With two May bank holidays upon us, the HVAC industry is bracing itself for a host of DIY enthusiasts armed with a shiny set of tools and a keen intent to inflict on their homes all the construction skills they have 'learned'.
The credit crunch has brought with it an even greater motivation amongst the UK population to save cash by launching into do-it-yourself pursuits with gusto, even if it means turning their attention to their boiler.
The industry may demand a licensed contractor be brought in for particular jobs such as gas safety checks (see
gassaferegister) but the UK public may not necessarily be heeding the warnings.
According to a recent survey by Sainsbury's Home Insurance 65% of homeowners have carried out improvement or renovation work themselves in the past 12 months.
The most common type of DIY is painting, but replacing plug sockets and minor plumbing jobs such as fixing leaks and moving radiators were the second and third most popular tasks. Some maybe successful in these areas and see it as a reason to graduate onto 'harder' heating jobs.
Some £4 billion in personal loans were taken out by Britons to finance home repair projects in 2008.
Research by Sainsbury's also revealed the individuals claimed they had saved a total of £49 billion during the past 12 months.