When our houses start to go up the creek, we often have to do a panicked Google search to find someone available and qualified to help us out. Sometimes, this can be surprisingly difficult, especially when it’s not quite clear what kind of professional we actually need for the job.
The terms plumber and heating engineer are often used somewhat interchangeably, but there are some key differences. Below, we outline what these are, to help you with your search.
What Plumbers Do
Plumber is a relatively broad term that refers to tradespeople who work with piping and appliances involved in water distribution, heating systems, drainage, and other kinds of piping-related waste disposal in buildings.
There can be multiple different specific areas that a plumber then specialises in, depending on their areas of expertise, training and qualifications. This can include heating systems, but it could not, depending on the individual and what they are qualified to work on.
What Heating Engineers Do
Heating engineers are specifically trained to work on gas and heating systems, most often on gas boilers and the heat distribution systems that they’re commonly linked up to.
Anyone who works on a gas heating system needs to be registered with Gas Safe, which is the official register that outlines exactly what systems specific engineers are and aren’t allowed to work on.
If you’re ever considering hiring a heating engineer to work on your boiler or some other part of your heating system, it’s crucial that you check whether or not they’re on this register. If they’re not, you could end up with a repair that puts you and your home at risk, or, at the very least, waste money on an ineffective repair.
The Overlaps Between Systems
Most heating systems involve both water and gas components, which is where things can get a bit confusing. As a result, a lot of plumbers get both water and gas qualifications, so that they can do a complete job, not just work on a single part of the heating system.
Who To Call
If there is any kind of problem with the gas-connected aspects of your heating system, whether that’s the boiler itself or any of the gas pipes that connect to it, you’ll need a heating engineer.
If, however, there’s a problem with the more water-related aspects of the heating system, such as a leak in one of the water pipes, then a less qualified plumber could be appropriate.
Bigger firms like Able Plumbers will have a range of qualified professionals who can help with both the gas and water-related aspects of your heating system. If you have any questions about what kind of service you need, a quick call with an outline of your main issues should clear this up quite quickly.
It’s a good idea to have a few different plumbing professionals in your books, so that you have someone to call when you need them. Most issues can be prevented with regular maintenance, but even then, you never quite know when you’ll suddenly be left without heating in the coldest week of winter.
Disclosure: This is a featured post.
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