A study has found that watching spending has become an ingrained way of life that consumers will continue with, even when their finances improve.  It seems the recession has left behind a legacy of cautious consumers, with people needing a strong reason to part with their money.

VITAL BENEFITS

An annual boiler service, however, needs to be seen as essential spending.  In much the same way as a homeowner would regards a service and MOT for their car.  Most people anticipate there will be ongoing costs associated with their vehicles and budget for them accordingly.

An annual boiler service provides some important benefits; it will ensure the boiler is safe, is performing efficiently and reliably, and maintains the manufacturer’s warranty.

SAFETY

The number one reason for a homeowner to have their gas boiler serviced regularly is safety.

Unfortunately, consumer awareness of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is thought to be generally low across the UK.  It is important for heating engineers to explain to their customers that unsafe gas appliances – those that have been incorrectly fitted, badly repaired or poorly maintained – can produce this highly poisonous gas.

According to the Department of Health, 50 people die each year from CO poisoning and another 4,000 are treated in hospital.  It is thought the true number is likely to be much higher, as the early symptoms can easily be mistaken for flu or tiredness.

LONGEVITY

Another benefit of regular servicing extends the service life of your heating system and ensures reliable, trouble-free operation.  This is the only way to make sure that the energy from the fuel is used efficiently and cleanly, thus protecting the environment and saving on heating bills and the likelihood of breakdown, saving the homeowner money and minimising disruption without compromising high heating and hot water convenience.

Again, it is useful to draw on a car analogy.  A homeowner will understand that things like replacing filters and spark plugs are essential to keep their vehicle in top condition, and that avoiding a scheduled service may have a detrimental effect on the way the car works, leaving them out of pocket in the long run.  The same rules apply here, the boiler, burner and control unit form a system like that of a car engine which is essentially runs for many more hours than a car.  If your car was in operation for the same amount of time as your boiler, it would cover more than 60,000 miles in a year.  All car owners know that they need to have a service carried out at regular intervals.  Therefore your heating system should be serviced at least once a year, much like your car.

WARRANTIES

An annual service is usually a condition of a boiler warranty – which is another important reason why you as the homeowner should invest.  Today, boilers come with lengthy warranties, which should be seen as a sign of reliability, but the working parts still need to be checked annually.

Call us today to book your service on 01722 417873.

Sited: McCallum Layton study.  HVP Magazine May 2016.

Written by ‘The Girl in the Office’.

The year is 1999 and major events are taking place.

• “Y2K” is looming and the associated prediction of IT systems failing and catastrophe (which as we now know was rather inaccurate).
• The “euro” gets introduced to the worlds financial markets,
• The Matrix film (the first of the trilogy) is released to huge financial success & critical acclaim.
• …. and Alexandra Heating Services is launched.

OK, so maybe AHS is not quite headline news compared to the others but to us at AHS it was the start of something big.

20 years on and we have not only grown in both employees and premises.  But also we have broadened our horizons to new areas such as renewables. Along with creating an electrical division.  One thing hasn’t changed, ultimately the customer always comes first! The same attention to detail and professionalism is as important today as it always has been.

And as part of our celebrating 20 years we are delighted to offer new customers an introductory 20% off all servicing. Between 1st July and September 30^th 2019. Please quote CELEB2019 when calling 01722 417873 or emailing us.

We look forward to serving the local area for a further 20 years, so if you have heating or electrical needs or want to talk to us about renewable energy we would love to hear from you.

MY DAY BEGINS . . . 

It started earlier than usual, meeting our service engineer at the unit in Old Sarum at 7:30am to ensure we arrived at our first job on time at 8:00am.

Ready to start our day. . . .

JOB 1:

Our first port of call was a gas boiler service in Redlynch.  After informing the customer of our arrival, we accessed the boiler in the garage.  The engineer showed me how to safely remove the case of the Viessmann boiler to expose the inside.  He talked me through each of the components that make the boiler work and then using the Viessmann toolkit (pictured below):

I was shown which parts needed to be removed in order to carry out the service.  This is a careful process which begins with, most importantly, switching off the gas supply to the boiler.  Once this is done, the burner needs to be removed in order to check the burner seal, electrodes and clean the heat exchanger as necessary.  There is certainly a knack to the removal of the burner, undoing clips in the right order, followed by the screws and then removing the unit safely ensuring not to burn yourself or damage the part itself.  Once this has been done, any wearing parts are then checked and changed if needed.  On this occasion, we replaced the burner seal, which is a rubber ring that the burner leans on when placed back into the heat exchanger that houses it.  Whilst the engineer did this, I used our dry vacuum followed by cleaning wipes to ensure there was no loose debris or dust inside the boiler.  Once the boiler was put back together, we fired it up and put it into service mode.  This allows the boiler to produce emissions as it would when in full demand and whilst it did this, we used the flue gas analyser to check the boiler was producing a safe gas reading.  Once the gas readings were taken, they were printed on site and attached to the CP12 certificate that the engineer had already began writing out.  This left me just enough time to finish my coffee and biscuits, before asking the customer to sign the CP12 and setting off to our next job.

JOB 2:

Our second job took us to an industrial warehouse building, much like our own for another gas boiler service on a Viessmann boiler.  This time our engineer carefully watched as I carried out the initial checks, such as turning off the gas supply and unplugging the burner controls, unscrewing and removing the burner.  I replaced the burner seal under the careful watch of our engineer.  After giving the boiler a good clean inside and out, and completing the CP12 we were ready to leave another happy customer with a newly serviced boiler and move on to our 3^rd job of the day.

