Monthly Archives: July 2015

Most of us control our heating systems using a timer so that they come on two or three times a day, then switch off again automatically. We have been asked in the past, 'does turning our heating on and off save us money?' However, there is a school of thought that says it’s actually cheaper to leave the heating on all the time and let the thermostat control the temperature.

Which is correct?

Well, it depends on a number of factors. As specialists in this field here is our advice on what to consider:

If you follow the conventional approach of using the timer, your boiler will only come on at set times, usually in the morning and evening. This means you won’t be heating the house and using fuel during the day when you’re out at work. But because the house cools down when the heating is off, the system will have to work harder to heat it up again.

On the other hand, if you leave the heating on all the time, the boiler will be working constantly but the house won’t cool down as much. You will need to turn your thermostat down when you go to bed at night so as not to get over-heated.

Which is the cheaper solution?

Deciding on which is the cheaper solution really depends on your level of insulation. In a modern well-insulated home, keeping the heating on all the time can be cost-effective, as minimal heat will be lost so the boiler won’t have to work too hard.

In older homes where there’s more significant heat loss, the boiler will be working harder to make up the deficit so you’ll be wasting fuel. Of course, most people will be somewhere in between the two extremes, so how can you be sure which is right for you?

Put your heating to the test

You can find out by running an experiment. Try each method for a couple of weeks, taking meter readings at the start and end of the period, and see what difference it makes. You need to select a period when the weather is fairly constant to do this. If there’s a sudden cold snap during one half of the test, then it will invalidate your results.

So, does turning our heating on and off save us money?

There’s no right or wrong answer here - which method is best will depend on your property and your individual circumstances, so it’s worth taking the time to test what’s best for you.

With nearly six million homes in England and Wales at serious flood risk, it is important to find out if you are living in a flood-risk area and take action to mitigate the danger. The team here at Pump Sales Direct have put together 8 simple tips to follow when it comes to preventing flood damage in the home, covering aspects from submersible pumps to home insurance policy's.

1. Insurance
Talk to your insurer to check what damage is covered by your home insurance policy and what will be paid out. Insurers will pay for like-for-like replacement or restoring your home to its previous state. You will probably have to pay for other work yourself. Some local insurance companies and brokers offer a courtesy home visit to advise home-owners on any recommended changes they should make.

2. Home Changes
Make permanent changes to your home to reduce the risk of flood damage. This may include laying ceramic tiles on the ground floor, replacing chipboard cupboards with stainless-steel, solid wood or plastic ones, and replacing fitted carpets with rugs.

3. Outdoor Alterations
Outdoor alterations to resist flood damage include replacing wooden window frames and doors with uPVC ones. However, this may not be permitted in conservation areas, so check with the local council’s planning department. Other repairs include fitting a non-return valve at each drain and water inlet and replacing existing air vents with flood-resistant ventilation bricks.

4. Flooring
Ask your builder to raise the damp-proof course and to seal all the floors at the ground level.

5. Home Electrics
Make all home electrics safer by raising the electrical socket height to a minimum of 1.5 metres above the ground floor. Make sure that all electrical devices such as TVs are also at least 1.5 metres above the ground floor. Reduce internal flood damage to walls by using lime rather than gypsum-based plaster. Hide all valuable objects on upper floors or on shelves that are very highly mounted on the wall.

6. Submersible Pumps
Invest in a submersible pump in case of emergency. Submersible pumps from Pump Sales Direct are the most efficient method of removing flood water quickly.

7. Sandbags
When flooding is imminent, block the bottom of external doors with sandbags to stop water getting into the house. Fit covers over the external air bricks. Plastic sheeting will suffice in an emergency if no better cover is available.

8. Floodline
If you are living in a flood-risk area, register at Floodline on 0345 9881188 for phone, text or email flood warnings. When the flood is imminent, make sure that all sinks and baths are firmly plugged to stop any water that backs up the outlet pipes from getting into the house. Seal around any toilets and washing machine outlets to reduce the risk of the same type of water back-up. This will also reduce the amount of time submersible pumps will require to remove any floodwater that does penetrate.

