Making Safety In The Home A Priority

Making Safety In The Home A Priority

Common Plumbing Problems in the home and what to do about them

1. Dripping Tap

• Turn off the main water supply (mains or at the service valve)
• Put the plug in to ensure that nothing will fall down the waste pipe
• Take off the top of the tap (pull it or remove the center cover on handle)
• Wrap a tea towel around the body of the tap (hold firmly using a wrench)
• Unscrew the large brass headgear nut using another wrench
• Remove the washer using a screwdriver
• Push the new washer into place
• Screw the headgear back on to the tap (don’t over-tighten)
• Replace the tap top
• Turn on the water supply to check for drips

2. Toilet Won’t Flush Properly

• Water is slow to drain out of the water closet
• Use a toilet plunger
• Call the plumber if the toilet plunger doesn’t work

3. Scaled Up Shower Head
For hard water stains:

• Choose a rubber faceplate shower head to easily scrub regularly
• Remove the faceplate and leave it to soak in white vinegar overnight

4. Radiator Is Cold
For clicking, banging and noisy radiators:

• Boiler thermostat was set on high
• Faulty thermostat creating a high hot water temperature
• Test this by turning down the boiler thermostat (not the room thermostat)
• Lack of water pressure in the heating system
• Check the pressure in the heating system
• Check the pressure valve on the boiler if it is within recommended settings
• Scale in the radiators

5. Boiler Safety

• Danger of a faulty boiler
  Boiler that runs on wood or fossil  fuels such as gas, coal or oil is at risk of giving off carbon monoxide (CO)
• Carbon Monoxide also known as the “silent killer”
  An estimated 1 death per week in the UK due to lack of maintenance on boilers, central heating systems and flues

 

Signs of a faulty boiler

• Flames burning orange or yellow instead of blue
• Soot stains on or above fuel burning appliances
• Wood or coal fires that burn slowly or often go out
• Difficulty to light fire

It is recommended to have boiler checked once a year by a gas safety registered engineer

Symptoms of CO Poisoning

• Drowsiness
• Tiredness
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Chest Pains

CO Leaks Prevention

• Sufficient ventilation
• Regular checks to prevent blocks and leaks on flues
• Install carbon monoxide audible detectors (work the same as smoke detectors – British standard Bs7860)
• Regular maintenance

You are at Risk of CO poisoning If

• Poorly installed appliance
• Faulty appliance
• No regular maintenance and safety check
• No ventilation
• Blocked chimney or flue
• Maintenance from a non-registered
• Gas Safe engineer

Gas Safe Register

• Official registration scheme in the UK
• Replaces the previous system run by CORGI as of April 01, 2009

Isle of Man and Guernsey 

• Installers and maintenance engineers dealing with gas appliances