Month: May 2019

What Cathedral Archer Project Do

“At the Cathedral Archer Project (CAP) we help homeless and vulnerable adults to lead fulfilling and enjoyable lives. We believe that every person who comes through our doors is an individual with talents, the ability to lead a healthy, sustainable life, and who in time and with support, will have aspirations they want to achieve. It is our experience, supported by research, that through building positive relationships, we can help people change their lives for the better.”

About Cathedral Archer Project

Cathedral Archer Project provide so many services to the homeless people of Sheffield. We were amazed by these when we first visited the project around 2 years ago. The project has visiting doctors and dentists to help with any issues the service users may have, they offer classes, support to attend drug and alcohol treatment services, a safe place to keep their belongings as well as showers, laundry and hot food.

How we Help

We love working with the Archer Project for many reasons. The number of rough sleepers on the streets is becoming more and more by the day and we want to do whatever we can to help. This ranges from donating key items such as clothes, shoes and food supplies to serving breakfast and having a chat. We also collect monetary donations for the Archer Project and try to raise money wherever we can. The atmosphere at the project is positive, everyone is polite and the facilities they provide are amazing!

Why we Help

None of us at DTS Plumbing have ever experienced homelessness, and we hope we never will. But after working with the Archer Project, we realise that this can happen to anyone and want to continue to support the charity to help these people back on their feet. We don’t do this for any other reason other than to help others to have the things in life that we often take for granted.

Upcoming Events

The Cathedral Archer Project are holding their first ever music festival “Music for the Homeless” on Saturday 8th June. We will be there and hope you can come too, the money raised all goes to a great cause. There will be fun for all of the family and live music playing all day. There is also a chance to take part in a sponsored sleep out straight after the event!

Thanks for reading,

Shannon – DTS Plumbing & Lynne – Cathedral Archer Project

https://www.archerproject.org.uk/

We believe in making sure that all of our customers are gas safe. Whether this be through boiler service reminders to make sure you don’t miss the date, to giving you handy hints and tips to make sure everything is as it should be. This blog will give you 5 top tips on gas safety to make sure you are warm without worry. 

Tip 1 – Invest in a carbon monoxide alarm.

These can be vital for detecting the harmful gas that is carbon monoxide in your home. It is advised that a detector is kept near each gas appliance, ideally no more than 5 feet from the ground. This is due to carbon monoxide being even lighter than air so it rises more rapidly and takes effect quicker. Make sure your carbon monoxide detector has a British kite mark. This way you know it is up to standard and will protect you and your family as well as possible.

Tip 2 – Be sure to have your boiler serviced annually

Having your boiler serviced annually puts your mind at ease that your boiler is working safely and efficiently. When a boiler service is conducted, tests are carried out to ensure there are no gas leaks and the boiler is performing as it should. The engineer will also make sure no carbon monoxide from the boiler is coming back into your home. In a confined space, could be extremely dangerous. Not only that, it could save you money in the long run.

Tip 3 – Know how to turn your gas off

If there is ever an emergency, be sure you know how to turn your gas off at the mains. If there is a gas leak, this will prevent any further gas from leaking into your property until an engineer can get to you to resolve it! This is likely to be located near your gas meter but ask your gas engineer on their next visit!

Tip 4 – ALWAYS use a Gas Safe registered engineer.

According to Gas Safe, there are 7,500 unregistered gas fitters in the UK and 250,000 illegal jobs being carried out each year. Don’t cut corners, always look for the yellow triangle! Also, make sure the gas engineer that attends your home is qualified to do the work they are there for. They may have a gas safe card but it isn’t to say they are qualified to work on all appliances! To avoid further disaster, check your engineers qualifications shown on the back of their gas safe ID card or on www.gassaferegister.com. Never feel as though you cant ask, better to be gas safe than sorry!

Tip 5 – Don’t block any ventilation from gas appliances

Your gas engineer will check there is enough ventilation for your gas appliances to burn correctly when they service them. In the meantime, make sure that no vents are blocked that provide air to gas appliances, nothing is put in the chimney to try and stop potential draughts and that the flue from your boiler has a clear area around it. This shouldn’t be blocked by things such as garden sheds or fences which may be erected between services.

