Home Improvement Advice for Plumbing

Heating Systems Do it Yourself Tips for Plumbing

Traditional heating systems are water based. The water is heated in a boiler and passed around the house through pipes to the radiators which heat your home. A secondary system also provides hot water to your taps z/avia a coil which sits in the hot water cylinder.

A combi boiler will normally also use radiators for heat but the hot water for baths and washing is only heated on demand, with no storage cylinder. Condensing boilers are available either in the "traditional" form or as combis and increase the efficiency of the heating process by using the gases which disappear up the flue to heat a secondary heat exchanger, thereby harnessing energy which would otherwise be wasted.

Boilers for water-based systems are available which run on gas, oil, coal, wood and electricity.

An alternative to a water-based system is electric central heating via storage heaters. These normally use electricity when it is cheaper during the night, to heat a storage vessel made of brick or concrete. The stored heat is then released during the day, as required. They have the possible disadvantage that their heat store can be exhausted before the end of the day, meaning you have to turn to alternative heat sources during the evening and night. However, modern storage heaters must be installed to run from a fuse board separate from the other electricity supply and if you haven't had them before, you will need to get your electricity supplier to fit an off-peak meter.

Finally, there are "warm air" heating systems which work by blowing air through a gas or oil-fired heat exchanger and passing it around the property via ducts vents in walls or floors.

Placement of radiators in rooms needs careful consideration in order to ensure that there is a correct circulation of air. Put them in the wrong place and you can end up with "cold spots" and a heating system working inefficiently.

If you are renovating an old house, do check the whole of the plumbing and heating systems before starting a new installation. It is particularly important that gas appliances, including fires and cookers, are thoroughly checked and if necessary, serviced. Servicing, in any case, should be carried out routinely once a year. Old pipes could be bent or damaged and might even be leaking. Lead pipes (usually a dull grey colour) should be replaced completely with either copper or plastic. You should also make sure that, if the new pipework is copper, lead-free solder is used and that any excess flux from the solder is wiped away - an active flux can turn copper pipe green within two or three days.

To find a qualified plumber you can either look in our search directory or you can look in the Institute of Plumbing, there are over 3,500 listed on www.registeredplumber.com who are members of the Institute of Plumbing, the UK's professional body for the plumbing industry. Members also agree to a Code of Professional Standards and there is a BSI-monitored complaints procedure. Some members offer "Plumbsure" insurance which covers against faulty workmanship for six years.

While the majority of plumbers carrying out gas work in the UK are also registered with CORGI, do check that they have a current registration before they carry out work on mains or LPG gas installations