4 COMMON HOME PLUMBING PROBLEMS AND HOW TO DEAL WITH THEM
Usually we remain blissfully unaware of the workings of our home plumbing systems. We take the flushing of toilets and the running of water from our taps for granted. That is until things go wrong. We've compiled a list of the four most common home plumbing problems:
Leaking pipes, taps or cisterns
Leaks are the most widespread plumbing problem and need to be dealt with fast. Leaking pipes can damage your property and cause mould and mildew. If you suspect you have a leak, check for dripping taps, damp patches or a musty smell in your under bench cabinets and carpet. Other common leaks occur at seals or flush valves in your toilet. To identify these, check for the continual sound of water in your cistern.
Some leaks you can deal with yourself. For example, you can patch up pipe leaks with waterproof tape. But for peace of mind, give Topline a call - the chances are that the pipe's corroded in other areas and is prone to further leaks.
Burst water pipe
Have you ever walked into your home and found yourself ankle deep in water? Encountering a burst water pipe is one of life's more unpleasant experiences. Fortunately, it doesn't happen too often. The most common cause is joint/fitting failure and corrosion of pipe work including iron, copper or plastic.
The first thing to do is to turn off the main stop tap. You should find this at the point where the mains water enters your home on the footpath. It's a good idea to locate it in advance instead of waiting until disaster strikes. You should also turn off any electrical appliances in the area. Be sure not to touch any wet electrical items including switches.
Then gives us a call on - 0800 111 818
No hot water
There's nothing like a hot bath or shower to wash away stress and grime at the end of a hard day. That's why losing your hot water can be such a pain. Your course of action depends on whether your water heater is gas or electric. If you have a gas system, it may be a simple matter of relighting an extinguished pilot light or resetting a thermostat set too low. For an electrical water heating system, it could be simply a power cut, orr again, it could be a low thermostat setting.
If none of the above work, you need to call in a plumber or gasfitter. That's especially so if your pipes or heater are emitting loud noises, leaking or passing water through the relief valves into drains.
Poor shower flow
There's nothing more depressing than turning on the shower and being greeted with a meagre dribble. If you're used to abundant hot water and your experiencing a poor shower flow, if your plumbing system is sound, the problem could be caused by lime scale buildup. You can deal with this easily by simply removing the shower head from the hose and soaking it in a descaling solution for an hour or so. Replace the head and you should be good to go. If the problem persists, you may have problems with your pipes which requires expert help.
To avoid problems, get in touch and we'll send one our plumbing team to your house. We can even monitor your home on a regular basis, then you'll never have to worry about leaks and burst pipes and you can enjoy hot free-flowing showers every day!
