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Combination boilers, or combi boilers as they are called are the most common boilers in the UK. They are designed to provide instant hot water, as well as heating up all the radiators.

If the temperature in your home drops below your pre-set level, the room thermostat sends a signal to the boiler to fire up so that heat can be directed into the central heating system and out to the radiators. The opposite happens when the thermostat detects the pre-set level has been reached the boiler shuts down

When you turn on the hot water tap, water is heated inside the combination boiler, which then flows to the relevant tap. The advantage of a combi boiler is only the water needed is heated.

Control valves inside the combi boilers operate in different directions, either letting the water flow through the heating system or diverting it to a to water tap, as required, but never both at the same time.

Combi boilers require sufficient mains water pressure in order to deliver a good water flow rate; low mains water pressure means hot water will merely trickle. If your mains water pressure is low or you have more than one bathroom, installing a booster is an option to provide ideal shower water pressure.

It is also important to ensure that the heat output of the boiler is correct for your needs. Combi boilers generally have two heat outputs: one for domestic hot water and the other for Central Heating. More effort and hence more heat is required to produce hot water than to heat a home through the radiators, so it is usually the hot water output that determines your choice of combi boiler. Call 020 7350 2511 and one of our engineers can help you determine the best options for your boiler and heating system.

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There are a lot of myths surrounding Central Heating. Over the years we have heard them all. Today we are going to try and dispel 5 of the most common Central Heating myths.

1: The most expensive boiler is always the best

This is the oddest one to us. The price of a boiler doesn’t always mean it is the best. The key to any good boiler is to get it serviced annually and having a warranty, or even better an 8-year guarantee like those offered by us on all the Worcester Bosch boilers we install.

2: The bigger the boiler, the more heat

A bigger boiler will push out more heat, but if your radiators are small, the amount of heat you receive will be the same as with a small boiler. Having the biggest boiler on the block is not energy efficient or even practical. The size of your boiler and entire system should be related to the size of your home.

3: I am cold, so I need bigger radiators

Again similar to the bigger boiler myth, the bigger the radiator doesn’t mean more heat. If your system is not getting hot, this could be the sign of other issues. Installing a massive radiator is expensive and doesn’t create comfortable heat. Also a larger radiator can cause your boiler to be overworked and it may not be powerful enough to actually heat up because your boiler may only be capable of a certain output.

4: My system is new, so I do not need any protection

When you purchase a new car, you want to make sure you have some sort of cover plan if something goes wrong. Driving your car can be a daily chore lasting an hour or two a day. Your boiler is used daily for many hours, when washing dishes, washing clothes, taking showers/baths and heating your home. Given the amount of hours your boiler works everyday, not having some sort of cover plan seems foolish. Plus you need to get your boiler serviced annually just to make sure after all the work your boiler has done, it is still in tip-top shape.

5: Combination boilers do not give you a very good shower and are not suitable for large houses

With people taking more showers than baths these days, the myth is easily dispelled. Combination boilers give instantaneous hot water and do not store water like a traditional cylinder system. This is a far more cost effective way to get hot water so you are using what you need and not heating a large body of water and then not using it all. Think of a combi boiler like you would a kettle. You don’t need to heat a full kettle for a single cup of tea.

If you have any questions regarding any of these myths or other questions about central heating, call 020 7350 2511 and schedule one of our engineers to come out to check your heating system and find the most efficient way to heat your water and your home.

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With Halloween nearly upon us, we decided to take a look back at its origin.

Halloween or Hallowe’en is now celebrated across the world on the night of 31st October. Modern day celebrations generally involve groups of children dressed in scary costumes roaming from house to house, demanding, “trick-or-treat”. Fearing the worst, intimidated householders normally hand over vast amounts of treats in the form of chocolates, sweets and candy to avoid whatever dastardly tricks may have been dreamt up by these little miscreants. The origins of these celebrations however date back thousands of years, to pagan times.

The origins of Halloween can be traced back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. Until 2,000 years ago, the Celts lived across the lands we now know as Britain, Ireland and northern France. Essentially a farming and agricultural people, the Pre-Christian Celtic year was determined by the growing seasons and Samhain marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark cold winter. The festival symbolised the boundary between the world of the living and the world of the dead.

