Row.co.uk Blog

Smartphones have come a long way from the usual functions of calling and messaging; you can play 3d games, watch movies, take high resolution pictures, etc. All of these tasks consume a lot of battery power, but smartphones are equipped with powerful processors that can handle the power demands. Although batteries have been enhanced, they still need a quick recharge to ensure that they last the day.

People have been working on innovative solutions to resolve battery issues and as a result, there are quite a few battery chargers available in the market or rather will be in the near future, that are just plain awesome, while some are even outlandish.

·      Body Heat Charger

What if you came across a device that could charge your phone while it was in your pocket, without plugging it in any power outlet? Of course, that would be awesome. Dr Gang Chen, the head of the mechanical engineering department at MIT has built a prototype material that absorbs heat from low grade sources to produce electricity. The device consists of cheap nanomaterials that draw in energy from the environment and generate an electric current.

Experiments show that the device can be used to charge your mobile phone’s battery while it it’s in your pocket; it will utilize your body heat to do so. Of course, the device is still under research and it will be quite some time when we see it in the market, but the idea is intriguing at best. It has an efficiency of 12 percent at a temperature of around 20 to 60 degrees Centigrade.

·      The Super Fast Charger

Would you want to buy a charger that would charge your phone in just 30 seconds? Yes, you heard it right. There is a startup in Israel called Storedot that has developed a prototype of a battery that is capable of being recharged in 30 seconds. The super fast charging battery employs nanotechnology to achieve such record breaking times. This battery consists of special amino acids, instead of Lithium which allow it to be charged in under a minute. It can be used on laptops and tablets as well.

·      Plan V

No it is not the title of an alien invasion movie nor is it the plot to the next Star Wars franchise; rather, it is a device that makes use of a 9 Volt battery to charge a smartphone. If you ever faced a situation in which you are having a night out with your friends and your phone becomes low on battery, then this charging device is the perfect match for you.

Made of plastic, the charger has two parts; one end of the device is a USB cable, while the other end is a battery connector. A 9 Volt battery goes there and you can plug in the USB into the charging port on your phone. It is a good remedy in situations when you need a quick boost in battery life. It provides up to 4 hours of talk time.

*The information in this blog is designed to provide helpful information on the subjects discussed. Please seek a professional for expert advice as we can not be held responsible for any damages or negative consequences upon following this information.

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Is a Blocked Toilet a Landlord’s Responsibility?

Row.co.uk Blog

Blocked toilets are bad news. Not only does a blockage put a very necessary amenity in your home out of action (especially if it is the only one), it also has the potential to cause serious, not to mention unpleasant, consequences.

If a blocked toilet leads to water backing up and overflowing out of the bowl, usually as a result of repeated flushing to try to shift the problem, you are faced with a flood of sewage water all over the bathroom floor. If your bathroom is on the first floor or higher, this can easily seep through to the ceiling below, perhaps requiring the whole thing to be ripped out and replaced.

Responsibility for blocked toilets can be a bone of contention between landlords and tenants in rented homes. No landlord relishes the prospect of being called out to handle such a problem. Their first instinct will often be to tell their tenant - if you blocked it, you fix it!


Law on liability

This is precisely where the potential for confusion stems from - determining who or what caused any blockage. The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, which sets the legal foundations for shorthold tenancy agreements, states that a landlord is responsible: 

“to keep in repair and proper working order the installations in the dwelling for the supply of water, gas, electricity and for sanitation (including basins, sinks, baths and sanitary conveniences).”

Given that “sanitary conveniences” is a rather odd way of saying ‘toilets’, this passage seems to make it clear - responsibility for keeping them in working order lies with the landlord. However, the Act also sets out certain exceptions, which include stating that the landlord is not liable:

“to carry out works or repairs for which the lessee is liable by virtue of his duty to use the premises in a tenant-like manner, or would be so liable but for an express covenant on his part.”

Again, digging through the convoluted language, this means two things. First, the Act sets out a principle of ‘if you broke it, you fix it’, or in other words, tenants are responsible for fixing anything that is damaged through their misuse. 

Second, the ‘express covenant’ part refers to the terms and conditions in the tenancy agreement. Landlords can use this to set out their own rules for how repair and maintenance responsibilities will be split between themselves and the tenant - an important part of the small print tenants all too often overlook.

So where does that leave us with the need to get a blocked toilet working again, fast? In practice, no landlord can realistically refuse to repair such a problem on the grounds that the tenant caused it without carrying out an inspection. It could be nothing to do with the tenant, in which case the law is clear - the landlord is obliged to keep sanitation facilities in good working order. 

In the case of a blocked toilet, inspection and repair are the same thing - you have to remove the blockage to see what has caused it.

But while a landlord or their plumber may well end up sorting unblocked pipe on these grounds, if they find the problem was caused by something the tenant put down the toilet (wet wipes are the most common culprit), they are entitled to charge them for repair.

*The information in this blog is designed to provide helpful information on the subjects discussed. Please seek a professional for expert advice as we can not be held responsible for any damages or negative consequences upon following this information.

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