If dust, debris, snow or bird droppings are a problem they should be removed with warm water (and perhaps some dishwashing liquid or similar) using a brush or a high pressure hose if the panels are awkward to reach. Care should always be taken when working above the ground, especially when near the top of a ladder. Alternatively, there are a number of specialist window cleaning companies who will clean solar PV panels for you at a cost depending on the size of your array and location. Most of these companies use a water fed pole system which does away with the need for a ladder.

When handed over, your installer should leave written details of any maintenance checks that you should carry out from time to time to ensure the system is working properly. This will include details of the main inverter fault signals and trouble-shooting guides. Usually your installion engineer will have demonstrated this to you at the handover. Regularly checking your system and the amount of electricity it’s generating will help to alert you to when something might be wrong.

Solar PV panels should last 25 years or more (check the manufacturer’s warranty), but the inverter is likely to need replacing some time during this period, at a current cost of around £1,000.

As part of the consultation prior to commiting to install a solar PV system, your installer will discuss the longevity of the specific panels and invertor with you, together with routine maintenance.

This is particularly true where the equipment is hand held and used in adverse work environments such as construction sites. Static equipment such as IT equipment operating in an office environment is generally much lower risk.

Portable Appliance Testing, more commonly termed PAT Testing, is designed to ensure appliances and equipment continue to be safe.

The UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recommends three levels of risk assessment and monitoring for businesses to ensure continuning electrical safety with portable appliances.

1. User checks – the person who operates or uses the equipment on a regular basis is likely to be the first to notice emerging problems with it. It is a vital part of the safety culture within a company that any such concerns are reported immediately by employees and acted upon.

2. Formal visual inspection – these check the physical integrity of the appliance, cable, outside and inside of the plug, correct fuse rating.

3. Inspection and PAT Testing – this is a regime of electrical tests designed to test earth continuity, insulation resistance and polarity of appliances and their power cords.

PAT Testing can be undertaken by a suitable trained employee with the appropriate testing equipment. More usually, a business will sub-contract the task to a specialist electrical contractor such as KDE Electrical. The PAT Testing company will provide a certificate of PAT Testing together with a full schedule listing equipment tested and  the results of all tests. All tested appliances will be given a visual Pass or Fail sticker as appropriate.

For larger organisations, PAT Testing often forms part of the broader programme of periodic inspection and testing of their electrical installation.

If you would like more information and general advice on electrical testing for your business, give KDE Electrical call today 0n 01928 711444 or 711144.

It is helpful to know that most water leaks and water damage are avoidable but it does require preparation ahead of time and ideally before winter arrives. One of the most important things for a homeowner to know is how to turn off the main water supply. It is surprising that many homeowners do not know this simple fact of how to turn off water in an emergency and prevent further damage.

If a home or vacation cottage is to be left unattended for a long time or during the winter,  it is recommended to turn off the main water supply and drain down the plumbing and heating system but do seek professional advice before doing so. For shorter unattended times, the water supply can be turned off but the heating system kept on to about 15°C to prevent water from freezing. Pipes and lofts should be insulated. It is advisable to have someone keep an eye on the house and teach them how to turn off the water supply, if there is an emergency.

Regular maintenance steps to help prevent water damage are advisable. For example, any dripping taps or overflows should be fixed. The water supply taps should be checked regularly to make sure that they can be turned to increase or shut off water supply. Pipes in cold areas should be insulated especially at the point of entry into the home. Pipe lagging should be dry inside. Waterproof insulation should be used outside. The central heating system should be serviced regularly to ensure proper operation.

Inspect the interior of the house frequently and especially following strong rainfall to ensure that there is no water ingress. Basements, in particular and ceiling corners can offer a hint regarding potential problems.

Don’t forget the outside taps when preparing for cold weather. Taps in the garden or yard should also be insulated or turned off at the stop tap and drained. Keep in mind that insulation delays freezing in exposed areas for up to 8 hours but does not prevent it completely.

Lastly, keep the KDE contact number – 01928 711444 handy, in case of an emergency. If there is a leak, turn off the main water supply and plug sinks and bathtubs to collect a temporary supply until help arrives. It also helps to drain down the system to stop further damage.

Water problems must be tackled immediately to avoid serious home damage. Know where your homeowner’s insurance policy is located and know what to do in case you need to file a claim.

Winter plumbing problems in winter can be prevented by taking the above simple steps and by being proactive before cold weather arrives.

LED lamps now come in all various designs, shapes and sizes.

Our clients are often concerned how long it would take for a LED lamp to reach full brightness, this relates back to the compact flourescent( CFL )energy saving lamps. However LED lamps work differently to CFL energy saving lamps.

The CFL energy saving lamps glass filament contain a gas, and are coated on the inside with a layer of phosphor. When electricity passes through the gas, it emits ultraviolet rays which cause the phosphor coating to glow. Therefore the time it takes for the gas to circulate is the waiting time for the lamp to reach its full brightness.

But LED lamps are instantly to their full brightness, removing any inconvenience.

When LED lamps first came to the market they were sold at a very high cost. Now that LED lamps are becoming more and more popular within domestic, commercial and industrial premises they are now more realistically priced, meaning you will see savings sooner!

Currently the most commonly installed LED lamps are to replace the standard halogen spot lamps. Listed below are some keys facts about LED Lamps;

1.With a standard halogen lamp used in most cases the average life span is between 2000-3000 hours. By using a LED lamp the average life span is between 20000-30000 hours i.e.  10x the standard halogen lamp!

2.To replace a standard 35/50w halogen lamp with a LED lamp to gain the same brightness a LED lamp would only have to be between 3 and 7 watts.