JOB 3:

Our next job took us out to one of the first Viessmann oil boilers installed by AHS Ltd.  On arrival, our customer wanted to tell us just how much of a difference he had noticed in the first year, by changing from his previous boiler to the energy saving Viessmann – always great to hear.  Once again, our engineer talked me through the components that make up a Viessmann oil boiler and what parts needed to be checked during an oil service.  I was impressed by the kit that accompanies these boilers that allows for an engineer to remove the main heat exchange, while being supported by a clip-in mechanism on the casing of the boiler.  This is helpful due to the size and weight of the heat exchange and means less wires need to be unplugged and put back in.  After checking all wearing parts, this time with no replacements needed and cleaning out the boiler, we completed the CD11 and had it signed off by the customer before leaving.

JOB 4:

Our final job of the day took us to Owslebury to look at a broken flush mechanism and leaking WC. Having read our jobsheet in advance, our engineer had an idea of what the issue might be and therefore how to resolve it. We therefore stopped off at our suppliers to pick up the materials and then headed on to the job.  Arriving to a houseful of wedding guests, meant we had limited time to cut off the water supply and rectify the leak.  Whilst our engineer dealt with this, I used our wet/dry vacuum to remove any water left in the cistern – ensuring to put down sheets to protect the customers floor from any water damage in the process. Once the water had been isolated and drained from the cistern, it was removed. We found the existing flush mechanism to be damaged and the doughnut washer was allowing water through. Whilst I constructed the new flush mechanism ready to be installed, our engineer replaced the doughnut. The replacement flush was then fitted, water switched back on and the WC tested 2 – 3 times checking it was in good working order and no leaks were apparent.  Another happy customer!

MY EXPERIENCE:

The drive back to Salisbury bought us to 5pm and the end of our shift. I thoroughly enjoyed my day out in the field and not just for all the biscuits!

It was great to see a different aspect of my job and meet some of our customers. It was very nice to hear them praise the company’s previous work as well as their appreciation for the benefits of our installations.  From an office workers point of view, it was rewarding to know that our well planned routes are worthwhile and save travel time in the day for our engineers. Overall, spending the day working with an engineer was a fun and interesting experience.

Written by ‘The Girl in the Office’

It is well understood that legionella, a bacillary germ similar to pneumonia, causes severe health issues for humans.  Recent cases of legionella infection have prompted industry figures, such as the Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors, to speak out about the importance of quality materials and disease prevention training for those responsible for the control and maintenance of water systems.

The issue of prevention runs deep however, right back to the initial system design stage.  A fundamental part of good water network design is rooted in understanding how the choice of materials used can affect the health of a system.

A system which is correctly designed from the beginning will encourage the correct flow of water without creating areas where water is stationary, stagnant and susceptible to the risk of bacteria growth, and potentially legionella contamination.  ‘Dead Legs’ in a system, where a section of pipe contains unmoving water, are a major risk for legionella growth and eliminating these in the first place can go a long way to fighting waterborne diseases throughout the plumbing system.

The proliferation of bacteria such as legionella in water systems can pose a major health risk, particularly for vulnerable people such as the elderly.  Recognising the severity of this issue, EU regulations were introduced to provide a consistent water quality policy for all member states during 2015, with more to come.  The plumbing industry has a huge part to play in ensuring that quality control is maintained.

A customer’s roof tanks, in desperate need with a real risk of Legionella!

THRIVING BACTERIA

Legionella-based illness are contracted from inhalation rather than ingestion; the bacteria thrives particularly in water circuits where the temperature ranges between 25 to 45 degrees Celsius and is most commonly transferred by aerosol action, such as water vapours from air conditioning systems and faucets.  The spread of this type of bacteria depends on certain key elements; the nature of the water, absence of circulation, ambient temperature, lack of on-going treatment, and sometimes the choice of materials used.  It is therefore vital that these main criteria are adhered to when trying to avoid contamination of the water systems.

HEALTH & SAFETY

According to the HSE – L8 approved code of practice and guidance document, the growth of legionella bacteria in pipework can also be linked to biofilms essentially nutriment build up), which are in turn linked to the survival of waterborne bacteria.  Good design and construction of a pipework network is key to optimum system functionally, yet the choice of materials used has also been found to substantially improve the health benefits too.  Studies gathered by International Copper Association regarding cooper’s ability to destroy a wide range of bacteria, including legionella, show that copper kills at least 99.9% of bacteria within two hours of exposure.

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health regulations impose a responsibility on persons controlling premises, or its water system, to ensure that all harmful bacteria is minimised.  Filtration and reducing the build-up of debris that can act as a nutriment source in water systems is an important step in minimising biofilm in the system.  However, while copper is proven to have antimicrobial qualities and ongoing mechanical benefits, it should not be installed as a device for sterilisation or as a means of improving the potability of the water system.

Choice of material aside, good maintenance practice is paramount and without it bacteria growth in pipes can increase.  Rigorous maintenance should be implemented to ensure all breakdowns in the network are minimised, which will in turn reduce the risk of bacterial growth developing in water that has sat in pipes for extended periods.  Once installation is complete, it is essential that those charged with maintenance understand how to completed checks and report any concerns.  If we take these points on board as an industry, we can minimise the proliferation of legionella bacteria and the threat of Legionnaires’ disease in our water heating systems.

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