Plumbers in Medway General Plumbing Services in Medway

 

 

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Helpfull Plumbing advice & tips

Before you call our Plumbers in Medway have a look at the following advice to help you avoid calling a plumber out or to help minimise damage to your property you before the plumber gets to you.

Know where your plumbing stop tap is.

This could be the most important advice you will receive regarding plumbing advice - Know how to stop mains water supply!
Your mains cold water plumbing stop tap is usually found under the kitchen sink or where the mains supply enters your property. If you can't find it or it doesn't work and are on a water meter then this is where you need to go to. If you need immediate help ask a neighbour as they will have a similar setup to you.

Normally found outside your property under a round or square plastic cover, lift or open with a knife/screwdriver, remove the foam insulation and the tap is underneath. Turn it clockwise until it stops moving, usually a quarter turn but some need to be turned more. Dont use excessive force as you may break it, the tap should move smoothly and is closed when you feel the plumbing stop tap not able to move anymore. If you have a plumbing leak this is the first thing to do!

What to do if you have a plumbing leak

The main aim is to stop damage to your property, so if you have a small leak which can be temporarily "fixed" by putting a bowl/towels under it until our plumbers in Medway can get to you then this is the best thing to do as you dont really want to empty your plumbing system of most of its water unless you have to.

Parts of this will depend upon which plumbing system you have. If you have a combi boiler or your hot water tank is the newer unvented type (no foam insulation around it) then by turning off your mains cold water plumbing stop tap and opening ALL taps in the property will empty most of your plumbing pipework of any water and reduce the pressure in the plumbing system so the leak wont leak as much if at all.

If you think your leak is from your central heating plumbing system, radiators etc and you have a combi then you will need to either open a drain valve and use a hose to empty the system outside or bleed a radiator and catch the water in a bucket if you dont know what a drain valve is, this method will take considerably longer but will eventually reduce the pressure in the system and reduce the extent of the leak.

If you have a regular boiler and have a hot water cylinder with foam insulation or water tanks in your loft then the process is longer. Your central heating plumbing and some of your taps and toilets are probably fed via the plumbing tanks in your loft, so only turning off your plumbing stop tap will not remove the water in these plumbing header tanks. You will have to plug the outlet holes in the tanks, use any taps on the pipes coming from the tanks or you will have to keep the taps open longer to drain the water from them. The same applies to your central heating plumbing.

Dont forget you still have to close your mains water plumbing stop tap or water meter plumbing stop tap first.

How to prevent plumbing leaks

Simple but crucial:
Check your plumbing pipework for leaks everywhere that you can see it.
Pull your washing machine out and check any hoses for wear and tear.
Don't leave a slight plumbing leak thinking it will get better, it will only get worse.
Make sure any exposed plumbing pipework/outside taps are insulated so they dont freeze in winter, or isolate the water to it and leave the tap open.
Insulate any exposed pluming pipework in lofts.
Regularly turn on and off all plumbing stop taps in your property so they dont cease up when you come to need them.

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