Massacre of the Druids
It was believed by the Celts that on the night of 31st October, ghosts of their dead would revisit the mortal world and large bonfires were lit in each village in order to ward off any evil spirits that may also be at large. Celtic priests, known as Druids, would have led the Samhain celebrations. It would also have been the Druids who ensured that the hearth fire of each house was re-lit from the glowing embers of the sacred bonfire, in order to help protect the people and keep them warm through the forthcoming long, dark winter months.

Pomona, Roman goddess of fruit and trees.
The Romans conquered much of the Celtic tribal lands when they invaded from mainland Europe in 43 AD, and over the next four hundred years of occupation and rule, they appear to have assimilated many of their own celebrations into the existing Celtic festivals. One such example may help to explain the current Halloween tradition of ‘bobbing’ for apples. The Roman goddess of fruit and trees was known as Pomona (pictured to the right), and her symbol just happened to have been that of the apple.

As the Romans moved out of Britain in the early 5th century, so a new set of conquerors began to move in. First Saxon warriors raided England’s south and east coasts. Following these early Saxon raids, from around AD430 a host of Germanic migrants arrived in east and southeast England, including Jutes from the Jutland peninsula (modern Denmark), Angles from Angeln in southwest Jutland and the Saxons from northwest Germany. The native Celtic tribes were pushed to the northern and western extremes of Britain, to present day Wales, Scotland, Cornwall, Cumbria and the Isle of Man.

In the decades that followed, Britain was also invaded by a new religion. Christian teaching and faith was arriving, spreading inwards from those northern and western extremities from the early Celtic Church, and up from Kent with the arrival of Saint Augustine from Rome in 597. Along with the Christians arrived the Christian Festivals and amongst them “All Hallows’ Day”, also known as “All Saints Day”, a day to remember those who had died for their beliefs.

Originally celebrated on 13th May, it was Pope Gregory who had the date of the All Hallows’ feast moved to 1st November sometime in the 8th century. It is thought that in doing so, he was attempting to replace or assimilate the Celtic Samhain festival of the dead with a related but church approved celebration.
The night or evening of Samhain therefore became known as All-hallows-even then Hallow Eve, still later Hallowe’en and then of course Halloween. A special time of the year when many believe that the spirit world can make contact with the physical world, a night when magic is at its most potent.

Throughout Britain, Halloween has traditionally been celebrated by children’s games such as bobbing for apples in containers full of water, telling ghost stories and the carving of faces into hollowed-out vegetables such as swedes and turnips. These faces would usually be illuminated from within by a candle, the lanterns displayed on window sills to ward off any evil spirits. The current use of pumpkins is a relatively modern innovation imported from the United States, and we can also extend the same debt of gratitude to our friends in America for that ‘quaint’ “trick-or-treat” tradition!

We hope you learned something in this brief Halloween History lesson. So whatever your plans are this weekend, enjoy, but be on the look out for little ghouls, ghosts and goblins as you are driving around the city.


1 Halloween http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Halloween/ accessed online 26 October 2015
2 Image credit Emma’s Trend http://emmastrend.com/halloween-desktop-wallpaper/

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If you rent or own your home, you understand how annoying a plumbing issue can be. Depending on the level of the problem, ‘Doing It Yourself’ can be an option. But there are a few things to think about before you start taking apart your sink. Remember, minor repairs can become major repairs if you use incorrect tools or try a quick fix.

Here are 5 DIY Plumbing Repair mistakes to avoid

1. Duct tape or Superglue
We all know duct tape is a fantastic invention and super glue is great if you break the handle off a vase, but neither of which should ever be consider a good idea when a pipe is leaking. This is the definition of a quick fix.

2. Your boiler
There are certain things I only trust to a professional, because of the health and safety concerns if I were to do something wrong. Look you are not going to perform surgery on yourself; you will go to a Dr., the same goes with boilers. If there are any issues, call a professional. Personally my life is worth more to me than £90 for a gas safety inspection, but you may feel different.

