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How to service a gas boiler

Sorry to crush your engineering dreams but only qualified Gas Safe Engineers are allowed to service gas boilers in the UK.

I know, you’re heartbroken, but it’s definitely a good thing at the end of the day when you consider the potential dangers involved and just how important the task is.

choice of boilers

What we can do, however, is tell you exactly what is involved in a gas boiler service so you know what to expect when your local boiler engineer arrives.

If you really want to fulfil your lifelong boiler servicing dreams, we will also give you some quick tips on how to become a Gas Safe Engineer, and what to look for in a boiler servicing company.

How to service a boiler is a pretty broad question, but we will give it a go.

Here we go them, hold onto your hats as we guide you through everything that you could possible need or want to know about boiler servicing in the UK.

What is a boiler service?

The easiest way to describe it is by comparing boiler services to car services.

They might not be legally required like an MOT, but they are very highly recommended both to extend the lifespan of the machine and to keep it safe for those nearby.

You would be naïve to drive a car that hasn’t been serviced any time recently. Anything could go wrong and you would never see it coming.

The same is true of boilers. Servicing finds problems before they become PROBLEMS and leave you without heat at the worst possible time, or even put the safety of your loved ones in danger.

One exception to this rule is that whilst you do not need to service your boiler in your own home (legally that it), landlords are required to have a gas safety check carried out at the very bare minimum on any property they own.

What happens during a boiler service?

Right onto the good stuff. The exact nature of your gas boiler service will depend on the company that you get to carry it out, but there is a pretty standard procedure that most gas safe engineers worth their salt will follow.

Firstly, the entire exterior of the boiler will be examines for any signs of a damage or corrosion.

There will also be a full check for any leaks that are coming from the boiler or connected pipes, both water leaks and gas leaks will be considered.

Once the engineer is happy that the boiler is in generally good condition, they will move onto the internals, looking at the control panel, electrics and vents from any signs that something has gone amiss.

This will involve removing the casing from your boiler so don’t panic if you walk past whilst the engineer is at your property to see your boiler looking like it has been completely dismantled. Trust the process!

Any issues discovered during the servicing process will be raised with the property owner and a service report will be provided for you to browse at your leisure.

What types of lawyers are there?

Lawyer is an umbrella term that encompasses a large number of different jobs in the legal profession.

From corporate lawyers in their ivory towers to immigration or family lawyers working within the community, lawyers play an integral role within society and every single one of us will undoubtedly have some experience working with them at some point during our lives whether it is creating a will, buying a property, or something a bit more serious such as defending against a criminal conviction.

Corporate Lawyers

Yep, they are the ones from Suits, although the reality involves a lot less courtroom action and a lot more paperwork that you see on the TV.

Corporate lawyers may work within a business itself but it is only the top firms who will have their very own in-house legal team and most will hire a local firm to work on their behalf instead.

Extradition Lawyer

If you are facing prosecution in another country and are the subject of an extradition request, you need to act fast to have any chance of avoiding being detained.

extradition law

Extradition lawyers specialise in all things international law and know all of the potential ways that an extradition request can be rejected. Visit https://aameranwar.co.uk/extradition-lawyer to learn more.

Criminal Lawyers

Criminal defence lawyers defend those who have been accused, charged, or even convicted of a criminal defence, helping to prepare their defence, representing them in police interviews, and helping to file appeals, amongst so much more.

On the other side of the coin, criminal prosecutors work on behalf of the state.

Tax lawyers

Tax lawyers provide a range of services to businesses and individuals, looking to stay on the right side of the HMRC and keep all their tax affairs in good order.

The tax system can be a pretty complex thing and with so much else on their plate it is not unusual for business people to find themselves in serious legal difficulties due to a lack of proper care and attention, and because they didn’t find themselves a good tax lawyer.

Family lawyers

Family matters are highly emotional and involve cases involving divorce, child custody agreements, and asset division, amongst more.

Due to the nature of these cases and the distress that long drawn out proceedings can put on all involved, family lawyers are usually expert negotiators and will look to avoid court unless absolutely necessary.

