A Closer Look at Installation, Maintenance, and Industry Culture When it comes to the lifespan of boilers, Germany and the UK present a striking contrast. In Germany, the average boiler lasts around 20 years. In the UK, most boilers are replaced after just 10–15 years. What’s behind this difference? It’s not the build quality—most modern boilers are manufactured to high standards across Europe. The real difference comes down to the quality of installation and the culture of maintenance. The German Approach: Quality and Respect for the Trade In Germany, heating engineers are respected professionals—often regarded with the same esteem as…

Don’t replace your boiler without reading this. Too often, we see good boilers replaced when a simple repair would have done the trick. Sometimes, all it takes is the right specialist—or a call to your boiler’s manufacturer. If you’re told your boiler can’t be fixed, or if a new one just isn’t in the budget, always contact the manufacturer for a second opinion. If they can’t repair it, no one can. 🛠️ Don’t pay for a new boiler you don’t need—reach out if you want honest advice or a quick chat about your options.

Why Regular Boiler Servicing is a Must for Every Homeowner in North Wales As a homeowner, your boiler is one of the most critical appliances in your home. It keeps your family warm during cold winters and ensures you have a steady supply of hot water. But like any other appliance, boilers require regular maintenance to function efficiently and safely. At Pavlou Boilers, we’ve been helping homeowners in North Wales, Chester, and surrounding areas keep their boilers in top condition for over 17 years. Here’s why servicing your boiler is not just important but essential. 1. Keep Your Home Safe…

Dive into our comprehensive guide on everything from installation to choosing the right type, ensuring a warm home all year round. FAQs included! Introduction Ah, the familiar hum of a boiler firing up on a chilly morning—nothing quite compares, does it? But when that hum becomes a clatter or, worse, a silence, it might be time to consider the inevitable: investing in a new boiler. Whether you’re a seasoned homeowner or new to the maintenance game, knowing when and how to replace your boiler can be a head-scratcher. Fear not! We’ve got you covered with this all-encompassing guide on everything…

12 months have passed since the birth of our 2nd child Phoebe and Mummy has now started a new job, with special thanks to a customer who provided that opportunity. As many of you will know this part of a child’s life is so precious and it is over within a blink of an eye. Phoebe has started going to nursery for 4 days a week and I’ve made the decision to look after Phoebe on Fridays until Phoebe is older. I’m not sure how old that’ll be yet though. With the help of some friends I’ll be able to…

If you have or you are considering getting a “Protection Policy” that “covers” your plumbing and heating system then please keep reading. ‘Which’ did a report a number of years ago stating in most scenarios it’s far cheaper to get your heating appliances serviced annually and to pay for repairs as of when they are required. It is understandable why some people take out cover plans however these companies play on these insecurities people have. Everyone likes to feel safe and comfortable and when they pay money to big companies they believe they’ll be covered in the event of any…

Introduction Heat pumps have gained considerable attention in recent years as an alternative to traditional heating systems. They are often touted as energy-efficient and environmentally friendly solutions for maintaining indoor comfort. However, despite their advantages, there are still several limitations that prevent heat pumps from being a viable cost-effective system for many homeowners. In this blog post, we will explore the factors that contribute to the current challenges faced by heat pumps. High Initial Costs One of the primary barriers to the widespread adoption of heat pumps is their high upfront costs. Compared to conventional heating systems, heat pumps require…

As homeowners, we rely heavily on our gas boilers to provide warmth and comfort throughout the year. These essential appliances work tirelessly to keep our homes cozy and our hot water flowing. Yet, all too often, we neglect their regular maintenance and servicing. In this blog post, we will delve into the significance of annual gas boiler servicing and highlight the numerous benefits it offers to both our safety and our wallets. Safety First The primary reason for scheduling annual gas boiler servicing is to ensure the safety of your household. Gas boilers burn natural gas to produce heat, and…

Hello This is a short update regarding a rebranding for Pavlou Plumbers. Pavlou Plumbers has had a new logo and a new website developed. The new logo has been printed on the company van and is being used on social media. The new website will be going live soon with the new logo. All other company details have remained the same.

