No. All estimates are FREE of charge and are valid for 30 days. (top)
Apex are committed to delivering the highest quality of service possible.
This means we do not cut corners, we do not use cheap or inferior fittings and we
only work to current regulations.
We believe we offer excellent value for money, but we
do occassionally get it wrong! If you feel we have misunderstood your
requirements, we are always happy to discuss competitive quotes to ensure
we are quoting like for like. (top)
Either! It's entirely up to the customer.
With the vast range of products
available on the high street and online,
we appreciate that some customers prefer to source their
own products. Others prefer us to supply and fit, which reduces the risk of incorrect or missing items, faulty components, etc. (top)
Thermostatic valves control the temperature of an individual room or area. They are fitted to your radiators (one per radiator and have an internal thermostat to enable temperature control to individual rooms around your home. They can also help reduce your fuel bills by automatically adjusting the valve once the room has reached the required temperature. (top)
This usually means there is air trapped in the top of your radiator. You may want to try to bleed the radiator to release the air. If this does not help we suggest that you have your central heating checked over by an expert in case there are any underlying system problems (top)
Assuming the radiator has reached operating temperature, this usually means there is a build up of sludge at the bottom of your radiator. In this situation the heating system will be operating inefficiently and should be attended to, sooner rather than later. Would would advise that the heating system is checked over in case there are underlying system problems. Our article on Power Flushing may help explain the problem. (top)
This usually means that your central heating system is incorrectly balanced. This results in the hot water not flowing evenly to each radiator. We suggest that you have an expert check your central heating system. (top)
This varies depending on our current bookings, the size of the job and whether we need to order any special items. We will always try and fit in with customer's requirements, although bookings are made on a first come first served basis. (top)
No, all we need is access to your property and a contact number. (top)
We either work to a fixed price or to our hourly rates. We always try and quote a fixed price for the complete job, but where this is not possible we work on a time and materials basis. This generally applies to investigative work or jobs where there is limited access until the job has started.(top)
With a fixed price quotation we often need to 'guess' and make allowances for any potential problems that may arise during the job. If we can see exactly how the job will be carried out, then the prices will work out pretty much the same. (top)
Noise in your plumbing system can be caused by various reasons, but is quite often attributed to the velocity of the water running through the pipes. By reducing the velocity you can reduce the noise. It could be that the system has been designed with undersized pipes or that there are faulty components (stop valves, ball valves, etc) which should be replaced or adjusted as necessary. (top)
Power flushing is the process by which heating systems are forcibly
cleansed using water at high velocity, but low pressure, so that
no physical damage is caused to the system. The process
can be made even more effective with the addition of powerful
cleansing and mobilising agents to breakdown the sludge and remove
limescale build up.
Click here for a more detailed explanation. (top)
A Power flush is often carried out to restore a heating system to optimum efficiency. It will remove blockages, sludge, limescale and corrosion deposits. When carried out properly and thoroughly, radiators will heat up quickly (without cold spots) and the whole heating system will run efficiently and quietly
A clean and protected system improves the boiler efficiency,
helps the pump and diverter valves to last much longer and reduces
corrosion.
Click here for a more detailed explanation. (top)
Following the recent media exposure regarding
immersion heaters, we would recommend that all immersion
heaters are controlled by a thermostat with a built
in over temperature cut out device,
to ensure the water does not boil. A recent article (Jan
2008) published by WRAS explains the dangers.
Click here for
more details.
In response to this new safety recommendation, Apex
Plumbing
& Heating are offering to carry out this upgrade
for a flat fee of £50 +VAT (including parts and labour).
Please call for further details. (top)
Ceramic disc and spindle refer to the way the internal mechanism of the
tap operates: Ceramic disc technology is commonly used on
more expensive taps, as they perform better and last longer. When the handle
is turned, two ceramic discs are parted opening the valve and allowing the
water to flow.
The traditional spindle design is commonly used on lower quality, cheaper tap designs. The tap has a spindle through the centre, with the valve seat connected via a screw thread. A standard tap washer (either ½" or ¾") is fixed to the end of the valve seat. As the handle is turned the spindle rotates and the screw thread moves the valve seat up and down to regulate the flow of water. (top)
If you have a cold water storage cistern in the loft and a hot water cylinder in an airing cupboard, then you have a typical gravity fed system. Your water pressure is determined by the height of your cold water storage cistern in relation to the appliance outlet. For example, a weak shower could be due to low water pressure, but in an ideal world this could be solved by raising the height of the storage cistern. However, this isn't always possible and pumps can be used to boost the pressure. (top)
An Unvented System is where hot water is stored at mains pressure and therefore hot water flow rates are much better than traditional open vented systems. Megaflo is a market leading name for unvented cylinders. For more information see Unvented Hot Water Systems. (top)
Recommendations are usually a good starting point! Always get several quotes. Try to get a general feel for the company and look at their overall qualities - contactability, responsiveness, professionalism and integrity. Never use a company who only has a mobile number! Make sure they have a landline and a 'real' address on their website. Many companies (even blue chip public listed ones) go to great efforts to hide their contact details and they do that for a reason!
Why not call Apex Plumbing and Heating - we recommend them without any hesitation! (top)
If some radiators do not get hot, it may be that the system needs balancing. The hot water will follow the path of least resistance and may bypass some areas of the heating system, if not correctly balanced. This may be due to a blockage in the pipework or simply that other radiator are taking all the heat! Reducing flow to hotter radiators may encourage other area of the system to heat up. This tends to be an itterative process by adjusting the lockshield valves, but should result in all radiators warming up at a similar rate. (top)