Immigration Lawyer

Immigration lawyers help those looking to remain in the UK with Visa applications, deportation appeals, and right to remain applications.

They will also assist those who are looking to secure UK citizenship. These are far from the most highly paid lawyers in the world, but their job is of the upmost importance and it can be incredibly rewarding to help change people’s lives for the better. Bear in mind, however, if you are considering becoming an immigration lawyer that there is a huge amount of pressure and stress involved and it can be incredibly difficult not to become emotionally entangled in the case.

Microneedling or chemical peels: Which is the better choice?

Replacing dead skin with shiny new gunk free cells will rejuvenate your appearance and leave you positively glowing.

There are plenty of different home products that promise to achieve this, but there is nothing on the market yet as effective as microneedling or chemical peels, available at all good cosmetic clinics across the UK. Both of these are non-surgical treatments that renew your skin and can be used for a wide variety of purposes including the removal of fine lines, wrinkles, and scarring.

As two of the safest cosmetic treatments on the market, both peels and microneedling are often entry level procedures and many people visiting our clinic to receive them have never ventured into the world of cosmetics before. If you are in this situation, it is understandable that you might be slightly apprehensive and are unsure as to which treatment is the best option for your needs and what exactly each of them involves.

The first thing to know is that they are both incredibly effective and offer a range of fantastic benefits for skin health and appearance. Here is a guide to everything that you could possibly need to know about chemical peels and micro needling Glasgow.

What is microneedling?

microneedling pen

Microneedling involves using a specialist microneedling tool, usually either a roller or pen to create micro-channels in the skin that can be used to apply nutrients under the surface and trigger the body’s natural healing response. The purpose of microneedling is to create what is known as controlled trauma, a scary term, but one that is a lot less threatening than it sounds.

Microneedling is extremely safe and can be used on almost every part of the body, although the face is the most common. Without doing any real harm to the subject, microneedling prompts the body to begin producing collagen, elastin, and new skin cells in response to what it thinks is a significant injury.

This will help to strengthen the skin in the target area and by replacing older cells you can significantly reduce the appearance of scarring. Microneedling can be used for a wide variety of different cosmetic purposes including tackling acne scaring, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, fading stretch marks, and evening out skin tone in pigmented areas.

There are some DIY micro needling products available on the market, but this is not a clinically recommended practice as the needles fitted on such products can be unsafe, non-sterile, or too short to make any significant difference beyond making your skin sore.

What are chemical peels?

chemical peel

The concept of a chemical peel is exactly what the name suggests, a chemical application that causes older layers of skin to peel away and be replaced with blemish free silky smooth new ones. Exactly how many layers of skin will be removed will depend on the strength of the peel in question.

Most peels simply remove the epidermis, the outermost layer of skin, but others will work deeper, with some working as deep as the dermis.

In a similar manner to that of microneedling, chemical peels trigger your body’s natural repair response, creating new healthy skin cells and effectively treating a range of different skin concerns.

Many of the issues that chemical peels are designed to treat are the same as microneedling, hence the comparison, including fine lines, hyperpigmentation, acne, rough texture and more.

There are also a range of DIY peels available but the strength of these peels is generally far lower than those applied in cosmetic clinics which is understandable for safety reason but does limit the effectiveness of the results.

Which is the better option?

Both microneedling and chemical peels are highly effective and fantastic options for those looking for a non-surgical way to refresh their appearance and treat skin concerns on any area of the body.

Both rely on controlled trauma and are excellent at triggering this effect without harming the patient or causing any significant discomfort during their application.

Choosing between the two will depend on the results you are looking for and consulting with an experienced cosmetic doctor will help you make your final decision. One of the biggest differences between these two treatments that might tip the scales one way or the other is that microneedling does not remove any layers of skin, whilst chemical peels do.

