Is your stopcock in good shape? Do you even know where it is? I adore those old black and white Laurel and Hardy films from the 1930s. Their bungling nature and all-round, hopelessly incompetent approach to even the simplest task has me cracking up. But whether you’ve seen it in one of their films, or any number of other slapstick comedies, we’re all familiar with the scenes where a nail is hammered into a wall, Read More…
This month, Rita from Twickenham asks… Dear Samuele, I’ve started to hear all sorts of ticking noises coming from my water pipes, and the heating system seems to take ages to warm up. It got me thinking: How can I tell if my central heating pipes need replacing? Yours sincerely, Rita Samuele says: Ciao, Rita! And grazie mille for your question. That noise you can hear, and the slowdown in your heating system, is Read More…
For many people, 2022 will bring the first proper Christmas they’ve had in the last few years. That’s why it’s especially important that nothing goes wrong, and that you all get to enjoy a really special day. So, here are a few tips to make sure the festivities go off with the right kind of bang. Insulate, insulate, insulate… Insulating your water pipes is the best protection you can have against them bursting in Read More…
This month, John from Richmond asks… Dear Samuele, I’m getting a little tired of the usual Christmas food… turkey, brussels sprouts, nut roasts – that kind of thing. I then remembered that you have a passion for food, and once showed a picture of a delicious-looking Coda alla vaccinara, in a past newsletter. It got me thinking. Can you recommend any traditional Christmas recipes that will help me to reinvigorate this year’s festive cuisine? Already Read More…
Christmas 2022 My last working day before Christmas was turning out to be a relatively peaceful one. My final job was to pop round to Mrs Tiggin’s – an elderly, regular customer of ours – and tighten her Lock Nut. A simple job. She’s always very grateful. I finished up, wished her Merry Christmas, and began to make my way home. I thought I’d get into the spirit of things by listening to something festive, Read More…
This month, Todd from Mortlake asks… Dear Samuele, My boiler is on its last legs. There’s brown, rusty water coming out of one of my radiators, I have no hot water pressure, and my sink is completely blocked up. I am very stressed and unhappy with this awful situation. Can you suggest anything? Yours sincerely, Todd Samuele says: Ciao, Todd! And grazie mille for your question. First of all, take some deep breaths. Don’t Read More…
A couple of years ago, in a bid to have better control over my heating and to save some money, I decided to install something called evohome. I wrote a short piece about it at the time, but I wanted to give you an update on how I’ve found it, and whether it has enabled me to be financially better off. First off, a recap on what it is. Evohome is a wi-fi enabled heating Read More…
A new kind of customer complaint Here at The Italian Plumber, we’re experiencing a bit of a new phenomenon that I thought would be interesting to talk about. Dealing with customer complaints is just part and parcel of running a business. It doesn’t matter how good your intentions are, there will always be times when a customer is unhappy with your service, product or offer. Luckily, they are few and far between and we have Read More…
This month, Simon from Acton asks… Dear Samuele, I am considering having underfloor heating installed in my flat. But my friend told me that they can cause blood circulation problems and could lead to the onset of varicose veins. This sounds completely weird to me. Is there any truth in it? Simon Samuele says: Ciao, Simon! And grazie mille for your question. Yes, I’ve heard this one before. First off, I can give plumbing Read More…
about Alfons He would never eat a crocodile, and he could greet you in as many languages as you could shake a stick at. Meet Al from Al (that’s Alfons from Albania). Hi Alfons, lovely to meet you. Very nice to meet you, too. What keeps you busy at the Italian Plumber? I work as a plumber, but mainly deal with things like leak investigations and blocked drains. At the moment, I’m not doing boiler Read More…