Tag: Plumbing

Water pressure is a vital component of your bathroom systems, but what is it and how does it work?

Too high and you risk damaging your home plumbing system every time you turn on a tap. Too low, you’ll struggle to get a decent shower in the morning.

• What should my water pressure be?

• How do I test my water pressure?

• How do I increase or reduce my water pressure?

 

What should my water pressure be?

Ideally over 15 litres of water per minute. Anything between 10 and 15 is acceptable, but lower than 10 is considered poor. It means that showering, filling a bath or trying to wash up will take much longer than it needs to.

Low pressure

1. Place a 1-litre measuring jug under the shower or tap

2. Turn the shower or tap on full

3. Time how long it tasks to fill the jug

4. If it takes more than 6 seconds to fill the jug, your pressure is considered low

High pressure

It’s pretty obvious when your pressure is too low, but how do you know if it’s too high? For this, you’ll need a water pressure gauge, which can be purchased from any hardware store.

1. Turn all taps in and outside of your home off

2. Secure the pressure gauge to your outside tap

3. Turn the tap on full for an accurate reading

4. Check your reading. Ideally, psi should be between 40 to 60. If it’s over 60, you should get a plumber to check it out. Below 30 and you may have a leak.

 

 What next?  

Low water pressure could be caused by many reasons, including:

• High demand at busy times (usually between 7 and 9am)

• Narrow pipes, especially in older properties

• Blocked pipes, caused by limescale, rust or dirt

• Clogged appliances

 

How to increase your pressure

• Clean taps and shower heads

• Check the shower hose isn’t kinked or damaged

• Replace shower head

• Fit a shower pump

• Install a power shower

Homeowners

England and Wales lose 3 billion litres of water every day because of leaking pipework, according to The Environment Agency.

Leaks can not only waste water, but also cause damage in your home.

You may not always know that a leak has formed. Usually, the first signs of a leak are a loss of water pressure, damp patches appearing on a wall, ceiling or floor. You may also notice that your water usage has come up significantly without reason.

It is important to monitor any minor water leaks at home routinely. This helps prevent damage that will be expensive to repair as well as lower your water bill.

When you have a bad leak, acting quickly is essential to prevent further damage.

What should you do when you have a leak?

1. Locate your stopcock and turn off the water. This will prevent water coming into your home and causing more damage.

2. Run your taps to rid your system of all water.

3. Call your home emergency cover provider tell them exactly what’s happened and where the leak has come from, e.g. the water tank in the loft, an upstairs bathroom or under the sink.

Common household leaking issues include…

My taps are dripping

There are a range of reasons behind a leaking tap, including wear and tea, a build up of debris or if someone hasn’t turned the tap tight enough.

If you’re comfortable to open up the tap and inspect the washer, you may see debris that you can simply clean away. You should switch off the water supply before doing this. If you aren’t confident in opening the tap, a plumber would be happy to help you.

My radiator is leaking

It’s important to fix this right away as a leaking radiator can cause significant damage to floors, ceiling and wiring. Usually your leaking radiator requires draining and refilling the system. It is usually best to call a plumber to help you resolve this one, as the components of a radiator can be fiddly.

My water heater is leaking

Usually this is caused by the water heater reaching its life expectancy. When a tank begins to rust and corrode, it can lead to a slow leak or sudden burst.

A replacement is usually the fix. Regular maintenance is the best way to delay the need to replace a water heater.

Leaky washing machine

To detect the cause, the washing machine must be on a level surface and unplugged.

 First, check your water supply hoses are properly connected. If they are brittle or corroded with rust, you’ll need to replace them.

With age, seals can become brittle which could lead to leaking water. Check for moisture around the outside of the door seal.

If water is leaking under the machine, it’s usually caused by a hole in the water pump or leaky internal washing machine drain hoses.

Bottom of toilet leaking

If you notice a leak from the bottom of a toilet, stop using the toilet as the leaking water will be unsanitary from the toilet bowl.

It might be caused by an issue with the rubber seal around the base of the toiler or the bolts that keep it in place.

