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Jan 09

New Year Resolutions Time!

Posted on January 9, 2013 by Radiator Valves Online

Healthy MealSo what did you decide you would do during 2013? Some of the most popular resolutions include:

1. Lose weight

2. Drink less alcohol

3. Spend more time with family and friends

4. Start a new fitness regime

5. Change job/career/set up a business

6. Projects around the home

7. Stop Smoking

8. Get out of debt

9. Save for a big purchase IE. new house, car, holiday

10. Keep my radiators air free

Obviously I made that last one up but you get the idea. It’s always funny going out in the new year seeing the teams of people in their brand new running kits, filling their trolleys with salads and bottled water only to give up a couple of weeks later.

It’s great to have goals, but maybe concentrate on one big one and come up with lots of little things you can do to achieve that goal. Completely random subject for our blog I know, but i’m a great advocate of setting and reaching goals whether in business or life in general.

For Radiator Valves Online we are looking at introducing complementary products this year. We are very fortunate to have a fabulous relationship with our suppliers and customers alike and we want to be able to extend our current offering.

Our most popular range is our self bleeding radiator valves, both the Aladdin Micro and HV30C but we want to be able to offer additional products to help our customers save more money on their energy bills, reduce their carbon footprint and have a healthy happy and warm home.

 

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Nov 29

Micro’s the Latest, Xmas Deliveries and Keeping Warm

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Radiator Valves Online

We have been able to source some additional micro valves which is fantastic news, but as a result have had to increase our price (not so good news). We still have limited stock and at the moment once this is all gone cannot see any additional stock being found and so if you are thinking about ordering a micro then we suggest you do it sooner rather than later.

Christmas Valve DeliveriesAs you know we use Royal Mail for all of our deliveries, we are coming into their busiest time of year and so we usually do expect to see some delays in our delivery times. Whilst we send everything out with the aim of it being delivered within a few days we are unable to control this particularly during December. So if you do have an urgent requirement then please get in touch and we will try our best to advise a faster service but this will incur additional costs. Radiator sales are not effected by this as we use an independent courier.

Yet again we have seen unusual amounts of rain and we have heard that we are to expect an incredibly cold winter. I don’t think I would mind quite so much if we had the warm summer to compensate. With that in mind, please be extra mindful of your elderly neighbours and make sure they are OK. It is always a dangerous time of year for them, particularly those that have little income and find it difficult to cover their heating costs. Maybe invite them round for a cuppa and a chat so as not to offend anyone and give them an hour or so of warmth, a friendly face and a good old gossip.

There are always things you can do to keep warm without having to turn the heating up full. Dig out those winter jumpers, make sure you aren’t wasting energy by heating your home all day if you are out at work, close internal doors and use TRV’s to manage the temperature room by room.

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Oct 11

Micro Valves – Important Information

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Radiator Valves Online

I’m sorry to have to tell you all that the Micro valve will soon become unavailable. There is very limited stock left and it is my understanding that there won’t be any more manufactured in the forseeable future.

So if you have a requirement then you really need to be placing your order very soon before our stock is completely depleted. We do apologise but unfortunately this is beyond our control.

We shall continue to seek an alternative and please do let us know if you come across anything whilst you are out and about or browsing online.

Micro self bleed radiator valve

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Sep 28

More Flooding hits the UK

Posted on September 28, 2012 by Radiator Valves Online

Well it started raining a week or so ago and it hasn’t stopped since. Many parts of the UK are again suffering due to flooding in what has been the most intense September storm in 30 years.

River levels have been raised by heavy downpours of raid causing chaos for many homes and businesses. Communities have been pulling together to help those effected, for some this is not the first time they have had to deal with flooding of this kind.

Even now there are still warnings in place as we continue to see heavy showers.

If you feel your home is in danger of flooding and nearby river levels are rising then please bite the bullet and lay sandbags to exterior doors to help stop the water and move as much as you can upstairs. Water damage of this kind can be devestating and so make sure you save as much as you possibly can.