Noisy shower pumps can be an annoyance, but fortunately there are a number of things you can do to address the problem. Most shower pumps generate some sort of noise as the pump mechanism produces vibrations when it’s in operation, and this can generate an unpleasant noise.

Often it’s the cheaper models of pump that are responsible for the loudest noises, with cheaper components more likely to vibrate when running. Even so, you can’t expect to eliminate noise entirely with a more expensive model, as much of the noise you can hear is caused by water running through the pump. So, which shower pumps are the quietest you ask?

Quiet Shower Pumps

You’ll always get a certain amount of of noise from your shower pump, but some models do produce considerably less than others. This is partly due to the brand that you choose and the quality of the product. As we already pointed out, cheaper pumps are more likely to be noisy, however, there are three manufacturers that stand above the rest when it comes to quiet operation;

The manufacturers take steps to reduce noise in several ways. They use high-quality components that cause less vibration and thus less noise when in use.

Grundfos Amazon

Grundfos is a global manufacturer that has done a lot of work to ensure their products produce low levels of operating noise whilst still maintaining strong performance. The Grundfos Amazon range is one the quietest of the company’s products. Grundfos pumps generally are known for their reliability and performance. The Amazon range uses a combination of low-noise motors and anti-vibration feet to deliver minimal noise output.

Stuart Turner

Another well-known manufacturer, Stuart Turner has also tackled the noise problem. It’s designed a range of shower pumps which have anti-vibration feet to help keep noise levels down. The Stuart Turner Monsoon Range stands out thanks to impressive performance and low noise. The company uses low-voltage pumps with brass bodies and anti-vibration feet to guarantee minimal noise output.

Salamander

The Salamander CT Force Range are among the quietest pumps available today. The company has a reputation for manufacturing quiet pumps, but the Salamander CT Force model in particular it has concentrated on reducing vibration levels and noise.

Many shower pumps in the Salamander range now also say ‘Quiet’ on their specification as the company’s range is relatively quieter in operation than other pumps on the market.

Other Options

While reducing the level of noise a shower pump produces without swapping it for a quieter model is difficult, there are some things that you can do. For example, you could install the pump on a concrete block to reduce vibration levels. You can also buy a special mounting pad which will keep the noise level down.

The UK’s leading shower pump manufacturer, Salamander Pumps, has designed a new pump to meet all the demands of the bathroom.

Part of the best-selling Salamander CT range, CT Bathroom boosts the efficiency of hot and cold water supplies to showers, wash basins, baths, toilets and other bathroom equipment such as bidets or hot tubs.

The new CT Bathroom range has also been launched at Pump Sales Direct to add to our range of popular and efficient pumps.

As well as being highly efficient, the Salamander pumps are also quiet and incorporate unique crossover technology so you can use just hot water to fill the bath or the cold water to fill the toilet cistern after flushing without the other side of the pump overheating.

You can choose your performance requirement, from 1.8 bar to 2.6 bar pumps, and whether you need a positive or negative head, which depends on where your water storage tank is situated compared to your bathroom.

If the pipework feeding to the Salamander pump is at least 600mm below the water tank, it is said to be positive. A negative head is when the pipework is less than 600mm below the tank.

The CT Bathroom single and twin-ended pumps have been designed to meet all your bathroom needs both quietly and efficiently. They are suitable for a wide range of shower types and heads as well as single or mixer taps. They are so effective that you can refill your toilet cistern quicker than ever before.

The new Salamander pumps for bathrooms improve the pressure level and have been specifically designed to meet the ever-increasing demands for water in your bathroom or en-suite. If you need strong water flows for your high-performance taps and showers, then the CT Bathroom pumps could be the right choice for you.

These Salamander pumps also come with a two-year warranty for extra peace of mind, when purchased from Pump Sales Direct.