A boiler loses pressure when water escapes from the heating system or a component can’t hold pressure. The usual culprits are a small leak on a radiator, valve or pipe joint, a pressure relief valve letting water through, an expansion vessel that’s lost its charge, or air released after bleeding
Older homes commonly suffer from outdated pipe materials (including lead or galvanised steel), low water pressure, noisy or banging pipes, slow or blocked drains, seized stopcocks, and slow leaks from ageing joints. Most are manageable once identified, but some, particularly lead pipework, are worth replacing rather than patching. A plumber
You probably need an unvented hot water cylinder if your home has two or more bathrooms used at the same time, your showers are weak on a tank-fed system, or a combi boiler can’t keep up with demand. An unvented cylinder stores hot water at mains pressure, giving strong flow
If you let a property with gas appliances, you must have every gas appliance, flue and the related pipework you provide checked every 12 months by a Gas Safe registered engineer. The engineer issues a gas safety record, sometimes called a CP12 or landlord gas safety certificate. You must give
If you have a Vaillant boiler at home, there is a good chance you will see a fault code pop up on the display at some point. It can be a bit alarming, especially if the heating has gone off or the hot water has stopped mid shower. As expert
If you’ve started looking into professional boiler installation services, you’ve probably noticed that prices can vary quite a bit. One homeowner in Abingdon might pay a very different amount to someone in Didcot for what sounds like the same job on paper. I’ve replaced boilers in everything from modern flats
If your energy bills have crept up and you are wondering whether it is time for a new boiler, you are not alone. I hear it all the time from homeowners across Oxfordshire. The good news is that in many cases you can improve heating efficiency quite a bit without
If you’ve ever put the heating on and found one radiator stone cold while the others are piping hot, you’re not alone. It’s one of the most common callouts I get in homes around Oxfordshire. Radiators not heating properly can be down to a few different things, and the good
If your boiler has started making odd noises, losing pressure or refusing to fire up altogether, one of the first questions you will ask is, “How much is this going to cost me?” The honest answer is that it depends. I’ve worked in homes across Oxfordshire for years, and no
Owning a period property is a privilege, but heating one can be a different story. From draughty sash windows to thick stone walls and quirky pipe runs, older homes rarely play by modern rules. If you’re weighing up replacement boiler options, it’s worth taking a bit of time to understand