Whilst microneedling does refresh the skin and produce new skin cells, if you are looking for universal consistency and a completely new glowing layer of skin a chemical peel might be the best choice. Bear in mind, however, that chemical peels are not suitable for every skin type, whilst microneedling is and it more effective at tackling some of the signs of ageing that many find so frustrating, namely wrinkles and fine lines.

Fire Safety for high-rise apartment buildings

Waking_watch

Fire safety is essential in any residential building, but when it comes to high-rise apartment blocks, the risks are heightened significantly.

The tragic events of the Grenfell Tower Fire in 2017 highlighted in the most dreadful way the need for fire safety to be made much more of a priority in high-rise buildings across the UK.

Common fire alarm systems or waking watch services became mandatory for buildings with flammable cladding similar to Grenfell, to facilitate a switch from the existing stay-put advice given by fire safety authorities to a simultaneous evacuation policy.

Even if your building was not one of those identified to have major fire safety problems, fire safety should be taken extremely seriously for those in high-rise dwellings.

Some of the most important tips for apartment building fire safety include:

Install Interlinked Fire Alarms

From February 2022, it became a legal requirement for all Scottish homeowners to have interlinked fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors fitted in their homes.

There are a number of different products available that meet these requirements, from battery operated units interlinked remotely to hardwired units connected via your mains wiring.

According to the new standard set out by the Scottish Government you must have:
  • A smoke alarm in the room used most frequently for general daytime living
  • A smoke alarm in the hallway
  • A heat alarm in the kitchen

The main requirement for interlinked fire alarms is that residents can hear alarms from anywhere on the property.

Stay Calm in an emergency

If, despite all the fire safety precautions that you have taken, a fire does occur in your high-rise property, the worst thing you can do is panic.

Instead, stay as calm as possible and follow this excellent advice given by Fire Scotland on what to do in the case of a fire:

  1. Immediately vacate the area
  2. Don’t waste time gathering up personal belongings, your safety comes first.
  3. Close doors behind you as you leave to prevent the rapid spread of the fire
  4. Call 999
  5. Alert your neighbours if you can do so in a safe manner.

If you are unable to leave your property, due to the fact that the fire is blocking your way or is located in the communal area outside your apartment, you should:

  1. Gather all residents in a single safe room that the fire service will be able to access and has access to a phone to communicate with the emergency services
  2. Put wet towels across any gaps below doors to prevent smoke from getting into the room and close any air vents between you and other rooms in the property.
  3. Open windows to help smoke disperse and to attract attention.
  4. Stay low, smoke rises and can be deadly if inhaled
  5. Don’t jump from high windows

What is Waking Watch

If you live in a high-rise property that has been identified as having flammable materials within the exterior wall structure, such as the cladding found to have exacerbated the Grenfell Tower Fire in 2017, a waking watch service may be required until the issues have been resolved.

With a waking watch in place, highly trained fire marshals will continually patrol both the interior floors and exterior of your building, so that if a fire does break out, they will be able to detect it, raise the alarm, and oversee the evacuation.

Effectively a 24-hour monitoring service, a waking watch, when provided by a professional fire and security expert, is a reassuring solution to fire safety.

Waking watch patrols will be conducted regularly throughout the day and night, at maximum intervals of 15 minutes.

Given the importance of this role, choosing the right firm to supply your waking watch services is essential.

Here at Prime Secure, we offer fully trained and licensed waking watch officers, backed 24/7 by a team of fire safety experts who will utilise their expertise and experience to carry out waking watch services at an extremely high standard.

Waking Watch replacement

Waking watch was only ever introduced as a temporary measure as, whilst extremely effective, having fire marshals on site 24/7 can be extremely costly for residents.

The Government has recently introduced a £30m waking watch relief fund to help residents pay for the installation of a common alarm system in cases where the replacement of cladding is expected to take more than a few months.

Providing both industry leading waking watch services, and a fantastic common alarm system that can easily be transformed into a standard alarm system once building regulations have been met and a stay-put policy can return, Prime Secure is your go-to for expert fire safety solutions in high-rise buildings.

For more information call us now on 0345 88 88 333 or email us at info@prime-secure.co.uk.

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