After six years we thought it was about time we updated our website.

A lot of things have happened since we went live with the original. Things such as The Gas Safe register taking over as the regulator from Corgi. And the rise in solar power installations.

We also wanted to reach out to our mobile users and social media audience, so you will find us on Facebook, Twitter and Google +. So if you have used our service before why not recommend our website.

Our new mobile website will be live later this week. This will allow you to log-on via a smart phone such as HTC, IPhone or Nexus and book our services via a form or number. This will no-doubt help for emergency call outs!

People once thought that insurance was the best way to cover emergencies such as boiler breakdowns. However, times have changed and many are realising that using the direct services of a local plumber may prove far more cost-effective.

The Financial Ombudsman has revealed that 75% of the millions who take out insurance to cover boiler breakdowns and other domestic crises such as burst pipes have been misled as to the extent and usefulness of the coverage. They have received an increasing number of complaints in this area and advise that taking out unnecessary insurance policies should certainly be avoided.

The problem is that many boiler insurance policies tend to be riddled with catches, exclusions and hidden clauses. Some will charge an excess, some only cover certain aspects of labour or only pay for the first couple of hours work. Some require your boiler to be inspected if it is over 7 years old; some will not cover you at all if the boiler is over 15 years old. You could end up wasting hundreds of pounds on boiler insurance that is no good at all when the time comes. Little wonder that many people feel they would rather call out their trusted local plumber in times of need.

There are great benefits to simply calling your friendly neighbourhood plumber when your boiler breaks down. For a start, there is no need to endure the modern-day hell of the call centre rigmarole and you will receive a direct, personal response. Plus, by using our local independent service providers we can all support or local economy, rather than pouring money into the coffers of a faceless multi-national – in economic times like these such choices do make a difference. Finally, best of all, your own plumber will be able to tell you just what is needed to repair your boiler with no nasty surprises. No sudden shock of finding out that parts are not covered under an expensive insurance policy. Your local plumber can advise, guide and most importantly of all get that boiler fixed properly. Now that’s what we call money well spent.

The regulation places two main duties upon landlords. To ensure that gas appliances and installation pipework are maintained in a safe condition and that an annual gas safety check is carried out on relevant gas appliances and flues.

A gas safety engineer must carry out these annual checks. Two certificates are given and one must be presented to the tenant. This will include the Gas Safe registration number of the individual or employer of the person carrying out the check.

Failure to do so will not only result in an unlimited fine, but also a possible custodial sentence. Unsafe appliances not only put the tenant’s health at risk but you may face charges of manslaughter.

According to Landlord Zone, around thirty people die of carbon monoxide poisoning each year in the UK through poorly installed or badly maintained gas appliances.

Boiler Repairs Liverpool can provide you with a no obligation estimate for a Gas Safe registered fitter to assess and then complete any work, for more information and quotes – check out our landlord safety page

Gas Engineer Liverpool is a Merseyside based company and are fully Gas Safe Registered and can provide you with Landlord Safety Certificates.

If you are unsure of whom to call to check your property, websites like Rated People can point you in the right direction to find a suitable tradesman to perform the checks.

The Health and Safety Executive website holds more information that will protect you, the landlord, and the tenant.

Not every home has a combination boiler, some of the new build homes have been built for efficiency and have things such as underfloor heating or solar energy. It’s also becoming popular to use ground source heat pumps to help with the overall central heating.

for homes with a conventional boiler they will use an alternative source for the their hot water and this is usually via a water storage tank. But what happens when your cylinder packs in and stops working? And how would you know that its the tank causing the problem?

There are two things you may notice; one may be that the water is not getting hot any-more and this could be down to the immersion being faulty, the other issue will be a leak and trust me you will notice this sooner than later.

Immersion heaters are basically elements that heat up the hot water and are screwed into the storage cylinder. These are easily removed and quickly replaced by a plumber and cost around £15 – £25 depending on where you purchase it from.

If you have a leak from the vessel of the hot water cylinder then you will need to get this replaced. Most customers will always ask a plumber if they can patch it up and the answer is no. Luckily, hot water cylinders are not that expensive and range from £120 upwards depending on the size and type of cylinder.

We purchase all our water cylinders from here: www.coppercylinder.co.uk

This is one of the few places where you get a choice of tank in terms of brand and size and will actually allow you to customise your hot water cylinder.