Many people who use our London handyman service for the first time are pleasantly surprised when a well spoken, polite and neatly turned out person turns up to tackle their 'to do' list.
All of our handymen come from professional backgrounds: Don is an Oxford graduate, was a pilot in the Royal Air Force, a government liaison in China, Chairman of a Charity and also has a honours degree in french studies. He picked up most of his handyman knowledge and skills while renovating his own and friends properties. Don has been working as a professional handyman for six years now and is attracted to this job because no two days are the same. Nick graduated from Brunel University with an engineering degree, he worked for KPMG for twenty years as a management consultant, is an avid yachtsman and skippers commercially owned yachts in his spare time. Nick describes himself as semi-retired even though he works a full five day week. The aspect of this job he likes the best is meeting new and interesting people everyday. Robin has been in the building trade working as a Quantity Surveyor for over twenty years, he is an advanced motorcyclists and often takes groups of motorcyclists on guided trips to Europe. His depth of building and technical knowledge is massive and he pursues carpentry projects as a hobby.
It should be obvious from the profiles above that we are no ordinary handyman service, when you book a Silver Saints handyman, you are getting someone who can communicate well, is used to working in high pressure environments, has excellent problem solving skills and have chosen to do this job because they understand the importance of customer service and love DIY. All our handymen have had successful professional careers but have left the confinement of the office behind to pursue a flexible, fun and rewarding career as a mobile professional London handyman.
Wednesday, 20 May 2009
Tuesday, 28 April 2009
Shower Repairs - faulty non-return valves.
Silver Saints cover a massive range of plumbing jobs. One of our more specialist jobs is the repairing of faulty thermostatic showers and electric showers.
In fact we have repaired and fitted hundreds of showers. We recently had two showers at separate properties within a week which proved to have the same unique fault. Both showers appeared to only be getting hot water. On the lowest temperature setting no water would flow at all. We originally thought that there must be an airlock in the cold supply as both showers were been supplied by a tank in the loft. But after a bit of investigation we found that the non-return valves fitted to the cold supply within the shower valves had become stuck and were preventing the cold water from entering the shower valve.
The solution was to remove the non-return valves completely. As the cold water was tank fed there was no risk of contamination to mains water so these valves were not needed. Of-course if the cold was been fed by mains we would have replaced the faulty non-return valves.
On reflection we suspect that the problem with the non-return valves were caused because the cold water was tank fed while the hot supply was fed off a shower pump. Because the pump ran on for a few seconds after the shower flow was shut off, the hot water putting trying to flow into the cold supply, allot of pressure onto the non-return valve on the cold supply every time the shower was turned off. Eventually it just jammed closed.
In eight years of working with showers we have seen this exact problem only 3 times. So not exactly a common cause for failure, but an interesting problem none the less.
In fact we have repaired and fitted hundreds of showers. We recently had two showers at separate properties within a week which proved to have the same unique fault. Both showers appeared to only be getting hot water. On the lowest temperature setting no water would flow at all. We originally thought that there must be an airlock in the cold supply as both showers were been supplied by a tank in the loft. But after a bit of investigation we found that the non-return valves fitted to the cold supply within the shower valves had become stuck and were preventing the cold water from entering the shower valve.
The solution was to remove the non-return valves completely. As the cold water was tank fed there was no risk of contamination to mains water so these valves were not needed. Of-course if the cold was been fed by mains we would have replaced the faulty non-return valves.
On reflection we suspect that the problem with the non-return valves were caused because the cold water was tank fed while the hot supply was fed off a shower pump. Because the pump ran on for a few seconds after the shower flow was shut off, the hot water putting trying to flow into the cold supply, allot of pressure onto the non-return valve on the cold supply every time the shower was turned off. Eventually it just jammed closed.
In eight years of working with showers we have seen this exact problem only 3 times. So not exactly a common cause for failure, but an interesting problem none the less.
Monday, 30 March 2009
London Handyman Service
Silver Saints is London's premier handyman service. Our team of handymen can take on a massive range of plumbing, electrical, fitting, fixing or assembling jobs.
We will send you one handyman to take care of your 'to-do' list which may in the past have required various separate tradesman to complete.
As well as taking on general odd-jobs and repairs around both homes and offices, our handymen also undertake more specific and specialised repairs. These include:
Electric shower repairs
Thermostatic shower repairs
Unblocking sinks and toilets
Draught proofing sash windows
Sash cord repair
LCD TV Installations
Driveway Jet washing
Waste disposal repairs
Light fitting repairs
Replacing grout
So whether you have a list of repairs or just one specific task, Silver Saints Handyman Service are the company to call.
To find out more visit our London Handyman website: www.silversaints.com, give us a call on 0207 0999 199 or just drop us an email at fixit@silversaints.co.uk.