Thanks for reading!

Shannon

https://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/find-an-engineer/business-engineers?type=standard&page=1&businessid=129063&centreid=0&rno=564403

No day is the same as a DTS Plumbing and Heating apprentice. One day I could be hanging radiators, the next fitting a boiler. I have therefore put together this blog of what it’s like in a week in the life of DTS apprentice.

Day 1

Today I am working alongside Drew. We are magnetically flushing a central heating system using the ADEY Magnacleanse. This will attract all the sediment and magnetite to the magnets on the machine to clean and restore the central heating system. This build up of components cause all sorts of problems in your central heating and removing it will mean much healthier radiators!

A cool feature about the Magnacleanse is that the clear hoses allow you to see the water getting gradually cleaner, letting you know the flush is working and has been done correctly. The sun is shining too which is also a bonus!

Day 2

The first job today was at a call centre in Rotherham to replace a leaking radiator. This is an enormous commercial building. It was so interesting to see the grand scale of the plumbing and heating throughout. We luckily were able to replace the radiator by locking both sides off. Draining down the entire system in a building this size would have taken forever!

From there, we set off to our next job which was rerouting a cold water feed to the boiler to a better suited route. This ensures the pipework was more efficient and better insulated. Chris ran the 15mm copper pipe to the boiler whilst I ran some 15mm plastic pipe to the feed. It wasn’t long before I got home either as the job was on my road!

Day 3

Up bright and early on a Saturday this week! Me and Drew attended a restaurant kitchen in Park Hill needing to be completed before the company opened for trade! With a quick change of the sink trap and new tap cartridges installed, the kitchen was back in business! 

Repetition, repetition, repetition. I have found thats the best way to learn things that are new and unfamiliar! By spending time working with Dale on Saturdays, I am able to see lots of boiler servicing.

As an apprentice, by taking notes, I have picked up plenty of techniques and tips that are helping me improve every day. These include; gas safety standards, gas safety regulations and visual boiler checks. These are a must know when servicing a boiler or gas appliance.

Day 4

No Monday blues here! Every day on the job is different for me and gives me new experiences. Today was the first time I had seen a soil pipe installed from start to finish. I am proud to say I played a part in it too! I started by preparing all the tools that we would need and laying dust sheets to protect the customer’s house.

Once we were ready, I then made sure the soil pipe was stable when Chris was working on it and secure when it had been finished. I also filed down the ends of the soil pipe and made sure the fittings connected properly.

Day 5

Another day, another magnetic flush! We also ensure a magnetic filter is fitted when completing a magnetic flush. This protects your boiler from any build up of sediment which can cause major damage! 

Day 6

First job of the day was to safely remove a radiator from the wall for the customer to decorate. We emptied the radiator water in a drain to avoid causing any damage or discolouration to anywhere inside. After that, we made sure the valves were isolated on both sides, avoiding any leaks onto the carpet!

We then headed over to a leak from a bathroom which was coming through a light fitting in the kitchen! We started by looking for the leak in the most accessible places. A great place to start, plus the customer had had new floor fitted in the bathroom as well as an impressive new bath panel.

Thankfully, we found the leak on one of the flexible hoses on the basin which had started to show signs of wearing. This made the customer very happy, the bathroom had just been renovated so it caused minimal disruption.

Day 7

A long day for me today!

With plenty to get done, myself and Chris started our day by completing three boiler services. After that, we installed a new shower and did some work upgrading a bathroom. Finally, disconnecting another radiator for a customer decorating! Everyone must have a spring clean feeling!

Lots of useful things learnt on this day, which is what I love about being an apprentice! From different parts and functions of older boilers, to what the most effective way to install a shower screen is. With plenty to take in, I sure did sleep well that night!

Thank you for reading my blog on a day in the life of a DTS apprentice, I will keep you updated with my progress throughout my apprenticeship 🙂

Logan

https://www.facebook.com/dtsplumbingandheating/