Death by gas boiler… more

Some people do not realise that a safety test on a gas appliance is important and it is a big deal – they should be regularly serviced and maintained. To underline the importance – every month people are dying in this country, preventable deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning from a gas appliance, e.g. a gas boiler.

The story in the newspapers recently of the death of a little girl, Elisabeth Giauque, shows it could happen to anyone. Her parents were multimillionaires, living in the sort of house that multimillionaires live in. They were in a very nice rented house but how many home owners get their gas boilers regularly checked?

You are probably aware that landlord are required to pay for annual safety inspections. Mr T.P. has told me that this is a visual inspection, a boiler service at the same time would be a good idea, but it is not compulsory – I never knew that.

Even as a visual inspection it should be thorough. We have been amazed to here of people quoting figures as low as £30-£40 for a boiler service and/or gas safety certificate. Customers are happy to pay this and expect that the corgi registered engineer only has to pop in for a few minutes to look at the property. Not true. Depending on the property and boiler, time required will vary but you can expect the engineer to be in the property for an hour or longer.

How much should you expect to pay? Here in the far flung depths of Kent it would be reasonable to pay between £65-£100 for a boiler service and/or Landlord Gas safety certificate. (Naturally, some companies will do special offers for regular customers, but I couldn’t imagine how anyone could justify a price much under £50).

This blog is not to drum up business for Mr T.P. to inspect the boilers of Thanet, by the way. Actually, Tara Plumbing do not  service boilers or issue Landlord Gas Safety Certificates unless T.P. fitted the boiler (usually).  We also do not, generally, attend to repair faulty boilers – we recommend you telephone the boiler manufacturer. There are a few exceptions (for our regular customers, of course). I have not even mentioned the many faulty gas fire stories I hear but Tara Plumbing do not have anything to do with gas fires.

More about the Elisabeth Giauque story – just search her name or read here:

www.landlordexpert.co.uk/index.php?news=2

shower power

A recent telephone call: “You’ve installed a lovely shower for us. We’re really pleased with the work, but there is no water coming out.”

ME: “Is there water coming out of the taps?”

 

“Oh yes, and the shower worked yesterday when your men were here.” 

ME: “So you can clean your teeth and flush the toilet, what more do you need? Of course, that is how you keep your shower looking all lovely and new, but it will get a little dusty.”

The caller had a sense of humour – not everyone does.

I informed Mr T.P. who was at a nearby house in Ramsgate. Within an hour he called back to tell me the shower worked perfectly, the customers simply did not know how to turn it on!

How we laughed. This is far from being a one off incident. Only this morning Mr T.P. returned from a house in Pegwell, again delighted with their new bathroom but the shower was not working.

“Have you tried the obvious?”

Mr T.P. asked the resident, “turning it on.”

Please do not think I’m poking fun at other people – when ever we stay away from home I always have to ask Mr T.P. to turn the shower on and explain how it works… and how do I change the temperature.

I have also had a problem with light switches. They are almost always in the same place, on the wall, just inside the door. Yet I have managed to visit countless houses where I can not find the switch – hunting around inside and outside the room pushing and pulling at everything whilst reciting “Let there be light”. This, of course, is at the most inconvenient time – usually if have to get up in the middle of the night.

Mr T.P.s’ parents have a dimmer switch which is in the usual position but it is a mystery how to operate it.

Let’s not even discuss the domestic nightmare which is the roller blind….

Anyone for Croquet?

How many people did the same thing as me – lean against wet paint at the weekend? The black tar-like substance which coated my arm was on the gate entrance to the Ramsgate Croquet club (see below link), on the Royal Esplanade.

OK my posture should be better, no excuses, I bought it on myself by leaning against a gate… My slouching took place, however, on a busy Sunny Saturday afternoon when the whole area was packed with people – even the Croquet Lawns were busy – which must be the first time I’ve ever seen that. Surely whoever painted the gate would expect lots of people to touch it or brush up against it.

I was trying to explain just what the game involved – but I’ve never played it and my own knowledge is limited to the account in Alice in Wonderland.

I was with my 6 year old – do not touch that gate!

He and others around laughed at the black stripe on my arm.

“Is it still wet, mummy?”

He did not touch the gate but could not resist touching my arm.

“Yes it is still wet and now on your fingers – do not touch your clothes!”

Fortunately, we were minutes from home where we scrubbed up nicely and fortunately our clothes were not ruined.

http://croquetramsgate.co.uk/