Do you know if your cold water main is made of lead? Do you know the effects of lead in the water?  If you live in a building that was built before 1970 then it’s possible that you have a lead water pipe as your cold main supply pipe. Having lead in your drinking water has been proven to be a health hazard, particularly for small children and for those who are pregnant. It has been recently proven that soft water breaks down lead quicker than in hard water areas. If you live in Chester or Wales you live in…

Click here to see the Pavlou Plumbers Promotional Video

  I’ve noticed recently there have been some gas safe companies offering ridiculously low prices for their Boiler Service. Apart from causing an un sustainable race for the bottom for the industry this could be a deceitful tactic. One tactic used by companies is to offer a low price on a well needed service or product in order to get “their foot in the door”. Once said company has your custom confirmed they will hope you would buy additional products or services from them. In this case the Gas Engineer could very easily make out your gas appliance or gas…

It has come to my attention that there is a plumber who has Italian origins, works in the same area as Pavlou Plumbers and his first name is Pavlou (or similar). This plumber does NOT work for or has any association with Pavlou Plumbers. My first name is Stelios and my parents come from Cyprus.

Pavlou Plumbers will not be taking any calls from 24th December till 5th January.  Please email info@pavlouplumbers.com for any enquiries. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you

Here are some pictures of work completed by Pavlou Plumbers

The D2 pipe is responsible for getting rid of any water should any safety devices that are apart of an unvented hot water cylinder fail. If it’s fitted incorrectly water could escape causing damage. The scenario in the video below is to common in new builds. As this pipe would only ever be used years after the installation has been completed the home buyer would never question it. This video also shows an issue with the filling loop.

As key workers we are still safely serving the community following the government guidelines which are listed below:- Keep more than 2 meter away from customers. Wash / sanitise hands or wear new gloves before entering the property.  Avoid payments by cash or chip and pin.  Avoid asking for signatures.  Payments can still be made by card either on-line, by phone and in person.  If you are safe isolating and would like to do a bit of plumbing but would like some guidance on what parts you’ll need and how to go about it, I’ll be more than happy to…

During a boiler service there are a number of parts that are checked in order to keep the boiler operating safely. This 1st image is of a set of electrodes that are in a Worcester CDi Classic boiler. These electrodes are constantly in the flame when the main burner is on. The electrode on the left helps detect flame. If this electrode is to short and is not in contact with the flame the boiler will think there is a fault and cut off the gas supply to the boiler.  The 2 electrodes on the right create the spark to…

This time of year, when the weather starts getting colder is when I get more new customers asking for boiler services. A few of these new customers canceled their British Gas or Homeserve or other larger company service contracts mainly because they feel they are not getting value for money. Not because the cost of the contracts are high but because the service provided is not sufficient.   It’s all about money The one sentence or phrase I hear time and time again after, or during a boiler service is something along the lines of “No one has ever spent…

Here are some videos of what to expect when you get a boiler service from Pavlou Plumbers.       

This is the Intergas Boiler With only 4 moving parts Intergas boilers are innovative and built to last. They are the most efficient boilers and non of their heat exchanges have ever had a mechanical failure. Intergas is a Dutch company with over 50yrs in the industry that have saturated the market in the Netherlands. Mainly because any of their boilers can be fitted to any type of heating system. Whether it’s a combi system, a system with an unvented hot water cylinder or an old gravity system any Intergas boiler can fit into it, and what’s even better is…

I can’t remember how many times I’ve been asked why a radiator or two are not working or why a radiator takes longer to heat up than others or why a room is colder than the others, or why a radiator doesn’t get as hot as others. For these scenarios we would make sure the radiator valves are working properly, then we would need to determine if there could be a blockage in the pipes and one question we would ask, if it isn’t obvious is “has this radiator been added onto the system after the original heating system was…

Even though recent temperatures have been around 27 degrees celsius it’s always recommended to switch your heating on for 5 – 10 minutes every couple of weeks to avoid any mechanical parts seizing.  Depending on the type of heating system you have and its condition parts such as the pump and motorised valves can get stuck in one position if left un-used for too long.  These parts can seize on all systems however older, open vented systems are more prone than others. Open vented heating systems are those that have water tanks in the loft. As the water in the system…

Its always fun getting a prank call but this one has to be the best one so far.  

