Pavlou Plumbers will not be taking any calls from 24th December till 5th January.  Please email info@pavlouplumbers.com for any enquiries.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Thank you

Here are some pictures of work completed by Pavlou Plumbers

Boiler and unvented cylinder installation by Pavlou Plumbers

Combi boiler installation by Pavlou Plumbers

Combi boiler installation by Pavlou Plumbers

Pavlou Plumbers bathroom installation

Combi boiler installation by Pavlou Plumbers

Pavlou Plumbers bathroom installation

Bath installation by Pavlou Plumbers in a rental property.

Pavlou Plumbers bathroom installation

WC installation by Pavlou Plumbers

Installation of a shower cubicle by Pavlou Plumbers

Installation of an Intergas boiler by Pavlou Plumbers

The D2 pipe is responsible for getting rid of any water should any safety devices that are apart of an unvented hot water cylinder fail. If it’s fitted incorrectly water could escape causing damage. The scenario in the video below is to common in new builds. As this pipe would only ever be used years after the installation has been completed the home buyer would never question it.

This video also shows an issue with the filling loop.

As key workers we are still safely serving the community following the government guidelines which are listed below:-

• Keep more than 2 meter away from customers.
• Wash / sanitise hands or wear new gloves before entering the property. 
• Avoid payments by cash or chip and pin. 
• Avoid asking for signatures. 

Payments can still be made by card either on-line, by phone and in person. 

If you are safe isolating and would like to do a bit of plumbing but would like some guidance on what parts you’ll need and how to go about it, I’ll be more than happy to receive a video call through WhatsApp. There would be no charge for this service but be aware I would not be available to everyone all the time. If I do miss your call I’ll get back to asap as usual.  My telephone number on WhatsApp is my mobile number 07813920661.

If you do not have WhatsApp you can download the App from the links below.

Android

Apple

Wondows or Mac

Stay safe.

During a boiler service there are a number of parts that are checked in order to keep the boiler operating safely.

This 1st image is of a set of electrodes that are in a Worcester CDi Classic boiler. These electrodes are constantly in the flame when the main burner is on. The electrode on the left helps detect flame. If this electrode is to short and is not in contact with the flame the boiler will think there is a fault and cut off the gas supply to the boiler.  The 2 electrodes on the right create the spark to ignite the flame. It’s important that the distance between them are as stated in the manufacturers instructions in order to operate correctly.

Old and New electrodes

This next image is of a seal for a Glowworm boiler. The seal was attached to the flue which is responsible for getting rid of the emissions of the boiler. This caused products of combustion mixing with the air being sucked into the boiler from outside. In turn this meant the boiler was noisy and not performing properly at the cost of the customer.

Seal for a glowworm flue sump

If the seals in the picture above and below where left in the boiler they would become hard, brittle, and stop protecting the boiler by keeping the heat in the correct place. This gasket can be found in many Worcester boilers.

Old and New Worcester gasket

These parts do not always require changing every year. A lot depends on the level of use of the appliance and the quality of the parts. As can be expected the parts that are in the more expensive boilers tend to last longer.

To arrange a boiler service with Pavlou Plumbers please either call on 01244 888801 or email info@pavlouplumbers.com

This time of year, when the weather starts getting colder is when I get more new customers asking for boiler services. A few of these new customers canceled their British Gas or Homeserve or other larger company service contracts mainly because they feel they are not getting value for money. Not because the cost of the contracts are high but because the service provided is not sufficient.

It’s all about money

The one sentence or phrase I hear time and time again after, or during a boiler service is something along the lines of “No one has ever spent this much time servicing our boiler” or  “No one has ever stripped the boiler down like that before”.  I was servicing a gas fire the other day and the customer mentioned the fire hadn’t been stripped down in 20yrs even though it had been “serviced” regularly. That did explain why that customer had black marks above the fire which would indicate products of combustion were entering the room, which is immediately dangerous. The last time I checked British Gas charge a similar amount than Pavlou Plumbers for their boiler service. The reason why they rarely actually service the boiler is because British Gas and other larger companies have much higher running costs

Not servicing a gas fire properly is lazy and dangerous however not actually servicing a modern boiler may not be. This is because manufacturers have designed their boilers in such a way that they will still work if they are not serviced, and they specify in the manufacturers instructions that if the emissions, and the gas pressure / fan pressure fall with in certain parameters then a service is not actually required. However I say why let it get that bad. Also if you do not strip the boiler down you can not check the condition of certain seals or electrodes. If your boiler is less than 3 or 4 years old then it’s unlikley that any seals or electrodes require replacing however every house is different. Some boilers get used more than others so the only way to be certain is to actually check the parts by stripping the boiler.