If you feel competent to handle this repair, you’ll need a replacement wax ring and an adjustable wrench to unscrew and tighten bolts. However, it’s usually safer and easier to call out a plumber.

Homeowners

An overflow pipe leads from a water storage tank or cistern inside your home to the outside and plays an essential role in your home’s plumbing system. If water levels fill up to a higher level than it should, the excess flows down the overflow pipe and runs outside instead of in the room.

If water is leaking out of an overflow pipe, aside from the noise inconvenience, you’re going to be paying extra for water that is being wasted. In the worst-case scenario, overflowing water can cause damage that will be costly to repair.

All of these common components in your home have an overflow pipe:

• Toilet cistern
• Cold water feed and expansion tank
• Central heating feed and expansion tank
• Copper cylinder
• Combination boiler
• Sinks, basins and baths

How to identify which overflow pipe is leaking

• Near the bathroom toilet

If the leaking pipe is at the ground or first-floor level, then it’s likely to be your bathroom overflow pipe dripping, which will be coming from the toilet cistern. It will be made of either plastic, copper or lead and will usually lead out through the wall directly behind the toilet.

Locate the valve that controls how much water flows into the toilet and close it slightly. This is the simplest method for fixing the overflow pipe when that is the sole issue.

If your toilet overflow pipe is still dripping, you may need to replace the washer on the float valve. First, you’ll need to stop the flow of new water into the tank and drain it so you can work. Then take the float apart and remove the washer.

If the float valve is no longer fulfilling its function, water will continue to run. If it is damaged or has a hole in it it will require a replacement. Make sure you shut off the water supply before doing any of this. Your hardware store will be able to advise you on the right replacement.

• Boiler overflow pipe

Combination boilers have a pipe that’s similar to an overflow pipe, called a pressure relief valve. If the system builds up too much pressure, it will release water. The pipe is copper and runs from the boiler to the outside of your house.

Do not confuse the pressure release valve with the condensing pipe, which is plastic.

For safety reasons, it’s best to call out a PlusHeat Gas Safe engineer to investigate and fix this issue for you.

• Pipe from eaves

The central heating feed and expansion tank overflow pipe runs from the water tank in your loft to the outside of your house. It’s likely that your water level in the tank is too high.

If it only happens when your radiators are hot, it’s likely that the water level in the central heating feed tank is too high when cold.

If it only happens when water hasn’t been used for a while, the ball valve may have a leak that isn’t noticeable when water is being used regularly.

Can you see water running or dripping from the water feed when you look inside the tank? If so, check that the float valve isn’t stuck or the position needs to be adjusted. Alternatively, it may be that the washer or whole float valve needs replacing.

If an outside pipe is leaking, it could be caused by an overflowing toilet cistern, cold water or central heating feed and expansion tank. If your boiler overflow pipe dripping due to a faulty combination boiler.

If you want to know about Boiler placement – Click Here

Also Read –

• How Does a Thermostat Work?
• How to fit a new radiator?
• Cheap Boiler Cover
• Do I Need A Boiler Cover?
• Boiler service and cover
• Which One to Choose Boiler Cover or Home Emergency Cover?

When you have no water, some problems you might be able to fix yourself and others you’ll need the support of a plumber. It’s good to know which is which, so this step-by-step checklist will help you identify the simple problems to save you the cost of an unnecessary call-out.

1.  1. Search for water incidents in your area

Most water companies have an interactive map on their website with the latest information on known incidents near you. Follow the links below to your local  supplier.

If they don’t have any information on their website, it is worth getting in touch with them. They should be able to advise how long it’ll take to fix and they’ll aim to get you back up and running as quickly as possible.

If there are no known incidents in your area, continue the steps below.

• ANH – Anglian Water

• BRL – Bristol Water

1.   2. Check the taps throughout your home

If you haven’t got any water coming from your bathroom taps, but your kitchen sink is fine, it’s unlikely to be an issue with your mains supply. If water comes out of your cold kitchen sink but no where else, the problem is with your internal plumbing.

1.  3.     

    

   Ask your neighbours

    

If you live in a block of flats, check for known issues with your building maintenance contact or local authority.

If your neighbours do have running water, it’s worth asking whether they’ve had any recent plumbing work done, just in case this has caused a problem with your supply.

