The Most Common Plumbing Problems 22 Aug 2018 4:45 AM (6 years ago)
Plumbing is a wonderful thing which allows us to live lives of such great comfort and convenience. Unfortunately, as with most good things, plumbing sometimes encounters problems, and fixing them can be a costly task. As experienced London plumbers, we’ve come across every imaginable plumbing problem on countless occasions, so here we’ve compiled a few of the most common and how you should respond to them.
Burst Pipes
Burst pipes are a huge pain which lead to leakages and sometimes flooding. They can be cause either my water expanding within the pipes, or simply by becoming worn down after long term use. As well as the huge inconvenience this causes, the water leaking from burst pipes can damage your home and belongings, so repairs need to be made as soon as possible. You particularly want to avoid water seeping into the electrics, so it’s wise to turn off the heating and power supply, as well as the water. To prevent damage to carpets and furniture, collect leaking water in a tub or bucket as far as possible. Other than this, do what you can to seal the leak temporarily, for example with plumbers’ tape, but you’ll need a professional plumber to fix the problem, so get one round as soon as you can.
Blocked Drain
Whether it’s in a sink or a toilet, blocked drains cause hassle, and often an unpleasant odour! Thankfully, most blocked drains don’t need a professional plumber to resolve the problem; there are ways to try yourself before you request a call out. Using a plunger should usually unblock a drain- you may have to be vigorous and try repeatedly, but this is often a simple solution. In the event that this doesn’t work, there may be a problem with the drainage system, in which case you will need to call a local plumber. Of course, to a large extent, you can prevent these issue from occurring in the first place by taking great care about what you put down the drain. Strictly no baby wipes, feminine hygiene products or anything that isn’t toilet paper should go down the toilet, and it’s also essential that you refrain from pouring oil or food waste down the sink, as this will lead to blockages.
Boiler Breakdown
A boiler breakdown can be an expensive problem to fix, so be sure to carry out a few simple checks before you get a plumber in. it may sound obvious, but check that the electrical supply is working; it could have been turned off accidentally, or intentionally but not been turned back on again. It’s also possible that the fuse could have tripped, so check the fuse box too. The next thing to do is to try resetting your boiler; the classic “turn it off and on again” trick can be surprisingly successful. You should also take a look at the pressure gauge to see if that is healthy; if it’s not between the two red lines the pressure will need adjusting. You can usually do this yourself following the instructions in the user manual.
Of course, if none of the above proves successful, you’ll need to assistance of an experienced plumber. Whilst the weather is hot and central heating isn’t required, it could be tempting to put this off, but leaving it could cause the issue to worsen, so don’t delay!
Gas Leak
The most dangerous of our common plumbing problems, gas leaks must be dealt with by a professional plumber immediately. If you think you can smell gas, get everyone out of the house as a matter of urgency. If you know how to, you should switch off your gas supply at the mains. In any case, get everyone outside and call an emergency plumber.
Staunch & Flow are always on hand to help with emergency plumbing in London, but we know you’d much rather avoid these issues in the first place. Do your best to take care of your plumbing as carry out regular maintenance checks to avoid unexpected repair costs, then you can save for more exciting plumbing works, like a new kitchen or bathroom suite!
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Key Things to Consider When Installing a New Bathroom 17 Jul 2018 4:45 AM (6 years ago)
For many people, upgrading any part of our home is an exciting venture. Whilst it may be a little messy in the process, we dream of what our new room will look like and how it will improve our home life. As plumbers in London, we know that installing a new bathroom suite is more complex, and usually more expensive, than simply adding a fresh coat of paint to the walls and buying a new piece of furniture, so you want to be sure it’s done properly. Here’s Staunch and Flow’s list of top factors to consider when renovating your bathroom.
Style
Although the purpose of the bathroom is almost entirely practical, most people are still keen for it to look great. There are many stylish designs out there, but bear in mind that fashion trends come and go quite quickly, and when ‘splashing out’ on a new bathroom you want to make sure it will outlive these fleeting trends and last for years to come.
When choosing your new bathroom suite, as well as tiles, flooring and other aspects, it’s worth taking into account the interior style of your home as a whole; if the other rooms follow a more traditional style, an ultra-modern bathroom could look a little out of place, but if your home has a contemporary feel then this could fit perfectly.
Requirements
This largely depends on who is living in the property and personal preferences. If you have young children, you’ll probably want to include a bath, whereas a couple may not make much use of a bath. If you’re a couple fighting to use the bathroom at the same time in the mornings, then a double sink set-up could prove very useful. Of course, if you have special access requirements such as disabled facilities, these need to come top of the priorities list.
Space
Chances are, your dream bathroom includes a grand suite that you simply don’t have space for. Using the space well and efficiently is an important aspect of planning, and how exactly you execute this will depend largely on your requirements. If you want to give the room a spacious feel and have little desire to install a bath, then a large walk-in shower could be a great option. On the contrary, if you’re particularly keen to install a bath but have limited space, then a smaller space-saving bath might be the solution. In any case, thinking specifically about what you want and need and planning carefully is essential.