We will send you one handyman to take care of your 'to-do' list which may in the past have required various separate tradesman to complete.
As well as taking on general odd-jobs and repairs around both homes and offices, our handymen also undertake more specific and specialised repairs. These include:
Electric shower repairs
Thermostatic shower repairs
Unblocking sinks and toilets
Draught proofing sash windows
Sash cord repair
LCD TV Installations
Driveway Jet washing
Waste disposal repairs
Light fitting repairs
Replacing grout
So whether you have a list of repairs or just one specific task, Silver Saints Handyman Service are the company to call.
To find out more visit our London Handyman website: www.silversaints.com, give us a call on 0207 0999 199 or just drop us an email at fixit@silversaints.co.uk.
Thursday, 19 March 2009
Aqualisa Shower Repairs
Aqualisa is one of the most common and popular shower manufacturers in the UK. They do make a wide range of quality shower valves and have been on the forefront of shower technology for the last few decades.
However given the harsh water conditions that these shower conditions are exposed to in London they do need servicing and repairing. All our Silver Saints handymen have many years in dealing with all the most common shower faults. Given the prevalence of Aqualisa showers in the UK we have repaired and service hundreds of their valves over the years.
The most common faults that thermostatic shower valves develop are either a constant drip through the shower head or they fail to hold a steady temperature. Both these faults are easily repairable.
If you have an Aqualisa shower that needs repairing or servicing please give us a call on 0207 0999 199 or visit our dedicated shower repair webpage: http://www.silversaints.com/WhatJobsWeDo/FaultyShowerRepairs.aspx
However given the harsh water conditions that these shower conditions are exposed to in London they do need servicing and repairing. All our Silver Saints handymen have many years in dealing with all the most common shower faults. Given the prevalence of Aqualisa showers in the UK we have repaired and service hundreds of their valves over the years.
The most common faults that thermostatic shower valves develop are either a constant drip through the shower head or they fail to hold a steady temperature. Both these faults are easily repairable.
If you have an Aqualisa shower that needs repairing or servicing please give us a call on 0207 0999 199 or visit our dedicated shower repair webpage: http://www.silversaints.com/WhatJobsWeDo/FaultyShowerRepairs.aspx
Waste Disposal Repairs
Whether you call them waste disposals, garbage disposals or insinkerators the are the same thing and they do need repairing, servicing or even replacing after extended use.
Silver Saints, London's premier handyman service, can repair or replace your faulty waste disposal.
So if your waste disosal is making a strange humming noise, is blocked or is completely dead give us a call on 0207 0999 199 for help.
You can also visit our dedicated Waste disposal repair webpage at http://www.silversaints.com/WhatJobsWeDo/WasteDisposalRepairs.aspx
Silver Saints, London's premier handyman service, can repair or replace your faulty waste disposal.
So if your waste disosal is making a strange humming noise, is blocked or is completely dead give us a call on 0207 0999 199 for help.
You can also visit our dedicated Waste disposal repair webpage at http://www.silversaints.com/WhatJobsWeDo/WasteDisposalRepairs.aspx
Repair Sash Cords
As we move in to spring and summer many people will be opening their sash windows for the first time in many months only to find that the sash cord has snapped or the window is jammed.
Silver Saints is London's premier handyman service and one of the many jobs we specialise in is the repairing of sash window cords.
Replacing a broken sash cord is actually a fairly simple process and should only take a couple of hours. The exact time it takes depends largely on which cord is actually broken as accessing the cords attached to the outer sash means taking out the bottom sash.
We therefore offer a range of fixed prices for replacing sash cords:
Replace one inner sash window cord - £65+VAT
Replace one outer sash window cord - £75+VAT
Replace both inner sash window cords - £75+VAT
Replace both outer sash window cords - £95+VAT
To find out more about our London handyman service and sash cord repair in particular visit http://www.silversaints.com/WhatJobsWeDo/ReplaceSashCords.aspx
Or give us a call on 0207 0999 199.
Silver Saints is London's premier handyman service and one of the many jobs we specialise in is the repairing of sash window cords.
Replacing a broken sash cord is actually a fairly simple process and should only take a couple of hours. The exact time it takes depends largely on which cord is actually broken as accessing the cords attached to the outer sash means taking out the bottom sash.
We therefore offer a range of fixed prices for replacing sash cords:
Replace one inner sash window cord - £65+VAT
Replace one outer sash window cord - £75+VAT
Replace both inner sash window cords - £75+VAT
Replace both outer sash window cords - £95+VAT
To find out more about our London handyman service and sash cord repair in particular visit http://www.silversaints.com/WhatJobsWeDo/ReplaceSashCords.aspx
Or give us a call on 0207 0999 199.
