Direct Heating Supplies Blog

Heatrae, recently awarded Commercial HVAC Product of the Year at the 2013 H&V awards, are market leaders in providing reliable and efficient hot water storage technology.

Their range of hot water cylinders are one of the most popular out there so installers and homeowners alike who are looking to invest in a new hot water cylinder will be pleased to hear that Heatrae have now extended their fantastic cashback offer on Megaflo Eco Cylinders until 30 September 2013.

This means if you buy a new indirect, direct or systemfit hot water cylinder you can benefit from £150 cashback!

Terms and conditions naturally apply but in essence all you need to do is buy your hot water cylinder and send the necessary application form off to Heatrae with proof of purchase. You can then sit back and think of ways to spend your £150 cashback.

• Terms & conditions

Heatrae Megaflo Cylinder

At Direct Heating Supplies we have an extensive range of Megaflo hot water cylinders available with speedy delivery times.
Order today for a great deal!

This article was written by Chris Shaw from Shaw’s Plumbing and Heating Ltd, for your local and reliable plumbers, heating and Gas engineers 

Vaillant have been leading the way in heating and hot water technologies for over 135 years with its award winning Vaillant Central Heating Boilers, hot water cylinders, intuitive controls and advanced renewables, Vaillant has a product suitable to meet everyone’s installation requirements saving you a bundle on your energy bills.

By doing any of the following steps below you can start saving yourself money and energy 

So how can you save money? Here are my top tips to save you money and energy: 

1. If you have a boiler that is not a condensing high efficient boiler then you are wasting money and energy every time you use it, by having a Vaillant ecoTec boiler installed by a qualified Vaillant Accredited Installer you will start saving money and energy straight away as less heat is waste through the flue. 
2. Having a power flush of the central heating system will also do wonders for your heating system as a clean heating system is an efficient system which will also help you to save money, energy and prolong the life of the Boiler, controls and radiators, I would also recommend installing a magnaclean and scale master. 
3. Installing energy saving external controls like a programmable room thermostat with weather compensation, installing thermostatic radiator valves where required and replacing your heating pump to an A rated energy pump. 
4. Installing a new hot water cylinder that meets the latest legislation will help you save even more money as these cylinder have been well insulated resulting in a much less hot loss 
5. Lagging your heating and hot water pipes and insulating the loft will also help save money and energy by reducing heat loss throughout the house. 
6. By turning your thermostat down by 1 degree can save you approx. £65.00 pounds a year 
7. Having your boiler and heating system serviced and maintained on an annual basis will help stop those unexpected repairs and also keep any manufactures warranty valid 

Vaillants range of domestic boilers on the market:

EcoTEC plus Open Vent, Combi and System Boilers – EcoTEC Pro Combi Boiler – EcoTEC Plus 937 – EcoTEC Exclusive.

Summary:

If you follow any of the tips I have listed above you will have a very good efficient heating and hot water system which would have a 7 year warranty, it will also save you hundreds of pounds a year and will reduce your energy consumption dramatically.

The following guest article was written by Hattie Hasan of Stopcocks Women Plumbers.

What is the Stopcocks Solution? Stopcocks is the only national company of self employed female plumbers. So how exactly are we different?

As a company of women plumbers it’s not as though we were ever going to fit in. But rather than seeing that as a disadvantage, we see that as a source of strength and have turned it to our advantage by creating The Stopcocks Solution . Being outside gives you clearer sight, you can see things those within the existing culture can’t.

We looked at three things: What do customers want? What is wrong with the existing culture? Where do women excel? And we applied the answers to plumbing.

The answers are simple and obvious and give us a clear advantage.

Customers want:- their plumbing to work efficiently, a fair price, tradespeople they can trust who treat them, their homes and their time with respect and who don’t patronise.

What’s wrong with the existing culture? Plumbers have a terrible reputation, for not turning up, not respecting customers time or homes, for being unscrupulous, untrustworthy and patronising and for getting away with a rubbish job when they can. (We know not all traditional plumbers behave like this but it is the dominant culture and it goes right through like the letters in Blackpool Rock).

Where do women excel? – Customer Service – Whether women like it or not we are prepared to deliver great customer service all our lives.