3. Plastic bin or plastic bag under your sink
Yes you are capturing the water. But do you think it will fix itself? This one boggles my mind. If you have called a plumber and you do this for a day or two until they come out to fix it, that’s understandable, but if that is your fix, you’re in trouble.

4. Chemicals
We have all been in the shop and seen these chemicals guaranteed to unclog any blockage. But if it can dissolve any clog, what do you think it is doing to your pipes. Look for only £5 a go, you can continue to pour these harsh chemicals down the drain, but eventually the pipes are going to give out. When that happens, you spent £5 multiple times to cause a big £ repair.

5. Mixing and Matching
I thought this was only something I read about in DIY plumbing gone wrong blogs. But this happens more often than you think. I understand some pipes are cheaper than others and you think it will do the job fine. But you get what you pay for.

Look, paying for a plumber or gas engineer to come out to your home is not the reason you have been saving your hard earned money. This is not a ‘want’ buy, it is a ‘necessity’ buy. But before you try and take the cheap way out and Do It Yourself, think about what happens if you do it wrong and how much it will cost.

If you need a professional plumber or gas safe engineer to come diagnose or fix any issues you may be having and you are in Southwest London, give us a call at 020 7350 2511. It is always better to hire a professional first, than to have to hire a professional to fix your mistakes.

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Nestled away in the north-east corner of Ravenscourt Park sits a secluded walled garden. It’s Zen-like charm gives the feeling of tranquility and the ability to escape the hustle and bustle of the city.

Ravenscourt Park, while larger than your average private acreage, it has a refreshing local feel and is suitably off the beaten track. No matter if it’s Spring, Summer, Fall or Winter, the park is blissfully calm. With larger parks, Hyde and Holland being used by most tourist, Ravenscourt Park allows locals the chance to relax and read a book, enjoy the fresh air or spend outdoor time with friends and family.

If relaxing in the serenity of the peaceful park is not your cup of tea, then there are passable tennis courts, a bowling lawn and a putting green. Kids are well catered for with a nature trail and four play areas which feature a paddling pool, a rope and post fitness circuit and an adventure playground with fort-style climbing frames, slides and a popular basket swing (adults are often seen commandeering the seriously fun rope slide).

And don’t forget the annual Bonfire night fireworks that will be taking place this year 7 November Gates open 6pm (Entry gates closes at 8pm) Children’s fireworks 7:15pm with the main display starting at 8:10pm.

Tickets can be purchase online here for £6 in advance and £8 at the door. (Under 5’s go free and do not require a ticket)

So if you are looking for a bit of an escape be sure to check out Ravenscourt Park Secret Garden.


1 Timeout London WEDNESDAY JUNE 20 2012 Accessed online http://www.timeout.com/london/attractions/ravenscourt-park
2 Londonist July 2011 [Online] http://londonist.com/2011/07/top-10-things-to-do-in-the-borough-of-hammersmith-fulham
[All information sources accessed 21 October 2015].

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A loss of water pressure is a good indicator of some common issues that arise with boilers. Low pressure is relatively easy to diagnose, as most boilers have a built-in pressure gauge. Sometimes, it’s possible to correct water pressure yourself.

Understanding water pressure
Constant water pressure is essential to the efficient functioning of your boiler system. Pressure in most modern combination boilers is maintained by cold water flowing from the water mains supply through a mechanism known as the ‘filling loop’.

What causes a drop in pressure?
A number of things can cause pressure to drop. It may be that there is a leak somewhere in your boiler system. Or, if you bled your radiators recently, it may be that pressure was lost then. However, you may not be able to tell that you have a problem until you check the pressure gauge. A water leak, for instance, may be tiny and go unnoticed at first, only to develop into a larger problem down the line.

Checking your pressure gauge
Check the water pressure gauge or indicator, which is typically on the front of your boiler. For most boilers, this should be set around the 1 bar. The position set when the boiler was installed is sometimes shown by a red indicator needle. If you have noticed repeated drops in your boiler pressure, make sure you check the gauge regularly. A drop in pressure is a good indication that there is a problem with your boiler.