As from April 2018 there will be new rules that must be followed when installing a combi boiler in order to comply with new government legislation in the UK. The reason being the current regulations came about a long time ago and there is new technology out now that makes heating your home and hot water even cheaper. The main aspects of the new legislations means that one of the following needs to be installed when fitting a new combi boiler. Flue gas heat recovery systems Weather compensation Load compensation Smart controls featuring automation and optimisation functions I’ll briefly explain what…

If there is one device in your home that will save you the most money on your heating bills it’s your room thermostat. This is the control that will switch off your heating when the room the thermostat is in reaches temperature. The thermostat should be positioned in the room that is used the most such as a living room. Previously the regulations stated the room thermostat control should be in the coldest room which was usually the entrance hall but now that has changed. You may not realise but you do have a choice what heating controls you have.…

With all the changes currently going on the world right now non are as important to me as this. The main change I have to do in my working life is the amount of working hours. As many of you will know the 1st few months of a child’s life is the most precious and this time will never come round again. This is why I’m doing my best to spend as much time as possible supporting my wife by being with our son. I am also aware that not sleeping properly can affect one’s performance. This is another reason I…

No one wants to feel like they are getting ripped off which is one reason why I’m writing this article. On small jobs where there is no floorboards to lift up or pipes to bury in walls there is no room to manoeuvre on price. However when on a big job a customer asks if I can do the job any cheaper than the estimate provided I always say the following:- ‘the amount on the invoice may be less than the estimate as there are some unknown factors in the job, because we don’t know what we’ll find when we…

I’m pretty certain when you invest your hard earned money into property and the rental market the last thing you would expect is a prison sentence. Neither did Christopher Hobaiter of Harburn, Stockton-on-Tees. His rental property had wall ventilation grills that supplied air to the boiler. These ventilation grills were blocked up for some time. The appliance was then discovered to be leaking deadly Carbon Monoxide into the living room. This was enough for Christopher to be sentenced to 26 weeks in prison suspended for 24 months and charged £1904.02 in costs.*     Any tenant or owner of a…

The main purpose for this blog is to save customers money as I am coming across more and more situations where the customer has tried to repair a leaking pipe or pipe fitting and failed.   When you spot a leaking pipe or pipe fitting I can perfectly understand the 1st reaction is to try and repair the leak however unless you are experienced in repairing leaks then your efforts may end up costing you more money, for the following reasons :- your time to go to the store to buy the required materials, doing the repair, the damaged caused…

It is commonly known that your boiler needs regular servicing to make sure it is running efficiently and safely. What is not commonly know is your hot water cylinder may do as well. Unvented hot water cylinders are the hot water system of choice for many new build properties with more than one shower coming from the hot water system. This is because they provide enough water flow for more than one shower to be used at the same time. If you have a hot water cylinder but do not have any water tanks in the loft or high up…

Summer is here and people are doing things outside which would benefit from having an outside tap. Whether it’s gardening, cleaning the patio, cleaning the dog an outside tap can be convenient to have. There are number of outside tap packs that are available however I have not seen one that would be regarded as a quality installation. When fitting an outside tap, or doing any work in the construction industry the work must be done in a way that protects the property and people. Some people may believe that the image below is all that is required for an…

Before talking about weather or not your system needs a flush you need to understand what the ‘sludge’ is. The ‘sludge’ is a form of rust. When you combine different metals, water and oxygen you get rust. There is one particular type of heating system that is more prone to sludge and that is the more traditional open vented system, which is the system with a water tank (feed and expansion tank) in the loft or high up in an airing cupboard. The reason these systems are more prone to the buildup of ‘sludge’ or rust is because oxygen can get…

It’s very important to get your boiler serviced regularly. The manufacturers state this must be once a year which is a good general rule however if you have a boiler is in a building that is not occupied all year round then you could get away with having the service done less often. However for those of you who do get your boiler serviced regularly your boiler may not be getting a proper service. The purpose of a boiler service is to clear any ash from the main heat exchanger and the condensate trap, which is caused by the burnt…