Other than the quality of our plumbing, all the requirements of customers and problems with the existing culture of plumbers fall under the label of customer service which women, either by nature or nurture are perfectly trained to fit.

So that’s what we do. We gather women plumbers and train women to be great plumbers and we use their natural (or trained) talents in customer service, plus we train our plumbers in customer service and we let you know that by using a Stopcocks Woman Plumber you’ll receive not just great plumbing, but exquisite customer service all at a fair price.

Why pay more for less, when you can pay a fair price and have the best?

The Stopcocks Solution is simple.

Article by Hattie Hanson of Stopcocks Women Plumbers.

Good news! We have now added a whole new selection of Glow Worm boilers to the Direct Heating Supplies website.

We therefore have more combination, regular and system boilers for sale on our website than ever before.

Find out more about the boilers available from Glow-Worm:

Glow Worm Combi Boilers

A combi boiler works as part of a closed hot water system, using the mains water pressure to provide both central heating and hot water for use in the home.

When it comes to investing in a new combi boiler, you tend to focus on 2 key specification requirements;

Power: the central heating output of a boiler is measured in kW’s and dictates how powerful your boiler is. Powerful boilers are more likely to be able to deal with larger properties that have a higher central heating demand (i.e. more radiators).

Hot water flow rate: this determines the pressure at which the boiler is able to drive water around the property, with higher flowrates being more suitable for larger properties.

A qualified heating engineer will be able to advise as to which type of combi boiler would be suitable for use in your property.

Glow-Worm have 2 popular combination boiler models that offer a broad choice of options in terms of power and flow rate:

• Glow Worm Flexicom CX Combi BoilerThe Flexicom CX range is small and compact, allowing it to fit neatly into small spaces such as kitchen cupboard. It comes in a range of heating outputs including 18kW, 24kW and 35kW and has flowrates between 9.6 – 14.4 litres per minute depending on the model you choose.The 24CX and 30CX Flexicom models are probably more suited for smaller 1 bedroom properties although the 35CX Flexicom model could service a 2 bedroom property.
• Glow Worm Ultracom 2 CXi Combi BoilerThe Ultracom 2 boiler is not as small as the Flexicom range (although it does still fit neatly into your property) but it does provide higher levels of power, with kW outputs stretching between 18.5 to 30kW depending on your particular needs and budget.

  On top of this the Ultracom2 CXi can give exceptional high levels of hot water flowrate between 10.4 – 14.6 litres per minute, helping to make the Ultracom range of combi boilers suitable for medium to large sized properties.

Glow-Worm Regular Boilers

Regular Boilers are traditionally found in older properties, larger homes or low pressure areas across the UK where combi boilers are not suitable. They generate the hot water for use in the central heating features such as radiators but work alongside a hot water cylinder and feed & expansion vessel to store and provide hot water for use in kitchens and bathrooms. Regular Boilers tend to take up more space than combi boilers but allow you to draw upon a ready supply of hot water without compromising the levels of performance at other hot water outlets such as showers and taps.

• Glow Worm Flexicom HX Heat Only BoilersThe Flexicom comes with a built in anti-frost protection and due to its shallow depth, it can fit neatly into most standard cupboard spacing, helping it to operate almost unnoticed in the background of the property.

  With 6 regular boilers in the range with heating outputs varying between 12kW to 35kW, the Flexicom HX range offers an extensive choice for those with differing heating needs.

• Glow Worm Ultracom HXi Heat Only BoilersThe Ultracom HXi range of regular (heat only) boilers is a small and compact  range of combi boilers that offers an expansive range of heating outputs (from 12kW all the way up to 38kW).An Ultracom HXi Regular boilers gives you A-rated heating performance and gives you the option to convert it for use alongside a LPG fuel supply without the need to buy any additional accessories.

Glow-Worm System Boilers

System boilers work much like regular boilers but differ in so much that they require less space due to the fact that many of the components are built into the system boiler itself, removing the need to have items such as a cold water feed & expansion vessel.