How to tackle lost pressure
Each boiler will come with specific instructions about its pressure system. Check your user manual to see if you can re-pressurise your boiler yourself. You may also find instructions on the rear of your boiler control panel. However, if your boiler panel needs tools to remove it, don’t touch it – book an engineer.
Likewise, if you continue to have pressure problems after re-pressurising your boiler according to the user manual, our expert engineers can diagnose and repair the problem.

If your boiler pressure is low, feel free to call our office at 020 7350 2511 and one of our engineers can come out to investigate the the problem.

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“Plumbing” comes from the word for lead, which is plumbum.  People who worked with lead were called Plumbarius, which was eventually shortened to the word we use today.  Plumbing dates back to roman times when the Romans used lead pipe inscriptions to prevent water theft.  After that virtually no advance in the profession was made until the 19th century when actual sewage systems were created to eliminate cesspools.  More recently, technology has taken off and resulted in the modern piping and water treatment that we enjoy everyday.

Here are 10 random plumbing facts:

    1. Albert Einstein was made an honorary member of the Plumbers and Steamfitters Union after he had announced that he would be a plumber if he had to live his life all over again.
    2. In the technology capitol of the world, Japan, some urinals have voice activated flushing mechanisms.  The urinals respond to several commands, including “fire”.
    3. Over $100,000 were spent on a study to determine whether most people put their toilet paper on the holder with the flap in front or behind.  The answer: three out of four people have the flap in the front.
    4. 90% of pharmaceuticals taken by people are excreted through urination. Therefore the sewer systems contain heavy dose of drugs.
    5. Who are the most famous plumbers ever?  Mario and Luigi of course!  They have been in over 200 games since Mario bros was created in 1985.
    6. King George II of Great Britain died falling off a toilet on the 25th of October 1760.
    7. The “Bathroom” has been named many different things in many different places.  Here are a few of my favorite ones: The Egyptians named it the House of Horror, the Romans named it the Necessarium for obvious reasons.  The Tudors who ruled England for a period of time called the bathroom the privy or house of privacy.  People of France call it “La Chambre Sent” meaning the smelly house, self-explanatory of course.  Israelis call the bathroom the house of honor, this one confuses us the most.
    8. The average person spends three whole years of their life sitting on the toilet.  We hope you brought a good book
    9. The first fire sprinkler system was invented by a British man named Sir William Congreve. He perforated pipes along the ceiling and installed a valve outside the building that could be opened to send water through them.
    10. The flushing toilet was invented by John Harrington in 1596, which is where we get the nickname “the John.” We also call the toilet “the crapper” because of Thomas Crapper, who widely increased the popularity of it.

1 10 crazy things about plumbing you never knew Accessed October http://foxph.com/10-plumbing-facts/
2 Feature image usage Image source

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When you walk across the open space of Clapham Common you may have no idea what lies below. Would it surprise you to read that there is a World War II bomb shelter able to accommodate 8,000 bomb weary Londoners?

A pair of parallel tunnels 5.03 m in diameter and 370 m long lay over 30 meters below. After you climb down the 178-step spiral staircase you enter an area that was a beacon of safety in the turbulent times of World War II. Completed in 1942, the Clapham South shelter housed 8,000 bunks separated into 15 sections.

The end of the war saw most of the shelters fall into disuse, but Clapham South found a role as a hostel for unfortunate tourists during the Festival of Britain in 1953. They also offered a less-than-glowing welcome to 492 immigrant workers from Jamaica who arrived on the MV Empire Windrush in 1948.

Nigel Holness, one of TFL operations directors, “It’s odd to think that up above us, people are just walking by, unaware that there’s all this transport and Second World War history beneath their feet”.

To get a look at the secrets below Clapham Common, head over to the London Transport Museum website. Dates for tours, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays – 1 October to 25 October 2015 with prices for tickets: Adult £30. Unfortunately at the time of writing this, all dates and times are sold out.


