When you are a homeowner, it is important to understand the place that you live in. Curiosity aside, a simple knowledge of the way in which you home works is essential to ensure that you are on top of both the economic and ecological aspect of how you live. You will see in the list below that checking things often, and ensuring that nothing is being overworked or leaking will mean that you can avoid wasting waster, which is a relief to both your wallet and the planet. Have a look over the following checks and measures to ensure that there is no chance of you missing anything that is essential out, and be sure to get anything that needs attending to fixed right away.
Toilets - check that your cistern is not leaking. Whilst you will likely notice that there is water everywhere during a major leak, you may not know that a cistern can leak into the toilet bowl itself, which may not seem like a real issue, but is costing you cash! If your water use goes up, then you water bill will be hiked, and a constant drain from the cistern to the bowl will be like having a tap on all the time. Put a few drops of food coloring in to the cistern and check the bowl half an hour later, ensuring that no one has used that toilet. If the water in the bowl is colored like the cistern water is, then you have a leak that needs fixing.
Check your shower heads and taps for crust and build up of lime scale. Leaving these fittings in a bowl of vinegar over night will clear them of the scum, and that will ensure that they are giving you the best results possible. Limescale is also extremely unattractive, so it is well worth cleaning them properly.
Put anti-blocking protectors on all plug holes, and ensure that they are fitted well. Food from the kitchen sink, and hair and soap in the bathroom can cause blockages really easily, which will be equally as easily avoided. You simply need to clear out these protectors regularly to ensure that they themselves don;t cause a blockage!
You should regularly check the visible pipes that lead to your various water using areas. You will likely be able to open the cupboard under the sink and see what the situation is down there. A leak will be easily spotted because of the drips that it causes, but if the leak is left to drip away, the it may well rot through the bottom of the cabinet and cause further problems which are much more expensive to fix. If the leak drips along the pipe that it is on, then the pipe could well lead throughout the house, and should it go unnoticed, then you will be at serious risk of damages caused by damp all the way through the house.
Outside of the house, check your gutters and drains, as these areas get clogged up easily by leaves and all sorts of other debris. You will find that there is a lot to be said for this easy task, as a block in Th. Gutter can send the water in a direction that you may want to avoid. Should you leave a blockage like this in place for too long, then the damage that the falling water can do on the stone work, roofing or even window fittings on the outside of the house can become a seriously expensive problem, so be careful!
Plumbing Services Chiswick.
Check your shower heads and taps for crust and build up of lime scale. Leaving these fittings in a bowl of vinegar over night will clear them of the scum, and that will ensure that they are giving you the best results possible. Limescale is also extremely unattractive, so it is well worth cleaning them properly.
Put anti-blocking protectors on all plug holes, and ensure that they are fitted well. Food from the kitchen sink, and hair and soap in the bathroom can cause blockages really easily, which will be equally as easily avoided. You simply need to clear out these protectors regularly to ensure that they themselves don;t cause a blockage!
You should regularly check the visible pipes that lead to your various water using areas. You will likely be able to open the cupboard under the sink and see what the situation is down there. A leak will be easily spotted because of the drips that it causes, but if the leak is left to drip away, the it may well rot through the bottom of the cabinet and cause further problems which are much more expensive to fix. If the leak drips along the pipe that it is on, then the pipe could well lead throughout the house, and should it go unnoticed, then you will be at serious risk of damages caused by damp all the way through the house.
Outside of the house, check your gutters and drains, as these areas get clogged up easily by leaves and all sorts of other debris. You will find that there is a lot to be said for this easy task, as a block in Th. Gutter can send the water in a direction that you may want to avoid. Should you leave a blockage like this in place for too long, then the damage that the falling water can do on the stone work, roofing or even window fittings on the outside of the house can become a seriously expensive problem, so be careful!
Plumbing Services Chiswick.
