Latest Articles - avtechnical.co.uk

Person adjusting the dial on a white wall-mounted boiler with plumbing visible below in a home setting.

How a timer for an electric water heater can lower your electricity bill

Oliver Hartwell • October 5, 2026

With the electricity bill climbing month after month, an almost unnoticed part of the home can end up costing far...

Person wearing yellow gloves scrubbing kitchen tiles with a brush beside a bowl of paste and spray bottle.

Simple Four-Ingredient Household Mixture to Clean Bathroom Grout in 15 Minutes

Oliver Hartwell • October 5, 2026

Anyone who has battled black staining or mould in bathroom grout knows this: a quick spray with a standard bathroom...

Technician testing an outdoor air conditioning unit with a multimeter on a balcony in daylight.

Outdoor Unit Safety Checks for Split Air Conditioner During Extreme Heat

Oliver Hartwell • October 5, 2026

During spells of extreme heat, keeping the equipment running continuously calls for careful checks to keep your home safe. A...

Person spraying clear liquid from a bottle onto keys held over a white plate on a wooden table.

Spraying vinegar and alcohol on house keys: a practical guide

Oliver Hartwell • October 5, 2026

Spraying vinegar and alcohol on house keys has become a common habit in many households, driven by concerns about germs...

Person pouring dry pet food onto a wooden kitchen table with oven and timer in the background.

How Long Does a 15 kg Bag of Pellets Keep Your Home Warm?

Oliver Hartwell • October 5, 2026

One simple question keeps resurfacing. How long will a single 15 kg (about 33 lb) bag of pellets actually heat...

Person stirring liquid in a transparent bowl on a windowsill with a green cloth nearby in soft daylight.

One Spoonful of Washing-Up Liquid Keeps Windows Cleaner for Longer

Oliver Hartwell • October 5, 2026

There is a very specific sort of disappointment that follows cleaning your windows. You step back with damp rubber gloves...

Person cooking spaghetti by placing raw pasta into a large pot on an induction stove in a kitchen.

What the Central Hole in a Spaghetti Spoon Is For

Oliver Hartwell • October 5, 2026

When you cook pasta at home, a few well-chosen tools can make day-to-day kitchen life much easier. The spaghetti spoon...

Young man checking a radiator near a window with a thermometer and notepad on the sill.

The 2‑Minute Radiator Test to Cut Heating Costs

Oliver Hartwell • October 5, 2026

High heating bills, yet the room still feels only so-so? Plenty of systems push hot water around the house without...

Person spraying cleaning solution on carpet stains with cleaning powder and brush nearby in a bright living room.

Simple Bicarbonate of Soda and Vinegar Cleaner for Carpets: Remove Stains and Odours

Oliver Hartwell • October 5, 2026

Many households struggle with stains, a dull grey film and unpleasant smells trapped in their carpet. Specialist cleaners from the...

Person filling a plastic container with water indoors next to plants and a watering can in sunlight.

Air conditioner drip water: how to reuse it safely at home

Oliver Hartwell • October 5, 2026

The water that drips from an air conditioner is produced when moisture in the surrounding air condenses, and it can...

Person placing a wicker basket on a bathroom wall rack with rolled white towels and a hairdryer nearby.

How to Make a Towel Rack Multitask in a Tiny Bathroom

Oliver Hartwell • October 5, 2026

I watched a DIY pro called Lea step into that cramped room, stop for a beat, and grin as though...

Person lighting a modern black wood-burning stove set against a stone wall with firewood cubes nearby.

The Insider Air and Fan Tuning Fix for a Noisy Pellet Stove

Oliver Hartwell • October 5, 2026

Winter arrived, the evenings stretched out, and the pellet stove in the sitting room gradually changed from a cosy ally...

Person cleaning a window with a cloth and spray bottle, autumn leaves visible outside.

The simple glycerine trick to keep windows clean from autumn to spring

Oliver Hartwell • October 5, 2026

Many people give their windows a half-hearted wipe in autumn, only to be annoyed a few weeks later by fresh...

Person adjusting smart thermostat on wall in a modern home office with desk and phone in background.

The HVAC Engineers’ Thermostat Schedule: The 4-Block Plan That Cuts Bills

Oliver Hartwell • October 5, 2026

On the first properly chilly evening in October, my sitting room sounded like a dragon that hadn’t had a day...

Person pouring soapy water from a frying pan into a gas stove burner in a kitchen.

How to Clean a Burnt Pan Without Scrubbing: Domestic Cleaning with White Vinegar and Bicarbonate of Soda

Oliver Hartwell • October 5, 2026

Cooking at home can be genuinely enjoyable, yet the blackened base left on cookware after preparing meals is often a...

Young man installing a door draft stopper on a wooden floor in a bright, modern living room.

A simple DIY fix for a quieter flat

Oliver Hartwell • October 5, 2026

It is 22:47, the street has finally settled down, yet sleep still will not come: a scooter goes past, the...

Woman cleaning high ceiling with mop in empty room, wheelchair nearby on wooden floor.

How to clean walls and ceilings safely with a telescopic handle

Oliver Hartwell • October 5, 2026

Walls and ceilings become dirty quickly, yet looking after them can become difficult when someone close to you loses mobility....

Young man repairing a small clock mechanism at a wooden desk lit by a desk lamp.

Why People Who Repair Broken Objects Have Rare Patience

Oliver Hartwell • October 5, 2026

The screwdriver slips once, then again. On the kitchen table, an old lamp still refuses to turn on, while an...

A hand cleaning a black glass ceramic hob with a cloth and scraper on a white kitchen countertop.

How to Remove Black Marks from a Ceramic Glass Hob

Oliver Hartwell • October 5, 2026

Milk boiled over for two minutes, the pan was moved too late, and that ugly black ring now appears to...

Person cutting broken ceramic tile with a utility knife on a tiled floor with tools nearby.

How to Repair a Chipped or Cracked Tile Easily

Oliver Hartwell • October 5, 2026

A glass falls, a heavy object slips, and a sharp little “crack” abruptly breaks the quiet of the room. On...

Hand wiping a wooden surface with a cloth, next to photo frames, stacked books, a plant, and a smartphone.

The cleaning professionals’ trick: a lightly damp microfibre cloth that captures dust

Oliver Hartwell • October 5, 2026

On Saturday morning, sunlight streams into the living room and abruptly exposes what you would rather overlook: a thin grey...