D J Harris (Plumbing & Heating) Ltd. Bathrooms, Plumbing and Heating in South West England

Home Plumbing Tips

Running Taps

If the tap is running full bore and you need to save water until the plumber arrives, turn off your main water supply - normally under the sink or in a cloakroom, if it is a cold water tap or on your hot water cylinder if it is a hot water tap.

If the cold water tap is fed from the cold water tank in the roof space, or you have a different type of hot water system and do not have a hot water cylinder, turn the mains water supply off, turn your hot water system off and open all the taps until they run dry.

If you do not know how to turn your water off, make a point of asking your plumber the next time they visit.

Leaking Pipework

Use the same procedure as Running Taps if you have a hot or cold water pipe leaking If you have a central heating pipe that is leaking try the following:

Turn off your central heating system, if you have 2 cold water tanks in the loft, tie up the ballcock in the small one which will prevent a continuous supply of water entering the system.

If you are able, connect a garden hose to a drain point on the system, normally on a pipe under a radiator or by the boiler - and let the water drain to the outside. This will empty the system of most of its water and will stem the flow until a plumber can visit.

Wintertime

In cold weather conditions, it is often beneficial to leave the central heating on a low setting when you are out of the house.

This will prevent the house from getting unnecessarily cold and lessen the risk of frozen pipes. This will also enable the house to regain a comfortable temperature quicker than if it were heating up from cold.

Leaving the roof hatch ajar during this period will also help heat filter into the roof space to stop the cold water tanks and pipework getting too cold.

If you are away over a cold period, leave the central heating on low and time it to come on during the day and for a few hours at night. Always turn your cold water main off when you are away. This will not affect the central heating but will eliminate the risk of a continual flow of water into the house if a pipe should burst whilst you are away.

If this did happen there might be a small risk of the boiler sustaining irreversible damage should it run dry, but a replacement boiler is much cheaper than having to redecorate every room in the house!

Smell of Gas

If you are concerned that there may be a smell of gas, no matter how small, call the emergency number for Transco's: 0800 111999, or your gas provider if different, who will attend immediately to ascertain the problem.

Should there be a problem with a gas appliance, it will be disconnected from the gas supply and then you will need to contact a CORGI registered installer to remedy the fault. You should always be able to access your gas meter easily whether it is in the house or in a box outside. Being able to turn the gas off in an emergency could be critical. The gas can be turned off by moving the lever on the pipe leading to the meter through 90° so it is positioned horizontally.

Do not use electrical items or switches.
Do not use naked lights.
Open windows and doors to ventilate the premises until the problem has been resolved.

NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER

Any opinions expressed in this web-site are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect our opinions. We will not accept responsibility for any comments or suggestions made which may not assist with the remedy of the original fault. Comments made are for information only and should not be deemed as accurate. Any prices given are subject to change at the discretion of the Company.