This customer in Rossett wasn’t happy with his en-suite because it had a shower cubicle with walls on 3 sides which allowed very little light into the shower cubicle. The customer and his wife referred to the shower cubicle as ‘the coffin’ because it was so dark and horrible. No work had been done to the en-suite since the property was built around 15 yrs ago however the toilet and basin were in good condition. We were able to re-use the old toilet and basin which saved the customer some money. We removed the shower cubicle, removed the toilet and…

I would just like to say a big THANK YOU to all my customers who have taken the time to write a testimonial for Pavlou Plumbers. It really means a lot. Thanks again. The testimonials can be found at www.pavlouplumbers.co.uk/testimonials    

A customer in Hawarden had an old Worcester 280 which was expelling water from the pressure relief valve and the hot water temperature was not constant. Like a car, when a poorly maintained boiler gets to a certain age parts will start to fail one at a time. Its at this point the boiler owner needs to decide if they would be happy to wait for the boiler parts to fail one by one. Is happy to have to wait in for a gas engineer to attend to look at the boiler then wait in again to repair the boiler…

Its been a long time since my last post. The main reason for this is I’ve been busy repairing boilers and heating systems and replacing boilers over these last few weeks. If you have a non – condensing boiler, specially if your boiler was installed before the year 2000 then its likely that the boiler is coming to the end of its life cycle. The average life cycle of a boiler is 15yrs.  If you have had your boiler serviced every year and the manufacturer of the boiler is a reputable one then your boiler could still be running fine,…

A very happy customer in Ewloe wanted to sell their property however their bathroom and downstairs W/C had seen better days, so they invested in having a new bathroom and downstairs WC installed. A wise move in my opinion. The painting and flooring was arranged by the customer in the pictures below.  

If you are thinking about renovating your property then I would strongly recommend installing underfloor heating because it is much cheaper to run and provides a much better performance. Due to the source of heat coming from the ground, the temperature of the water running through the underfloor heating pipes is much lower than the water temperature in radiators. Lower water temperature means your boiler works less which means lower bills. Have a look at the YouTube video below for more information on why underfloor heating is better than radiators. Pavlou Plumbers are BPEC qualified underfloor heating installers so please…

I supplied and fitted an electric shower in Chester yesterday. The tenant was very happy to have a working shower again.

There are a few different filters on the market that look similar to this: These are relatively cheap and usually means drilling a hole into a stainless steel sink or in through a kitchen work top. Alternatively, if you wanted to spend a bit more money you can get a 3 way kitchen mixer tap which will look similar to this: with this underneath your sink

The leading brand is called Insinkerator. Prices range from £99 upwards. The more expensive units can take tougher food waste such as bones.   [youtube height=”” width=””]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=is2gy8PMza8[/youtube]

There are 2 leading manufactures in the shower industry, and they are Triton and Mira.   What is a mixer shower [youtube height=”” width=”=”]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApnWZU6qmYo[/youtube] Choosing a mixer shower [youtube height=”” width=”=”]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8ukWz7e0vI[/youtube]   What is a Thermostatic shower [youtube height=”” width=”=”]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYtdq20F-9c[/youtube]   Electric Showers [youtube height=”” width=”=”]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjNT6-_I784[/youtube]  

Booster pumps can be used to increase your water pressure for your whole house or just your shower. The 2 main leading brands are SALAMANDER and STUART TURNER. Care must be taken when choosing the right pump for your water system. This link from the Stuart Turner website gives a description on which pump would be suitable to boost your shower. If you do not have a cold water tank then your only option would be the pump in this youtube clip. [youtube height=”” width=””]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KamDatuI-eo[/youtube] You also need to be aware not all showers are designed for high water pressure, therefore your shower may also need…

If you want a bath with the taps in the centre to the bath as shown here, then you need Bath Mixer Fixing Kit. Sooner or late the tap will need maintaining, if this fixing kit is not installed the plumber will have no choice other that moving the whole bath out of position which usually means disturbing the tiles.  

Buying a new radiator When choosing a radiator for a room it is important to make sure the heat output is enough to heat the room. The heat output on each radiator will be shown as BTU. To find out how many BTUs a specific room needs to heat up measure the length, width and the height of the room and then go to this link.