1.   3. Check your stop valves are open

Your inside and outside stop valves need to be fully open for your water to be on.

Your internal stopcock can be found where the supply enters your home, usually under a kitchen sink. Turn your mains tap (usually the kitchen cold tap) slowly and turn the stopcock valve anti-clockwise. You should see the water restored once you’ve done this if the stopcock was the problem.

The outside stop valve is usually found near the boundary of your property and look like small drains, usually labelled with “W” or “water”.

To check the valve is fully on, open up the cover and turn the valve or key all the way anti-clockwise. Once doing this, check your mains tap again.

1.   5. Check for frozen pipes

No running water can be a problem caused by cold weather freezing pipes if they are not properly insulated.

If you’ve got a modern high efficiency condensing boiler, it might be your condensate pipe that’s frozen. When you’ve located the pipe outside, pour hot but not boiling water over it to melt the ice inside. Once it’s cleared you should find your water flows normally.

If you have checked everything above and none of these steps help to get the water flowing again, you can call a PlusHeat plumber for a one-off repair or take out a PlusHeat maintenance plan to get advice and support when you need it most, all year round. Our technically trained experts are on hand 24 hours a day, 365 days a year (yes, even Christmas day!) to ensure your home is protected.

Everybody could stand to be a little more environmentally friendly, and in the process you usually save some money on your water bill and cut down on unnecessary waste. Not only will green plumbing lower utility costs in the long run, but it will certainly make your home and the environment healthier.

Being green has never been easier!

Avoid overly hot water

Try not to use extremely hot water. Lower the temperature of your water heater to avoid overusing the energy it takes to heat the water. This will also decrease the cost of your energy bill.

Invest in energy efficient appliances  for greener plumbing

Low-flow showers and faucets can reduce home water usage by as much as 60%. Less hot water is good for the environment and your water bills!

Flushing your toilet accounts for the single biggest water draw in your home, to the tune of about 28 gallons of water per person, per day. A typical low-flush toilet uses anywhere from two to five times less water per flush.

Energy-efficient dishwashers and clothes washers can reduce water consumption at these appliances by as much as 50%.

 Insulate pipes  

Uninsulated pipes in exterior walls may be susceptible to heat loss as they travel through your home. Insulate your pipes to cut down on water waste by reducing the amount of time you have to wait for warm water, and reduce energy costs from your water tank heater.

Pipes can easily burst or become completely useless when they freeze. Turn off the valve leading to your garden hose and look into other ways to avoid frozen pipes. Leaving your home for a holiday or longer period? Turn the water off for the entire home. Green plumbing.

 Upgrade your water heater 

Older water heaters tend to be less efficient than newer models. If your water heater is more than 10 years old, you might be wasting energy to keep your water warm.

Heating water accounts for 15% of most household energy use and new heaters help to cut this number down. New water heaters are designed to reduce energy use. They work by efficiently using the combustion process that heats water so that as much heat as possible is extracted from the process.

Almost every new boiler manufactured today is a condensing boiler. This means that it is able to utilise a lot more of the heat energy that the boiler produces compared to non-condensing alternatives. Condensing boilers are therefore considered a lot more efficient than older boiler models.

Tankless water heaters need less energy than traditional water heaters with tanks. They have a longer life span of 10 years than usual water heaters with tanks, occupying less space and being able to supply a continuous flow of hot water, since they are not limited by the tank size. Green plumbing.

Keep your drains clear

Drain clogs are one of the top reasons for homeowners calling in a professional plumber. Food, oil, fat, hair, and other similar items will easily clog a drain. Clogged drains can lead to extensive damage if it is not tended to by an experienced plumber.

 Get a water filter 

Water filtration systems can get rid of chemicals in the water, as well as particles and microorganisms that could be found in it. There are different purification and filtrations systems available, so it is better to know beforehand which one is most appropriate for your particular type of water.

 Regular maintenance  

Always check your plumbing for leaks and damage. When you notice an issue, contact a professional plumber. They will get the job done right and assure the quality of the new accessories or materials used during the task.

 Green plumbing.