3 tradespeople to have on speed dial
Friday, 27 July 2012 3:37 PM
Part of the beauty of owning a property is being able to get stuck into a renovation and transform the house you have bought into a home that is perfect for you. However, while DIY can be fun, it is worth contacting the professionals on some occasions.
Read on to find out more.
Heating engineers
A gas boiler repair is something that you should never attempt unless you are a qualified expert who is a member of the Gas Safe Register and have the relevant qualifications. Gas Safe is the official list of tradespeople who are qualified to legally work on boilers, ovens, fireplaces and any other household appliance that runs on gas.
Whether you need a new device installed, an old one removed or an existing one fixed, you should never try and do it yourself, but instead reach straight for the phone and call a trusted expert. If they are a member of the register, they will carry a photo identification card to prove this, which will have a list of their specific qualifications on the back. It is vital you check this to ensure that the job you have contracted them for is one they are legally able to carry out.
All of these precautions might sound a little over the top, but there is a reason to be so cautious. While gas is an incredibly useful resource that helps to heat our homes and water supply, it is also dangerous. An oven, boiler or gas fire that has not been installed properly can be a fire risk. It could also explode, resulting in untold damage to your property and that of your neighbours.
In addition, it poses a threat that is harder to identify. Faulty boilers can produce carbon monoxide, which is deadly but incredibly difficult to detect. This substance is odourless, colourless and tasteless, and when inhaled it can cause a flu-like illness that ultimately leads to death.
For all these reasons, it is vital you have the number of a qualified gas engineer in your phonebook in the event you need their services. Even if all your gas appliances are working as they should, it is still worth contacting such a professional once a year to carry out a safety check and ensure nothing is presenting a potential hazard.
Plumber
There can be few things worse than flushing the toilet, only for it to back up and its contents spill over the bowl. Another plumbing emergency could be one of your pipes bursting - particularly if the first you know about it is when you return home to find your ground floor suiting in a couple of inches of surface water or your ceiling collapsed.
When it comes to plumbing issues, it can be tempting to have a go yourself rather than pay to call out an expert. However, the problem with this is that it can be difficult to determine what exactly the problem is. It might simply be that a washer needs replacing, but it could be something far more serious. Tinkering with the system when you don't fully understand what you're doing could just make it worse.
When it really is an emergency, you probably won't even have time to start rooting around for your toolbox and attempting to get to the bottom of the problem, as in the meantime the damage could become worse. That's why it's worth always having the number of a good plumber close at hand. You can contact them in an emergency and know they will be there as soon as possible to sort out the issue in a way that doesn't result in an even higher repair bill.
Electrician
Just like with gas, electricity is an energy source you should never tamper with yourself. Not knowing what you're doing could result in damage to your property and your health and at the worst it could be fatal. Alternatively, you might do something wrong which results in a hazard that could put other lives in danger.
When you first move into a property you should have an electrician visit and look over the power system for you. They will tell you if any components need updating to bring them up to standard, and they may even discover that your property needs to be entirely rewired. While this might prove expensive, not doing so can pose a fire risk.
In the event of an emergency it is worth having the contact details for an electrician in your area easily accessible. When there's a power cut and you don't know what's caused it, you can find simply carrying out your normal day-to-day routine is incredibly difficult so having someone come and get your house up and running as soon as possible is likely to be a bill you don't mind paying.