1 The Independent April 2014. Gimme shelter: The last of the capital’s Second World War bunkers is up for rent. [Online] Available at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/gimme-shelter-the-last-of-the-capital-s-second-world-war-bunkers-is-up-for-rent-9244731.html
2 London deep-level shelters Wikipedia. [Online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_deep-level_shelters
[All information sources accessed 14th October 2015].

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Winter is coming! And with it, cold weather. Gloves, hats and big coats get brought out of the closet and your boiler will start to work a bit harder than it has since last winter. With the extra work that your boiler will be doing, it is important that you carry out some checks to ensure everything is running smoothly. Here are 5 Winter boiler tips to make sure you are ready for the cold weather.

1: REGULAR HEATING CHECKS
If you haven’t turned your heater on since last winter, you may want to test it out today. The last thing you want to do is turn it on a freezing cold evening, only to find out it is not working properly. It is a good idea to turn your heater on a few times a month throughout the year to ensure everything is working correctly.

Boiler Check

2: BLEED YOUR RADIATORS
This is probably one of the least thought of things that can affect the heat in your home. When you turn your heating on, run your hand up and down your radiators, if you notice an area that is not as warm as others, this may be a sign you need to bleed your radiator. Air can become trapped which can prevent heat from reaching certain areas. This can have a damaging effect on your boiler, so by simply bleeding your radiators and letting the air out, you will help restore the system to full working order.

Boiler Key

3: READ INSTRUCTIONS
We all keep the boiler instructions around the house and possibly have never even opened them. But understanding how your boiler works can ensure your boiler works properly and for an extended period of time.

Boiler instructions

4: BOILER SERVICING
This should be an annual occurrence. As with all gas appliances, if they began to falter, this could be lethal. Always call a Gas Safe engineer out to service your boiler and ensure the health and safety of your family.

Boiler Service

5: CHECK PRESSURE
If you are noticing that your heating is taking longer to come on or your water is taking longer to heat up, this could be a sign that there is a pressure issue. Similarly, if your water is not coming out of taps or showerheads as quickly as it normally does, this could also be an indicator of a lack of pressure. First check the pressure gauge. The inspect pipes for leaks and if you do not find any, you can use the valve handle within your system to increase the pressure. Please remember to switch off your boiler before doing so. If you are still can’t find a fault, call out a professional to locate and fix whatever issues there may be.

Boiler Pressure Gauge

For more hints and tips be sure to like us on Facebook and/or follow us on Twitter.

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‘Royal Night Out’ is this year’s theme for the Battersea Park Fireworks and will include music and laser effects. The event is taking place on Saturday 7 November.

Often cited as one of London’s most spectacular displays, the popular event can hold 50,000 people, and tickets are expected to sell out. You must buy tickets in advance – they are not available on the gate.
This year the display, sponsored by Berkeley Vista, will be again fired by award-winning pyro-technicians Jubilee Fireworks and will be set to music. This year there will be more food stalls than ever, including new street food pop-ups, and three bars will be offering mulled wine and other refreshments throughout the evening. Glow products for children will be on sale.

Wandsworth’s culture spokesman, Cllr Jonathan Cook, said:
“Battersea Park is one of London’s most impressive open spaces, and it’s the perfect setting for one of London’s most spectacular firework displays.
“This year’s event promises to be better than ever, and I would urge people to avoid disappointment by buying their ticket as soon as possible.”

Tickets are available from Ticketmaster (booking fees apply) and in person from the Millennium Arena in Battersea Park from next week.

They are priced to reward early buyers. From October 7 to November 6 they are £8. On November 7 they are £10.

Tickets must be bought online in advance – none will be available for sale on the gate. There is no charge for children aged under 10, but they will still require a free ticket.
Visitors are not permitted to bring in animals, fireworks, sparklers or glass containers.
The gate, bar and foot court open at 6pm. The fireworks are due to start at 8pm. There will be no admittance to the park after 8pm.

Click here for more information.


1 PutneySW15.com accessed 9 November (online) http://www.putneysw15.com/default.asp?section=info&link=http://neighbournet.com/server/common/evwandsfireworks015.htm

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