We’re pleased to announce our sister site Boiler Guide has been launched, the site offers a complete list of nationwide engineers for the installation and servicing of gas and oil central heating boilers.

The site enables consumers to find and locate engineers in their area and in some cases request quotes directly through the site. The quote request feature is being gradually rolled out as more engineers register for the service which is currently on a 6 month free trial basis.

Popular locations include Birmingham and London alongside Manchester and Leeds and with over 8,000 engineers listed we’re hoping to supply Britain’s boiler and heating engineers with a good supply of sales leads!

The last thing you want when you have a plumbing job that needs doing is to hire the services of cowboy plumbers. These dishonest tradesmen regularly pass themselves off as reputable plumbers but then go on to provide sub-standard work for the price you pay. So how do you tell who is honest and who is the cowboy? The following 10 point guide will hopefully help you to decide:

1. Reputable plumbers will be able to provide credentials and certificates if you ask for them. They may also show that they are members of the trade association ‘Institute of Plumbers’. There is no law to say that plumbers have to be members of the association, however, those that take pride in their work as honest plumbers will almost certainly have membership.
2. When you ask for a written quotation, honest plumbers won’t have a problem providing one but cowboy plumbers may only offer a verbal quote or a scribbled note with some figures written on it and in these cases you should avoid using their services.
3. You should also ask to see their Certificate of Public Liability Insurance. Any plumber without this type of insurance is sure to be a cowboy plumber.
4. Most reputable plumbers will also be able to supply the names, addresses and phone numbers of past customers that are willing to vouch for the quality of their work. Cowboy plumbers on the other hand will probably make excuses why they can’t provide suitable references.
5. Most tradesmen today, and this includes plumbers, offer a standard contract that guarantees the work they do in return for the agreed payment. Cowboy plumbers almost certainly won’t offer this extra service which means their work will in no way be guaranteed should something go wrong with it later on.
6. Along with the standard contract, honest plumbers will also offer some form of insurance-backed warranty on the work that they do.
7. Quality plumbers are normally booked up for weeks or even months in advance. This means that if a plumber says he can start tomorrow then he probably isn’t the kind of plumber that people recommend or return to for a second time.
8. Good plumbers are often recommended by customers to their friends and family whereas cowboy plumbers aren’t. If someone you know recommends a plumber by name then he is probably worth taking a look at.
9. When having plumbing work done, you shouldn’t be asked to pay anything in advance. If you are asked for payment up front then the plumber is probably a cowboy. The same goes if they ask for payment in cash and don’t offer a receipt for the money.
10. Legitimate plumbers will be able to provide you with a business or home address and a land line phone number as well as their mobile number. If they can’t provide this information then you should look elsewhere.

Conclusion

With a bit of common sense and forethought it is quite easy to spot cowboy plumbers. Saying this, thousands of people fall prey to them every year and so it is advisable to use a recommended plumber before you go searching through the local phone book for one.

C02 poisoning claimed 50 lives between January 2006 and April 2007 according to a new CORGI report. In addition 120 incidents and 218 injuries were reported although this figure is thought to be much higher due to fragmented reporting and cases passing through healthcare un-reported.

As expected vulnerable groups include children and elderly whilst tenants are also to be at a high level of risk due to landlords disregarding boiler safety regulations. Of most concern is the general lack of awareness of carbon monoxide poisoning, the report showed that 90% of households have smoke alarms but only 25% have CO2 alarms with 3% not even knowing what one is.

Worst hit regions include The North East, Yorkshire, Wales and the Midlands.

Recommendations made within the report included regular servicing of gas boilers and appliances by a CORGI registered member. Flues and chimneys should be kept clear and the fitting of a carbon monoxide (CO) detector should be prioritised.