There are 2 models of system boiler in the Glow-worm range:

• Glow Worm Flexicom SX System Boilers:The SX range of Flexicom Glow Worm boilers is much like the Heat only boiler range in so much that it provides a high efficiency system boiler that can fit neatly into most cupboard spacing thanks to a shallow depth of just 280mm.It comes in just the 2 outputs 18kW and 30kW, but this does mean that there is a system boiler option in the SX series for both smaller and larger properties.
• Glow Worm Ultracom 2 SXi System BoilersThe SXi range of System boiler offers the premium levels of heating performance. With a spectrum of heating outputs (between 12kW – 30kW) you will be able to find a SXi system boiler that will fit your property, not matter what the size.The Ultracom 2 SXi range of system boilers also come with an inbuilt digital plug in control, integrated filling loop and is easy to install thanks to the ne way fit connections.

At Direct Heating Supplies our Glow Worm boilers are available with next working day delivery in the majority of cases, so order today for a great price and fast dispatch.

There are many steps that must be considered when you set out to change your bathroom; here are a few of the things to consider before you start.

Designing and Planning a New Bathroom

So, you’ve made a decision to install a new bathroom in your house, this can be done for many reasons, to modernise; so that it is easier to use or to add value to your home before you sell it. Whatever the reason, you now have to plan the new layout, decide on accessories, fixtures, colour schemes and get the work done to a high standard. So where to start?

The First Steps

Your bathroom is not only one of the busiest rooms in the house it’s second only to the kitchen when it comes to selling your house, so planning is of vital importance to make sure that you get the best possible finish for your budget. Lots of showrooms will help you to plan your bathroom, but it’s a good idea to have an idea of what you want before you commit to anything. Start by measuring your bathroom and drawing a plan of it. Onto this plan mark on the doors, windows, where the pipe work is, if there is a radiator where the pipes are for that and where the soil pipe is. This will help you to visualise whether you can achieve your desired results without having to move the plumbing and save on the expense and inconvenience of pipe work being re-routed.

Planning Your New Bathroom

Think about how the bathroom is being used, if it is a busy family bathroom you may want to include twin washbasins, which are not only on trend, but are attractive to potential buyers. Do you want a shower and a bath or combine the two with a bath/shower mixer. There are lots of baths on the market that are designed for this mixed use with a wider area at the mixer tap end and combined shower screen options. It is also worth remembering that Part G3 of the building regulations requires that a thermostatic mixing valve is installed in any domestic bathroom refurbishment to protect against the scalding of the vulnerable. If you are moving the location of the toilet it is worth checking on the angle of the soil pipe from the back of the toilet to the soil stack to make sure that it complies with current building regulations.

Choosing the Right Fixtures

Now you are ready to choose the bathroom suite, taps, bathroom furniture, fixtures and tiles. An average family bathroom is typically the size of a double bed, so try to make sure that you introduce as much light as you can. You can use light, semi-reflective tiles, mirrors and lighting wherever possible and clever bathroom storage to hide away clutter so that the room doesn’t look overcrowded. The advantage of installing washbasin units and toilets units is that they hide away unsightly pipe work and cisterns, give you valuable storage space and make your bathroom look modern and stylish. This is great if you are using it day to day and even better if you are thinking of selling. Choosing a manufacturer that offers a range of products such as tiles, bathroom suites and bathroom furniture will ensure that everything looks right together, and now is a great time to buy British with many British manufacturers leading the way in style and manufacturing quality.

Getting it Done Right

Unless you are the most competent of DIYers you shouldn’t attempt to do the install yourself. Always factor in a budget for installation and remember that tiling, electrical work and plumbing should all be done by a professional as a botched attempt could prove costly to put right. Remember, plan well and get professional advice, choose the right fixtures and accessories and budget for a professional installation and you will have a bathroom that looks fabulous, works well and adds value to your home.

This Guest Post was written by The Utopia Bathroom Group, a leading manufacturer of luxury bathroom furniture.

Paperwork and receipts are the bane of any plumber and heating engineer’s life.

