Find a Heating Engineer you can trust in Abergorlech.

When it comes to boiler insurance in the UK, two companies easily comes to mind - British Gas Homecare and Homeserve. Just like any other choice you’d have to make, choosing the company that’s best for you might be a bit difficult especially if you don’t want to make the wrong choice. This article will give you a good insight into the pros and cons of the two companies’ boiler cover to help you make the best choice for your home.

British Gas Homecare Cover

Pros

• Reduced cost of services as a result of the annual payment option.

• An array of affordable packages including both few and several services

• Although vulnerable customers are prioritized, the company offers a 24/7 services.

• Unlimited claims

• Depending on what you wish to get, be it only a monthly boiler cover or more services, you’ll get several services’ options.

Cons

• With a 50% bad rating on a reliable customer review site, you know there is a question mark on the company’s customer service.

• Increment in renewal price after first year of service.

• Lacks cover for the boiler’s sludge or scale.

Homeserve Cover

Pros

• For most individuals, the 5 packages offered are affordable.

• 24 hour help hotline

• From reliable customer rating websites, the company offers a great service.

• Cover costs include both parts and labour.

• There are good options for one-off repairs.

• The options are cheaper than British Gas services.

• There are multiple choices for excess payments for various packages.

• An option for annual boiler repair.

Cons

• Lack of annual payment option

• The price of the packages will increase after the first year

• The services are mostly for houses or flats, while businesses and other types of property are being neglected.

During the cold months ( winter), there’s a high chance for a more frequent occurrence of faults and breakdowns of your boiler as this is the time in which more strain is being placed on the device. Unfortunately, this is exactly the time in which you’d wish to derive maximum benefits from your boiler to keep you warm all through the winter. As a result, home owners are given no other option than to pay the mega boiler repair bills to keep themselves warm and cosy all winter long. There is, however, an option which can greatly soften the blow and that’s having a boiler breakdown cover.

Boiler breakdown cover provides coverage for cost of hiring an engineer to get your boiler back to a top condition while also paying for the parts as well as labour needed to resolve the boiler’s fault. To select a boiler breakdown cover, you should take into account factors like whether or not the policy provides coverage for limited or unlimited call-outs within the coverage period. You should also ensure to go through the terms and conditions of the cover if you can stake a claim if your boiler were to be damaged by a different thing in your central heating configuration or a persistent fault.

There are an array of boiler breakdown package types with little differences which relates to one or more of the following:

• The package monthly cost

• The call outs excess to be paid

• The nature of the helpline. It may be a 24/7 service or just a few selected hours of the day.

Therefore, to answer the question of which boiler breakdown cover, you’d have to compare the different packages to determine the most suitable one for both your needs as well as pocket.

If you’re building a connected home, a smart thermostat allows you to change the temperature in your home. And not only do several smart thermostats come with touch screens and a user friendly interface, but they’re also compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and other voice controlled personal assistants. So how does a smart thermostat work? Let’s have a look!

Generally, smart thermostats are connected to the home’s Heating and/or Air Con system via C wire (common wire). Homes that lacks a C wire (especially older homes) will have to install one first before getting a smart thermostat. The C wire is a crucial element in the installation process as it works mainly to wire your smart thermostats into the Boiler system without tampering with the wiring for the other appliances in the house.

The smart thermostats comes with some special temperature setting which you can access by connecting them to your home’s WiFi. These include:

• Mobile Control

Most smart thermostats are specially designed to enable users to control the temperature of their home from the comfort of their couch or car via their unique mobile apps. This feature is just perfect if you particularly like getting the perfect temperature in your home without having to get out of bed.

• Humidity Controls

Although, the humidity of your home can not really be adjusted with a smart thermostat but you can always stay on top of it by monitoring it or setting an alarm on your phone to go off when the humidity changes.

• Geofencing Feature

With a smart thermostat, you can choose the particular times of the day you want it in action. This feature enables you to go on impromptu travels without having to worry about your energy bills - some smart thermostats come with the geotracking feature which determines when you’ve left the house and adjusts the temperature of the home accordingly with your energy usage in mind.

During a boiler service, your boiler engineer will perform a series of checks to ensure that your boiler is safe and efficient. First, they will conduct a visual inspection to check for any corrosion or leaks. They will also check the flame in your boiler. They’ll then remove the boiler casing and check all the components, including the heat exchanger, burner and spark probe, then clean the inside. After this, they’ll check the flue for obstructions and ensure that it’s safely fitted. They will then do a gas pressure check to ensure the boiler is working at the right pressure, before firing it up to check for any working faults.

