread of the virus. We appreciate your patience and would like to remind you that we will not tolerate any abuse of our staff at any time; and ask that you treat everyone with respect as we work through this emerging situation.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) update by Abbey Boilers

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.

Abbey Boilers Heating Systems For Rural Areas

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.