 

 

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Sep 12

Ways to Save Energy

Posted on September 12, 2012 by Radiator Valves Online

We all need to be more aware of the energy that we use, so much of it is taken for granted and therefore wasted, but there are some easy ways in which you can help to cut down on your energy consumption without really noticing.  Here are my top ten:

  1. Use a lower temperature when washing your clothes, many of todays modern washing powders are designed to do the job at 30 degrees yet so many of us still turn the dial round to 40 or 50 degrees.
  2. Turn your heating down by just one degree, you will hardly notice the difference and if you do, put a jumper on. Both the environment and your pocket will thank you for it.
  3. Use a TRV so that you can set the temperature room by room, those rooms that you don’t use as often have set at a lower temperature. Why heat an empty space?
  4. Purchase energy efficient light bulbs next time one of yours blows. They may be more expensive to purchase but overall are cheaper that conventional light bulbs.
  5. Insulate your home properly. Make sure that you are heating your home rather than the air outside of it. There are sometimes government grants to help with the initial outlay so check with your local council.
  6. The obvious one, walk instead of taking the car. We are a nation getting fatter and fatter and by using the car you will not only be saving on energy but you’ll be looking after your health too. My five year old can happily walk for half an hour without getting tired so there’s no excuse.
  7. When you buy your next car make sure it gets good mileage, check this out before you purchase. Some cars are so energy efficient that the government don’t charge you road tax for having it.
  8. Plan your meals properly, if you plan and shop for what you need you will create less waste. Again saving you money as well as helping the environment. Try buying loose produce instead of pre-packed, you can choose exactly what you want, reduce your packaging and this is almost always a cheaper way to buy.
  9. Turn the lights out, easy one but its amazing how many times people forget to do this. Once it becomes habit you will do it without even thinking.
  10. 10. Of course, purchase a self bleed radiator valve (I had to get that in somewhere) to reduce the amount of energy needed to run your radiators.
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Aug 09

Radiator Bleeding Valves

Posted on August 9, 2012 by Radiator Valves Online

Radiator Bleeding Valves are usually situated at the top of your radiators, they are there to enable you to bleed the air out of your system. You can tell that your radiator needs bleeding when you experience one or some of the following:

  • the radiator is cold at the top
  • it makes a banging sound
  • you have the temperature up high but the radiator still feels cold
  • you have to turn the TRV up high to achieve the same temperature as in other rooms

Whatever system you have a certain amount of air will get into your radiators, there are tiny little holes in which it can infiltrate and this can build up over time. You do tend to get a bigger problem with older systems that are less efficient but it is a problem that effects most. Leaving this as it is can result in higher heating bills as your system has to work much harder to achieve the same heat output.

Radiator Bleeding Valves generally come in two different types, you can manually bleed your radiators, this can be a nasty dirty and time consuming job. There is another option which less people know about and that is to purchase self bleed valves, these are easy to install and automatically vent the air out of your system.

By fitting automatic radiator bleeding valves you will not only save on the DIY tasks list but you can save yourself some money too. By keeping your radiators free of air you help your system run efficiently and this saves energy. Saving energy not only helps our environment but it also saves you money too.

We sell a range of different radiator bleeding valves, this is dependant on the type of radiator that you have, but our guide will help you to decide which kind you need. We recommend you have at least 2 fitted, though some do fit one to each radiator. for more information, plese do get in touch.

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Aug 06

Pricing Changes

Posted on August 6, 2012 by Radiator Valves Online

As many of you know Royal Mail upped their postage costs quite considerably in April of this year. We have tried to maintain the £2.50 flat fee but are now in a position where unfortunately we are going to increase this to £3.00.

This is so that we can maintain our currently delivery service and retain speedy postage for our customers. We try wherever possible to keep pricing static but in this instance we have no choice but to increase it.

Having said this, we are still cheaper than many other online merchants most of which charge a flat rate of around £5 per order and so we still offer incredible value compared to many or our competitors.

We have been thinking about investigating a courier service to use but this would increase the postage costs further. We would be really grateful to hear your feedback about our delivery service as if our customers would prefer couriers then this is something we will explore in more detail. However the main benefit in using Royal Mail has been that many of our orders will fit through the letter box meaning that you don’t have to worry about being home when the order arrives, or then having to go off and collect it afterwards which of course then negates the idea of having in delivered to your premises or home in the first place.

The price increase will take place over the next week or so and so if you want to take advantage of the existing pricing then please place your orders asap. Please note, this does not impact any of our product pricing.

 

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Jul 04

And The Rain Came Down …..

