MANAGE YOUR LIFE

We will all need a plumber at some point. Mary talks to Adrian Walker and fi nds out how to run our boilers effi ciently and why we should all have a friendly plumber on call

APLUMBER TRADITIONALLY used to work with lead as all drainpipes and internal pipes were made of it and they also worked on lead roofs as well. But today pipes are either copper or plastic so leadwork is not as common, but still done. Plumbers plumb bathrooms, put in kitchen sinks, fi t and service boilers, come out in emergencies when you have water leaking everywhere, or even worse, gas and much more, including, blocked toilet anyone?

Adrian Walker has been a plumber since he left school in 1980. ‘I really wanted to farm but took the easy option and joined my father in his business becoming an apprentice, training over three years on day release doing my City and Guilds. I learnt a lot from the other men who worked for my father as they were really experienced and old-school.’

Training for a plumber is always ongoing as they need to update their knowledge continually, thankfully. You used to train and that was it but as gas became more popular in households, people started dying because of carbon monoxide poisoning due to badly fi tted boilers. So gas training and accreditation became compulsory in the mid 1990s and it still is today.

If you employ a plumber to work on any gas appliance make sure they are Gas Safe accredited and ask to see their card when they arrive at your house. This means they are up to date with rules and regulations, know what they are doing and are insured. If a plumber is not Gas Safe accredited they can end up in prison charged with manslaughter because of negligence. Adrian has to renew his Gas Safe certifi cate every fi ve years which costs him about 1,200 (as well as loss of income due to not being able

M ANAGE YOURLIF E to work). As well as gas certifi cates plumbers also need to be ualifi ed in L G, unvented appliances and more, again every fi ve years, so Adrian is regularly doing courses. And if you work on oil boilers you need a di erent sort of accreditation. This is very reassuring for the public as we know that we are employing tradesmen who know what they are doing and are safe. Adrian and his brother and cousin joined his father and uncle in partnership in the business in 1 2, which employed eight people, until 201 when he struck out on his own. Plumbers tend to specialise in di erent things. Some will fi t bathrooms, others boilers, others still do lead work and Adrian specialises in servicing boilers, landlord checks and emergency call outs and repairs. To get the best out of your boiler it should

be serviced annually, as should gas fires. If the boiler is set up properly when it is first installed (and this is important) it should be e cient to run and last for years. A combi boiler normally has a lifespan of about 10 years, but might last longer if well cared for. Gas central heating using an e cient boiler is still just about the most economic way to heat your house. Although by the time you read this it might not be the case with costs and worldwide events being so volatile.

‘It’s important to not let your house get too cold otherwise the boiler will be working overtime,’ says Adrian. I turn mine on for a couple of hours in the morning and then it comes on again early evening at about 4. 0pm and stays on until I go to bed. If it’s very cold I will turn it on earlier in the afternoon so that the house doesn’t get too cold. Curtains closed in the evenings help keep warmth in so during a particularly cold spell heat is lost through windows during the day. Heat is a luxury so we may as well enjoy it.’

Breakdowns always seem to happen during a cold snap and this isn’t just sod’s

law; boilers have to work harder when it’s very cold, hence they breakdown.

‘I specialise in servicing and repairs so if I tell a customer they need a new boiler they know I’m not fobbing them o ,’ says Adrian. I don’t fit new boilers myself but will recommend someone who does. This works in reverse as they will recommend me for repairs and maintenance.’

Most plumbers charge about the same, 7 ish for a boiler service. As Adrian says, ‘boilers should be serviced every year.’ If you are a landlord it is law to have a gas safety check on your boiler or gas fire annually and Adrian also does these. He also does emergency call outs for breakdowns and will try to get to you as quickly as possible, particularly if you’re one of his regulars. He covers a 0 mile radius around Stamford and if he is unable to get to you quickly will recommend someone else.

As a plumber, if he finds the carbon monoxide emissions are too high in any household he has to cap the gas so that the boiler can no longer run and will have to be replaced. Children and pets are more susceptible to carbon monoxide poisoning so we all need to be aware of this as carbon monoxide can kill you or make you very ill. And as it has no smell you will be unaware of its presence.

Fortunately gas has a distinctive smell so if you have a leak you should be able to smell it. If this happens, or you can smell gas unexpectedly, Adrian says turn o your appliance and call a plumber.’

Gas boilers are supposed to be banned from being used in new homes from 202 . But Adrian tells me that hydrogen will now be blended with gas, starting next year, so that up to 25% of the gas we use will be replaced by hydrogen. And this reduces emissions considerably. Fully hydrogen boilers are also now being introduced. So who knows what the rules will be in 202 .

Adrian was born and bred in U ngton and still lives there now so everyone knows him (but he had a few years in Stamford). When he’s not servicing boilers he’s a keen gardener and is known in the village for his immaculate allotment. He’s also trained in martial arts having done Taekwondo for 17 years as well as other martial arts.

To contact Adrian ring him on 07712 771105.