Quotes for customers are written on any material available, receipts are lost in the black hole that is the glove compartment in your van and invoices are hastily written on the backs of bits of paper. So here are some top tips to keep those bits of paperwork in order:

Plastic sleeves

These are invaluable; keep one in the front of your car/van/mode of transport, it’ll just help you get into the habit of keeping the paperwork somewhere that will be safe when the windows are open. Also, you can forget about it for a few days, and not run the risk of the paperwork or receipts going walkabout.

It also makes it easier for you sorting through when you finally do get round to checking your paperwork and receipts. You just have to pick up the sleeve from the front of your van, and not spend half an hour checking every nook and cranny for that heating invoice or receipt that’s gone missing.

A stapler is your best friend

Even if the documents don’t necessarily have to be together, over the course of a busy day you can just staple everything together, making it much less likely for you to loose that one sheet. Just chuck a stapler in the front of your van, it takes up no room, and it only takes a minute.

Patience

If you have the time and patience, scan those absolutely vital pieces in. It’s annoying and takes time, but at least you then know you have two copies, so if one does go walkabout all is not lost.

Online storage

For the more tech savvy of you heating engineers and plumbers, this can be an easy way of backing up everything you have. Using an online storage such as Dropbox can be a great way of ensuring you still have all your files safely stored in case your computer does decide to delete anything important.

Make Time

If you can just set aside 10 minutes a day to put anything important into a folder. It doesn’t matter what order it’s in, as long as it’s in there. Have the folder in a place where you walk past every day even, so that when you do, you’ll remember that bit stuffed in your pocket that you have to chuck in.

Just follow these tips, and those bits of paperwork that other people insist on giving you throughout the day won’t get lost or take up any of your time!

Written by the team at YourTradeBase

About YourTradeBase

YourTradeBase is an online tool for heating engineers and plumbers to quickly and easily create estimates, quotes and invoices in minutes, and keep track of all jobs and receipts. Readers of DirectHeatingSupplies also get a 60 FREE TRIAL, just enter the code – DIRECTHEAT60. 

As one of the most trusted names in UK heating industry, Myson are recognisable for the design of high quality radiator products.

They offer an extensive range of radiators that can be used in commercial and domestic properties across the UK.

With a range of sizes you won’t struggle to find one that will fit your property, however you might struggle to understand the difference between the different Myson radiators that they produce.

We hope to address this now by describing the main types of Myson radiators available on the DHS website.

Myson Select Compact Radiators

The Myson Select Compact Radiator range offers its owner a small and compact radiator that fits neatly into most homes.

Ideal for use in rooms short of space that aren’t looking for the highest levels of heat, the Myson Select Compact range come in a staggering 165 different variations thanks to the varying options available in terms of height, width and heating performance.

Myson Premier Compact Radiators

Mysons’ Premier Compact Radiator range is again ideal for use in homes that don’t need premium levels of heat and thanks to their size can easily fit onto tight wall space areas.

With a top grille and supporting end panels, the Myson Premier Compact Radiator has a stylish panel design that features vertical neat rectangular lines that run down the face of the panel.

Again, this radiator range is available in numerous incarnations, with 165 sizes of radiator (varying in size and heat output) offering you exactly what you need to satisfy your precise requirements.

Myson Premier Roundtop HE Radiators

The Myson Premier Roundtop HE Radiator makes up part of a stylish radiator range that gives you smooth ‘rounded’ corners and a high quality glossy paint finish.

You not only get a stylish radiator that will look fantastic in any home, but you also get a radiator that is able to generate a high levels of heating performance.

This radiator again offers you a broad choice in terms of heat output and size.

Where to buy?

All of these Myson radiators are available from Direct Heating Supplies at a  fantastic low price.

We have a massive choice in terms of size and model. Our delivery is free on orders over £200 (+VAT) and we have the fastest radiator delivery times around. We also sell a broad range of other radiators from maufacturers including Stelrad, EcoRad and Quinn.

• View all entire radiator collection

Industrial inspired interiors are hot for 2013, the originality and individual style that can be created is second to none!

A mix of genuinely old or vintage pieces with carefully selected new items and odd flea market finds are the basis for industrial interiors. For urban industrial inspired Furniture, Lighting and Accessories you can visit Designer Living Online, London’s home to gorgeous interior pieces.