As long as the manufacturers instructions for the gas appliance is available then Pavlou Plumbers can service the appliance, properly.

Take a look for yourself

Have a look at our YouTube channel to see some time lapse videos of boiler services performed by Pavlou Plumbers.

Here are some videos of what to expect when you get a boiler service from Pavlou Plumbers. 

This is the Intergas Boiler

With only 4 moving parts Intergas boilers are innovative and built to last. They are the most efficient boilers and non of their heat exchanges have ever had a mechanical failure. Intergas is a Dutch company with over 50yrs in the industry that have saturated the market in the Netherlands. Mainly because any of their boilers can be fitted to any type of heating system. Whether it’s a combi system, a system with an unvented hot water cylinder or an old gravity system any Intergas boiler can fit into it, and what’s even better is the boiler can change into a combi boiler or a system boiler or even just a water heater if need be. The intergas boiler really is revolutionary.  

Have a look at this YouTube video.

I can’t remember how many times I’ve been asked why a radiator or two are not working or why a radiator takes longer to heat up than others or why a room is colder than the others, or why a radiator doesn’t get as hot as others. For these scenarios we would make sure the radiator valves are working properly, then we would need to determine if there could be a blockage in the pipes and one question we would ask, if it isn’t obvious is “has this radiator been added onto the system after the original heating system was fitted?” This scenario would arise from having an extension with new rooms with radiators in them, or some renovations where radiators have been changed.

If the answer is “yes” and it was proven that the issue is not the radiator valves or a blockage in the pipework, we would then need to find out how the radiator has been plumbed into the heating system. When we do find out the result 99% of the time is the 1st fix plumbing was not done properly. By this I mean either the pipe size is too small, or where the pipes branch off to the new radiator is plumbed in the wrong place, or there are too many bends in the pipe. Either way the end result is the customer will have to pay for the plumbing to be done again, and pay for the plastering to be done again and the painting to be done again because the person who did the work won’t come back, because they’ve already been paid in the summer when the work was done but you’ve only realised now because it’s winter, or something like that. Obviously I’m generalising on the scenario as I know there are good plumbers who do pay for their mistakes, and there are some plumbers who don’t. 

What you can do

There are laws in place which mean you could take legal action against the company involved but it’s not straightforward and you’ll need to get a solicitor involved etc, etc. Basically it’s a massive hassle. 

If you are planning an extension or renovation make sure of the following:-

• Has the radiator been sized correctly?  Otherwise the room won’t reach temperature.
• Has the length, diameter and number of bends of the supply pipes been calculated?
• Has the heating flow and return pipes been fitted properly? Some designer radiators specify the flow and return pipes must be fitted a certain way, otherwise the radiator will not work properly.
• Has the pipework been protected from corrosion? 

If you make sure the above questions have been dealt with you have done all you can to have a properly working heating system, or at the very least won’t cost you an arm and a leg to rectify. 

Below is a before and after picture of a radiator installation. The radiator in the room was undersized which meant the room was never warm in the colder months. For this job we had to fit larger pipes going to the radiator, then fit a larger radiator after the walls were plastered.

undersized and incorrectly piped

Properly sized and piped

Pavlou Plumbers have years of experience in plumbing in heating systems properly so if you’re planning a renovation, extension or need a new heating system get in touch with Pavlou Plumbers.

Even though recent temperatures have been around 27 degrees celsius it’s always recommended to switch your heating on for 5 – 10 minutes every couple of weeks to avoid any mechanical parts seizing.  Depending on the type of heating system you have and its condition parts such as the pump and motorised valves can get stuck in one position if left un-used for too long.  These parts can seize on all systems however older, open vented systems are more prone than others. Open vented heating systems are those that have water tanks in the loft. As the water in the system is open to the atmosphere oxygen can get back into the water which causes rust. As you may know the black sludge in the heating system is unoxidised rust. This sludge is magnetic and would stick to the magnet in the pump motor. The sludge can also block up other parts such as the heat exchanger on the boiler and the pipes themselves, in a similar way that eating a high fatty diet would block up your arteries.

If you know you have an old heating system that has not been treated or flushed in the last 5 years, then ultimately the best thing to do is to have a central heating flush. However in the meantime turning on the heating system for a few minutes will prolong the life of the parts on the heating system.  If sludge is left to settle the sludge turns into a solid. For those of you who have smart heating controls have the benefit of being able to turn the heating on remotely while they are not home, so they’ll stay comfortable

If you have any concerns regarding your heating system get in touch to arrange a free review.