Posted on July 4, 2012 by Radiator Valves Online

So we’re in the first week of July and the rain is still falling from the sky, yes it’s Wimbledon and yes it always rains but doesn’t it just make you feel a bit down in the dumps? With the school holidays fast approaching I always think back to my own when you were pretty much sure you would be out playing for 6 weeks solid and your parents would see you less than during term time.

I may have a romantic view of my past and maybe it wasn’t blazing sunshine for the whole summer but I can’t remember it being quick as rubbish as it has the last few years. Whatever the reason (and i’m not going to get into global warming issues here) it really does effect your mood, particularly as I am sat here at 2:30 in the afternoon and I have my office light on because of the dark clouds outside.

black cloudsI should be pleased really as with the bad weather comes higher sales for us. You see most people dont really worry too much about their radiators during the summer, mainly because they don’t have them turned on! But this year we have experienced a steady stream of sales for our Micro and HV30C self bleed radiator valves and whilst this is great for business a little part of me is hoping for sunshine regardless.

So if you are reading this I am not trying to be negative (well not too much anyhow) but I love the sunshine, not only does it increase my mood but I love the outdoors life and being able to spend time out and about with my family without having to worry about taking a coat or brolly everywhere I go is my idea of heaven. I’m sure it wasn’t that long ago I spent most of my evenings sat in the garden chatting rather than in front of the T.V. but hey ho. I’m off to do a sunshine dance, until next time…….

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Jun 21

HV30C Replacement Cartridges

Posted on June 21, 2012 by Radiator Valves Online

HV30C Replacement CartridgeThe HV30C is built to last but as most things it won’t continue venting your radiator air forever, when you get to the stage where you start getting problems with your radiators again you will need to think about what to do next.

The most cost effective thing to do is to purchase a HV30C replacement cartridge as this is less than half the price of a replacement valve. All you need to do is unscrew the existing cartridge with the U key that was provided when you purchased the valve and replace it with a new one. It is that simple, no need to drain your heating system, no mess or hassle. It’s a really easy job that can be done in a matter of minutes.

If you do not have the U key that was originally provided with the valve (let’s face it, we all lose things like this over time and we’re talking years before your HV30C will stop venting as efficiently) then please let us know and we will send you one FOC when we despatch your HV30C replacement cartridge.

The cartridge part is the ‘bit’ in the middle of the valve with the two tiny holes in it, it’s chrome finish and so blends in with the rest of the valve perfectly, in fact at first glance you probably wouldn’t notice that it can even be replaced.

If you have a micro then i’m afraid at the moment the only option would be to replce the complete valve as there is no replacement cartridge available for this particular model. Please do contact us if you have any questions about replacement cartridge’s or in fact anything else to do with self bleed radiator valves, we are always happy to offer advice.

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Jun 11

How to Dry your home after a Flood

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Radiator Valves Online

When your home floods it can be an incredibly difficult time both emotionally and financially and whilst you may be wanting to get back into your home as quickly as possible you need to ensure that the house has dried out properly before you even think about decorating and moving back in.

Water damages your home in a number of different ways and you cannot always see it so unfortunately the proper length of time is something that is required to allow everything to dry out properly. The water damages plasterboard, wood and electrical parts that you have in your home.

One of the first things is to get all of your belongings out of the house but do not dispose of them as your Insurance Company will want to visit to get the damage assessed properly. This will also help to speed up the drying process.

Keep the house open to help reduce humidity which will help to stop mold and mildew and also rotting. If you can keep all of the doors and windows open to allow the moist air to escape and dry air to enter the house. Obviously if it is raining or very cold then you won’t want to do this.

Any fitted furniture should be opened up too, open doors and drawers and allow air to circulate freely around your house. If there has been swelling and it is difficult to open anything then don’t force it as you will cause more damage.

Use heat to help dry your home and fans to move the air around. Do not use air conditioning if the ducts were under water as they may blow out contaminated air. De-humidifiers can be a good idea too, this helps dry the air out.

Get an expert to check you are doing everything you can, this post is here to give some general advice and to stop you making immediate mistakes but please always consult with an expert to make sure it is safe.

Once your possessions have been valued then you need to make sure they are disposed of in the correct way if neccessary and anything that can be salvaged needs to be thoroughly cleaned as dirty water can contain all kinds of nasty bugs and you won’t necessarily see any evidence of this.

Only start to re-decorate once your home has been fully dried out and checked over. You will be advised when it is safe to return and do NOT do so until you have been given the all clear by an expert.

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