Wednesday, 4 March 2009
Lessons from Electric Showers
Just one of the more specialist jobs Silver Saints undertakes is the repair and replacement of faulty electric showers. Many people have electric showers and when they fail they are not sure whether they should call an electrician or a plumber. (In fact most plumbing firms themselves will tell you to call an electrician). But since all our London handymen are experts in both plumbing and electrical repairs, fixing electric showers is right up our street.
Recently however all our knowledge and skills have been put to the test by a customer who had a 25 year old electric shower which had completely died. On inspection we found that it had developed an internal leak which had shorted out a number of electrical components. Given the age of the shower it was definitely time for an upgrade.
The handyman checked the electrical set up and decided that a 9.5kW or 10.5KW shower would be most suitable. Our normal procedure is to order a replacement shower from our own suppliers and return on another day to fit it. However the customer was desperate to get a working shower installed that day and asked if he would just go down to the closest Homebase and buy the cheapest suitable shower they had. The handyman agreed and set off.
On his return from Homebase our handyman fitted the replacement shower, a Triton Opal II 10.5KW shower. He commissioned it and tested it. All appeared to be working perfectly.
The following morning we received an email from the customer to say that the new shower was not working properly. It was not maintaining a steady temperature and was cycling between scolding hot and freezing cold. We were a bit flummoxed as we have never had a new shower we had fitted malfunction before. We immediately assumed that the unit must be faulty. After a number of conversations with Tritons own technical team we managed to narrow the possible fault down to two options. Either a filter within the shower was blocked or the water inlet pressure was high enough for the shower to operate correctly.
As the customer lived on the top floor of a very large block of flats we suspected that it was indeed a problem with the water pressure in her flat. As we had fitted the shower in the afternoon, not many people were probably using the buildings water, which was mains and not coming from a communal storage tank, so when we tested it we were getting enough flow and pressure for it to operate correctly. However when the customer had a shower that evening, most of the other occupants of the building were home from work and her pressure and flow were reduced below the required operating pressure as others drew off water.
A bit of further investigation revealed that the minimum operating pressure for a Triton Opal II 10.5 kw shower was 1.5 BAR. However other brands and more expensive models can operate on a minimum pressure of less than half of this, 0.6 BAR. We therefore returned to the property the following day armed with a Mira Sport 9.8KW shower, a more expensive model which could operate at a much lower inlet pressure.
We fitted the replacement shower and tested it, the customer has been using it for two weeks now and reports that it works perfectly.
The two lessons we learnt on this job were:
1.) Always check that the inlet water pressure before specifying a shower
2.) Buy cheap buy twice!
Recently however all our knowledge and skills have been put to the test by a customer who had a 25 year old electric shower which had completely died. On inspection we found that it had developed an internal leak which had shorted out a number of electrical components. Given the age of the shower it was definitely time for an upgrade.
The handyman checked the electrical set up and decided that a 9.5kW or 10.5KW shower would be most suitable. Our normal procedure is to order a replacement shower from our own suppliers and return on another day to fit it. However the customer was desperate to get a working shower installed that day and asked if he would just go down to the closest Homebase and buy the cheapest suitable shower they had. The handyman agreed and set off.
On his return from Homebase our handyman fitted the replacement shower, a Triton Opal II 10.5KW shower. He commissioned it and tested it. All appeared to be working perfectly.
The following morning we received an email from the customer to say that the new shower was not working properly. It was not maintaining a steady temperature and was cycling between scolding hot and freezing cold. We were a bit flummoxed as we have never had a new shower we had fitted malfunction before. We immediately assumed that the unit must be faulty. After a number of conversations with Tritons own technical team we managed to narrow the possible fault down to two options. Either a filter within the shower was blocked or the water inlet pressure was high enough for the shower to operate correctly.
As the customer lived on the top floor of a very large block of flats we suspected that it was indeed a problem with the water pressure in her flat. As we had fitted the shower in the afternoon, not many people were probably using the buildings water, which was mains and not coming from a communal storage tank, so when we tested it we were getting enough flow and pressure for it to operate correctly. However when the customer had a shower that evening, most of the other occupants of the building were home from work and her pressure and flow were reduced below the required operating pressure as others drew off water.
A bit of further investigation revealed that the minimum operating pressure for a Triton Opal II 10.5 kw shower was 1.5 BAR. However other brands and more expensive models can operate on a minimum pressure of less than half of this, 0.6 BAR. We therefore returned to the property the following day armed with a Mira Sport 9.8KW shower, a more expensive model which could operate at a much lower inlet pressure.
We fitted the replacement shower and tested it, the customer has been using it for two weeks now and reports that it works perfectly.
The two lessons we learnt on this job were:
1.) Always check that the inlet water pressure before specifying a shower
2.) Buy cheap buy twice!
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