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About Andy Blackwell

Andy Blackwell

I am a partner in A1 Perfect Plumbing Ltd, in Grantham, with my brother-in-law, Neil. Today I am an experienced plumber and gas engineer, however, during my 46 years I have wandered into numerous careers: I was a window cleaner (didn’t like ladders), a painter and decorator (still didn’t like ladders), a biochemist (didn’t like test tubes), a banker (didn’t like bankers) and an I.T. consultant -morbid fear of the F12 key. With a brief interlude to back-pack around the world, I.T. was where I remained for the next 18 years. Then, in a whirlwind 12 months, it all changed: I moved to the wilds of Lincolnshire, got married, turned my back on computers and set off along the surprisingly long road to fully qualified plumber. My blog covers the day to day trials and tribulations of the self employed plumber; the work, the industry, the customers, the joys of business management and the weird and wonderful things I come across here in the rural idyll that is Grantham. Most of all I write about the things that interest and amuse me and, if these aren't plumbing related, you can usually read about them at plumbingthedepths.blog.com. or, more likely these days, at fatherhood-tales.blogspot.com

Recent posts by ‘Andy Blackwell’

The Fastest shower cubicle?

Installing a shower cubicle can bring out the best Saxon verse in a man.... Read more

Nil in Void

I always thought it very odd that they ever allowed flues to be routed through ceiling voids and hidden behind stud walls... Read more

Boiler sizing app

Sizing a modern condensing boiler is a vital part of any Central Heating quote.... Read more

Boiler buoy

This a sold as a way of getting around the problem of frozen condensate pipework .... Read more

Find a plumber

Lower down on the scale of irritants is membership of those websites that claim to lead you to reliable, honest, plumbers.... Read more

White Van Tradesman

You could be forgiven for thinking that every tradesman is out to get you.... Read more

Designer taps

What’s the point of designing the world’s most beautiful looking car if it’s powered by an elastic band and can only get around a corner if you climb out and carry it?... Read more

Combi Shower not working in winter?

A combi shower is one where the high pressure hot water is supplied via a combination boiler and the reason that they fail to work properly in winter is invariably because of an installation error.... Read more

The Which? Boiler servicing report

Apparently 4 out of 10 boiler service engineers can’t do their job properly. In fact 4 out of 10 are “ripping customers off” and are “unscrupulous”.... Read more

Baxi boilers

One of the first to take up this challenge is Baxi with their new range of boilers using what they refer to as the “THINK Combustion management system".... Read more