If you’re starting out with a derelict space then you’ve got a great head start! For those of you with a blank canvas start thinking of old warehouses and factories, exposed pipes and rough surfaces will be crucial to a successful end result.

When it comes to your heating and plumbing – the bigger and bolder the radiators and pipes, the better. Forget the sleek and slender modern technology that’s barely visible, you need raw metal and black painted pieces! The overall look and feel must be unfinished. Make your pipes the central focus of your living space, work around them with rough textures and reclaimed articles!

Wood and Metal are the key materials for industrial interiors. Strong angular shapes and soft neutral fabrics will be a complimentary juxtaposition in your home.

Article written by Designer Living Online.

Regular boilers are also commonly referred to as conventional boilers or open vented boilers.

A regular boiler is a common boiler setup in households across the UK, with many people relying on regular gas boilers to provide warmth and hot water to their home. The boiler will heat the water and this is later stored in a hot water cylinder. When you use hot water outlets such as taps, baths or showers, you then draw on this hot water. The hot water cylinder works alongside a cold water cistern to give you the water at the temperature you require.

The best thing about having a conventional boiler in your home is that you will have a store of hot water that can be utilised exactly when you need it across a number of hot water outlets. This means you can run a hot shower and a hot kitchen tap at the same time you can do so without recognising a difference in hot water performance. This does not happen with a combi boiler, where sharing the mains water pressure reduces the hot water performance at both hot water outputs. You will probably hear the yelps if someone gets hit by a cold burst of water in the shower!

A regular boiler removes this concern by providing an efficient level of hot water across multiple hot water outputs. The only negative with a regular boiler is that if you use the entirety of the hot water stored in the cylinder you will have to wait for your boiler to replenish this supply. This is an irregular occurrence in most cases as most households invest in a cylinder that is more than capable of dealing with the regular hot water demand.

What about hot water cylinders?

Hot water cylinders come in a variety of different sizes, so you can certainly store a substantial amount of hot water, ensuring hot water is ready when you need it.

As you will need an external hot water cylinder and cold water cistern, you will need to have enough space in your home to store this additional equipment. Commonly these items are installed in the properties’ loft space as every day access is not really required, with people only really needing to visit these items for servicing and installation purposes.

View our range of hot water cylinders.

Where to purchase?

There are a variety of regular boilers available, with popular models coming from manufacturers such as Worcester and Vaillant who give homeowners a broad choice of  heating outputs and boiler functionality.

View the full range of regular gas boilers available from Direct Heating Supplies. If you order today you not only get a great price, but you’ll also get free delivery (next day in most boiler orders).

Your home will affect your mood, especially if you spend a lot of time there.

You may not realise it, but the comfort and serenity of your home has a huge impact on your life. You should therefore insist that your home is somewhere you want to spend your time – it will make you feel better in the long run!

Comfort is important, no matter what you think. You need to feel comfortable in your home.It is true, no home is perfect, but if your home’s shortcomings cause everyday irritation, this will affect your outlook on life.

Your home’s comfort level is a key feature that needs appropriate attention paid to it. One way to do this is to replace any furniture that you don’t like over time. If you have to struggle to put things on a top shelf, lower it — or at least get a step stool! If you keep banging your shins on the corners of the coffee table, consider getting rid of it and replacing it with one that doesn’t leave you battered and bruised!

Getting new lights can bring a dark spot to life and help to  make an area more a lot more habitable. By updating light bulbs in your home you can brighten your home and increase energy efficiency in the process, helping you to save money in one of the simplest ways possible.

Developing and growing your garden is a great way to shape your home, ensuring it looks how you want it to look. It’s a great way to keep active and get some fresh air too! However if gardening is not for you (and it’s not for everyone), but you want the benefits of having a garden, then you can hire a professional to develop the garden for you. And don’t forget, any plants you add help improve the air quality around your home too!

These are little changes that can end up making a big differences in your life. A couple of improvements, like a coat of paint or a replacing an old roof, can really make a difference in enhancing the exterior appearance of your home. .

Home improvements are generally just seen as a financial investment, but they are an investment in your emotional well being as well.

Author Bio: 

James Lake is a professional London Plumber who enjoys blogging.