3.In most cases to install LED light it is as simple as removing the old lamp and install the new lamp.

We would welcome the opportunity to provide a free of charge no obligation site survey to assist you in choosing a cost effective solution to eliminate on going lamp replacements and rising electricity costs.

Ultimately in the future we believe LED lighting will be the standard lighting option for most applications.

The aim of the  NICEIC scheme is to protect everyone from unsafe electrical installations by maintaining a register of qualified, competent electricians.

As active scheme members, KDE’s work is regularly assessed by NICEIC to ensure that we maintain the highest standards.

The main benefits of using a contractor registered by NICEIC include:

1. Safety and competence

KDE electricians are assessed on a regular basis to ensure that they are competent and capable of meeting the relevant technical and safety standards, codes of practice and rules of the Schemes they are registered to.

2. Compliance with building regulations

Contractors registered to NICEIC Building Regulations Schemes are authorised to self-certify their work without hindrance from Local Authority Building Control.  This saves you both time and money when undertaking work that requires notification under the Building Regulations.

3. Insurance Backed Warranty

The NICEIC Insurance Backed Warranty covers work done by contractors registered to the NICEIC Domestic Installer Scheme that is notifiable to Building Control.

4. Guarantee of Standards Scheme

NICEIC expects registered contractors like KDE to provide a quality service to their customers and, therefore, endeavour to resolve all complaints about the technical standard of their electrical work.  If a customer and an Approved Contractor are unable to resolve an alleged deficiency in the technical standard of electrical work, the customer can make a formal complaint to NICEIC. NICEIC will help facilitate the negotiations between the contractor and the complainant.

5. Independent Complaints Procedure

NICEIC operates an independent complaints procedure. If the electrical work of a registered contractor is found to be below the accepted technical standard, NICEIC requires the contractor to correct the work, at no additional cost to the customer.

If you wish to find out more about how KDE’s membership of NICEIC protects our customers, why not visit the NICEIC website.

In a bid to clamp down on rogue electricians NICEIC is proud to announce the launch of our new consumer campaign A.S.K – Ask for NICEIC, See if it’s legit, Keep your home safe.

Fronted by TV presenter Rav Wilding the A.S.K campaign will urge homeowners to check for proof of NICEIC registration of any tradesperson entering their home. It is designed to root out rogue traders who falsely claim to be NICEIC registered.

“It’s absolutely vital that homeowners are checking and double checking for NICEIC registration of any tradesperson who comes to their door,” said Rav. “This is the only way to keep their home and family safe and protected from rogues”.

Tony Cable, senior marketing and events engineer at NICEIC, added: “Our message is simple – ASK and double check, always find out for yourself that the tradesman at your door is who they say they are. By not checking out a tradesman, consumers could be inviting in a rogue and costing themselves a fortune if a bodged job needs to be put right”.

The launch of the A.S.K campain took place on Wednesday 12th October. Rav Wilding, Tony Cable and CEO Emma McCarthy conducted 17 radio interviews across a number of different stations including TalkSport, BBC Merseyside and BBC Cornwall. Coverage of the campaign was also picked up by the Daily Mirror.

More than 6.2 million people have employed a cowboy trader in the past five years, resulting in £3.7 billion being paid out to rectify botched jobs. If consumers think they have been the victim of shoddy electrical work by someone claiming to be NICEIC registered, they should visit www.niceic.com to find out if they are certified. NICEIC will investigate any companies found to be falsely using the logo and they will be added to the NICEIC Wall of shame

Every single boiler in Worcester, Bosch Group’s Greenstar gas-fired condensing range has been awarded a Which? Best Buy accreditation after receiving top brand customer score and top brand reliability score in the latest Which? survey.

Worcester’s award-winning Greenstar gas-fired boilers claimed the top spot for brand customer score, whilst no other brand featured higher than Worcester in the brand reliability category. These results were further strengthened by the fact that a third of survey respondents had opted for a Worcester boiler, making it the most popular brand among Which? members.

Download the Which? best buy report on Boilers

Our engineers have undergone the training required to qualify KDE Ltd as Accredited Installers of Worcester Bosch equipment. As well as getting the best possible support for our customers, we are also able to offer a 5 year extended warranty on all our Worcester Bosch installations

What’s more, until the 31st August 2011, there is a FREE* 6 year guarantee on all Greenstar gas- and oil-fired condensing boilers

* Terms and Conditions apply

The REAL Assurance Scheme was set up by the Renewable Energy Association. Their aim is to guarantee a high quality experience for consumers wishing to buy or lease small-scale energy generation systems for their homes. The REAL Assurance Scheme logo is a sign that the company has agreed to abide by the high standards set out in our Consumer Code.

These Include

• clear information on the systems planned and their performance
• acceptable sales and marketing techniques
• arrangements for installing and connecting the system
• the selection and quality of goods supplied
• details of the conditions of business that apply
• the standard of any installation and other on-site work
• guarantees, and any maintenance and after-sales services needed
• what action will be taken to deal with any problems, and
• arrangements for monitoring and continuously improving the Code.

The Green Energy Division of KDE Ltd is now registered with the MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme) – Registration Number NIC 1918.

The MCS certificates microgeneration technologies used to produce electricity and heat from renewable sources. The MCS is also linked to financial incentives which include Feed in Tariffs which allows you to sell your surplus energy to the National Grid.

The MCS is an internationally recognised quality assurance scheme which demonstrates our commitment to meeting rigorous and tested standards.  It relates to the supply, design, installation, set-to-work and commissioning of renewable microgeneration technologies.