26 October 2006
The DIY bug still has a firm grip on the UK with 46% of us undertaking some sort of home improvement in the last year and 36% of us wanting to upgrade our homes further in the next twelve months.
With winter on its way, Halifax is urging home owners this week to make sure they follow all the rules, regulations and safety guidelines when making improvements to their home, including when making any adjustments to their heating appliances.
As a result, Halifax has issued the latest guidelines advising Changing Rooms enthusiasts on how to go about modifying their heaters safely.
Before installing, replacing or altering the position of any type of fuel burning appliance including a boiler, consult the building's regulations or hire a contractor registered with an industry body, such as Corgi, for the works.
To avoid rogue traders, home owners are advised to check whether the contractor is registered with Corgi.
If a new boiler is to be installed, make sure the contractor leaves a completed installation record, a commissioning certificate and a user instruction manual.
The Halifax guidelines also offer links to a large number of regulatory bodies to prevent consumers hiring unregistered contractors.
These include Heating and Ventilating Contractors' Association, Heating and Hotwater Information Council UK, The Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering, Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors and Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers' Federation.
Save on your heating cover by comparing heating cover products on the uSwitch.com comparison service
© 2008 Adfero Ltd
Content for the uSwitch.com market news service is provided by a third party, Adfero Ltd. Whilst uSwitch.com makes reasonable efforts to check the reliability of this content, uSwitch.com does not guarantee the accuracy thereof or endorse the views or opinions given by Adfero Ltd, unless expressly stated otherwise.