In a plumbing emergency it can be easy to panic! Our advice page is designed to help you assess the situation, do you need a plumber? And what can you do in the meantime to minimise damage / inconvenience?
Our Top plumbing tips (these could save you a fortune)
- Know where your stop tap is – Take 5 minutes to find it before you need it and check it works. It may save a lot of problems later. While you’re at it, knowing where your main electricity and gas isolation points are is important to.
- Isolate your outside tap in cold weather – we lose count of the number of outside tap bursts we fix especially in January and February. Because they are exposed to the elements they can freeze and burst. So once you have finished using it for the winter isolate it from the inside by closing the stop tap / isolation valve leading to it and then open the outside tap, this gives the expanding water somewhere to go. If you don’t have an isolating valve fitted inside, don’t worry, we can fit one for you.
- Central heating pumps – if you have to drain down your central heating system and you have a pump (circulator), then don’t forget to turn it off. If you let it run ‘dry’ then you could well have to add the cost of replacing it to the bill when the plumber arrives!
- Frost settings – if you’re going away for any period of time don’t forget to turn the thermostatic valves on your radiators to the frost setting (normally shown by a _ symbol). This allows water circulation to continue and stops freezing. If you’re interested in fitting thermostatic valves to your radiators why not take advantage of our free quotation service, the benefits of having them include saving money on your energy bill and helping the environment!
- Filling loops on ‘combi’ boilers – Physically disconnect the filling loop on your combination boiler when it isn’t being used. This stops any possibility of back flow from your central heating system to your potable water (the stuff you may drink). It’s unlikely to happen but its good practice.
- Showers – Buy the best shower you can afford as it will pay you back in the long run. Better showers will normally have longer guarantees which most shower manufactures are very good at honouring. Parts for showers aren’t cheap so the longer they are covered the better. At Norton Plumbing we often recommend Mira showers. Although there are other good brands on the market. If you’re thinking of installing a shower or just replacing your current one, have a chat with us first as not all showers will be appropriate for your system especially if you have a ‘combi’ boiler. We are also experts at getting faulty showers working flawlessly again in no time at all.
- Overflowing Toilets – toilets that are constantly overflowing either into the pan or through an overflow pipe need looking at. They may be little more than an inconvenience that can be put off, but the amount of water they waste even in a short space of time is huge. The same applies to dripping taps, they are normally relatively cheap and easy to fix. Water wastage is a huge problem in the UK and if you have a water meter there is an additional incentive to get it looked at.
- Power Flush – Over time central heating systems build up black sludge in the radiators and pipe work. The result of this is a loss of efficiency, the system takes ages to heat up and cold spots on radiators appear. By power flushing your central heating system we can have it working like new in less than a day, yet many people live with an increasingly ineffective system for years. If you are replacing your boiler it is essential to power flush your system at this time otherwise as soon as the new boiler is turned on all the sludge in the system will be dragged through the boiler, ruining it within weeks.
- Isolation valves – If you don’t have isolation valves (they are normally small brass fittings with a screwdriver slot in them) fitted to plumbing fittings and appliances it’s well worth getting them put on. Often older systems or those fitted by less scrupulous plumbers don’t have them. As you can see from some of the tips above, it’s very easy and convenient for you to be able to isolate various parts of your plumbing system individually. It also makes many jobs more straight forward and quick, resulting in a smaller bill from your plumber. The good news if you don’t have them already we should be able to fit some retrospectively.
- Speak to the experts – If you are in anyway unsure about DIY plumbing get an expert in. Everybody knows professionals aren’t cheap but a bad DIY job can result in disaster and you won’t believe how much water can flood out of even a small 15mm mains pipe in a very short amount of time – that is until you have seen it for yourself! We are always happy to offer advice even if there is nothing immediately in it for us. So feel free to email or give us a quick ring before you have to fit the dog with a snorkel!
We really hope this guide proves useful, however it is a work in progress so if you have any other tips or ideas for subject’s people may find helpful, please email us and we will try to include them.
Many thanks
Alex
Norton Plumbing