If you’re interested in deriving maximum benefits from your central heating system while also being a tech-enthusiast, a smart thermostat is just the perfect option as it allows you to control both your boiler and heating system via your mobile device. It also offers a plethora of features which enables you to heat your home more efficiently while also cutting your energy bills. Here, we’ll be taking a deeper look at the Tado smart thermostat (a user friendly smart thermostat with multiple impressive features such as a great design, self learning and LED interface).

A Tado smart thermostat is a relatively small piece of kit which is perfect for tech-lovers looking to get a first experience of the smart thermostats’ world. Although the appliance might feature just a basic design with a bit less advanced features in comparison with other thermostats like Hive, Nest and more, it however, still comes with some fantastic features which you can’t afford to miss out on. These includes geofencing, Smartphone or tablet control as well as heat scheduling. As you would have expected with any good smart thermostat, the ability to remotely control your heating is a top priority for several smart thermostats’ owners and Tado offers you this and more. Therefore, no more worries during the Winter months and wishing your home should be warm and perfect for your return. Aside this, a Tado smart thermostat also goes a long way to ensure efficient energy use and as a result, reducing the money paid on energy bills.

Overall, Tado is a nicely designed smart thermostat which is relatively easy to use and a perfect option for homeowners interested in having a taste of the world of smart thermostats or looking to replace their existing device.

The Oil Firing Technical Association or OFTEC operate a competent persons scheme to certify installers. It’s always recommended to use an installer with this certification as it proves they have the training and expertise to properly install your boiler and give you realistic advice on the efficiency of your system. Also, OFTEC registered installers offer Workmanship Warranties to protect you if there are any problems after installation.

How Much To Install A Gas Cooker?

Gas cooker is gradually becoming more and more popular in the UK, with several homeowners looking to have one installed in their various homes. Whether you’re planning remodelling, conversions or perhaps you own a new building, gas ( be it a natural gas or Liquid Petroleum Gas - LPG) is now the favourite mode of cooking ,heating as well as warming across the country.

The fact that it’s popular, however, is not an excuse to install a gas cooker by all means in order to reduce the cost. When it comes to gas cooker installation, adequate care must be taken to ensure costly errors which can lead to fire outbreaks and other dangers are avoided. Therefore, if you’re thinking about getting a gas cooker installed in your home, hiring a qualified gas cooker installation company would be your best bet.

Prior to the installation of your gas cooker, the gas plumber will confirm whether or not your home is connected to the mains gas supply. In the absence of a connection, you’ll have to request for a new service connection. Immediately the connection is available, the certified gas cooker installation company can then proceed to fit in the appliance.

However, for a free standing gas cooker, the measurement of the gas cooker’s dimension will be taken by the fitter as well as the available space for the installation in order to determine whether or not the gas cooker will fit in. After this, the next step would be to turn the gas cooker on its side and fit in the underpins. The gas pipe will then be connected to the manifold while also activating the gas and checking for possible leakages. Once done, the gas would be plugged into the outlet and a test will be conducted on the gas to ensure it’s running the way it should.

If you’re thinking about getting a new combi boiler, you may be wondering just how much it’s going to cost so as to start making preparations as soon as possible. However, providing a precise cost for the acquisition and installation of a new combi boiler is simply impossible as combi boiler prices vary greatly in price - usually ranging between £1500 to about £3500 based on the brand of the combi boiler, the insurance or warranty, installation, your location as well as the size and power of the appliance. Due to the fact that combi boilers are compact units which doesn’t need a hot water cylinder or a cold water tank to produce heating and hot water for homes, it’s a very popular type of boiler that’s frequently used especially in the UK.

Combi boilers are also widely known to be the most energy efficient type of boiler because they are able to provide an instant supply of hot water anytime you turn on a tap. Combi boilers particularly perfect for flats and houses where space is limited as they have the ability to deliver instant heating and hot water without requiring any extra parts or components.

In the event whereby you’re about to choose a combi boiler for your home or property, it’s always advisable to compare models as well as prices from only the most reliable and sought after brands across the globe. Depending on the manufacturer, the overall quality of the boilers as well as their prices can differ. However, regardless of your budget, you’ll discover there are a plethora of combi boilers available in the market that’ll also suit your taste.