Plumbing
As London plumbers, this is obviously our priority. In any case, there’s little use in having a stunning bathroom if you can’t wash in it. Always use a reputable plumber who has experience working with a wide range of suites and systems, so you can guarantee that everything will work as planned. A good plumber will discuss all options with you, address issues such as plumbing constrains and, of course, work at a sensible price. Visit our bathroom installations page to find out more, or get in touch to discuss your requirements.
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How to Keep your Boiler Healthy During the Summer 10 Jul 2018 4:47 AM (6 years ago)
Boiler maintenance and repairs seem to be a much more frequent job for our team of London plumbers in the winter than the summer months, but good maintenance during the warmer weather can prevent issues arising later in the year. We’re thankful for the recent sunshine for many reasons; bright mornings, outdoor lunches, barbecues, evenings in beer gardens and weekends in the park, and not least a welcome break from hefty central heating bills. However, just like most of us, boilers often struggle getting back to work after an extensive length of time off. To avoid costly problems in the autumn, here’s Staunch & Flow’s list of things to think about regarding using your boiler during the summer.
Identify the Type of Boiler
The type of boiler you have will determine whether or not you need to turn the central heating on during the summer months, and if so, how often. A combi boiler will heat water on demand when required for bathing or washing pots, so you won’t need to set a timer for the boiler to heat up at all, whereas you will still need to do this if your boiler is an older model. However, if you have an electric shower, this can heat the water itself, in which case the boiler will likely only need to be on for a minimal amount of time to heat water for the kitchen and bathroom taps.
What do you need it for?
If you don’t have a combi boiler and you need to use the bath, you’ll need to turn your boiler on in order to heat enough water for this, as well as for smaller amounts such as washing up. It may be the case that even in the warmer weather some of your rooms still need heating, particularly if you need the radiators to dry towels and other things; in this situation you can turn the heating on a little just for however long this will take, and turn the radiators in other rooms off so that they don’t heat.
Give it an occasional run
If you do have a combi boiler and/or electric shower, you may well be able get away without turning your heating on at all over the summer, which is a great way to save energy and money. However, to prevent the system becoming a little rusty when the cold weather returns, it’s a good idea to turn the central heating on just for a few minutes roughly once a month to ensure it remains in good working order.
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Plumbing services in central London 12 Sep 2017 4:59 AM (7 years ago)
As one of the leading plumbing and heating firms in London, Staunch & Flow are well-versed in gauging what our clients want to know – here’s our guide how to disconnect (and change) a washing machine quickly and safely without any complications.
There are four very important things to remember:
- If it is a new machine, there will be travel bolts in place at the rear of the appliance. It is very important to remove them all. Move the old machine out far enough so that you can access the rear, where all the pipes and leads are.
- Disconnect the water supply on the old machine. Note that on much older machines, there will be both a hot and a cold feed to the machine (the water inlet pipe(s) will be slimmer than the waste pipe). On modern appliances there is only a cold inlet pipe, as the machines heats up water internally if needed. To disconnect, first turn the water off. This is done at the end of the flexi-hose. There should be a blue thumb tap (and a red if there’s a hot water inlet pipe) which must be turned 90 degrees to the pipe run – this will turn the water off. Then you can unscrew the flexi-hose. A small amount of water may run out, so have a tea towel handy to mop up any minor spillages.
- To disconnect the waste pipe, you might need a cap (the waste pipe is larger in diameter than the water inlet, and may be a corrugated hose). At the far end there could be two different fittings. Either the waste pipe is simply stuffed down in to a U-bend (in which case, just pull it out gently) or it might have a fitting that needs to be unscrewed. If you’re not replacing the machine with a newer one, you’ll need to go to your local plumbers merchants and buy a solid cap to replace the fitting you’ve unscrewed. Otherwise there’ll be an open pipe leading to the sewer, which could result in unpleasant odours and possible wastewater leaks.
- Now you can unplug the electrical cord and the old machine can be moved away. To install the new machine, simply follow these instructions in reverse.
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Carbon Monoxide Reminder From Fire Crews 12 Sep 2017 4:58 AM (7 years ago)
Fire safety officers are reminding the public about the dangers of carbon monoxide.
Crews were called out to a house in Douglas, Isle of Man on 17th April where a carbon monoxide detector had been triggered.
The alarm had been set off by blowback caused by an oil fired Aga cooker. The occupant of the property wasn’t harmed, but the incident highlights the importance of having your Aga cooker serviced.
Oil burners, gas applications, cookers and fireplaces should all be checked regularly to ensure they don’t pose a carbon monoxide poisoning risk and Aga specifically recommends that their cookers undergo an Aga service at least once a year.
It is important to remember that if you’re going to have your Aga cooker serviced by Aga service engineers that you should turn it off 24 hours in advance of the service for an engineer to work on it.
Fire safety officers are also urging anyone with carbon burning appliances in their home to ensure that they have an alarm fitted to detect any potential carbon links.
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London Plumbers Report Significant Rise In Metal Thefts 12 Sep 2017 4:56 AM (7 years ago)
Staunch and Flow can report that Plumbers in London are reporting a significant rise in metal thefts as the government considers a bill to help tackle the problem.
The legislation, which plans to introduce a compulsory licensing scheme for metal dealers has already suffered a record 11 defeats in the House of Lords already.
Measures to tackle the ever-growing issue have been included in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill, which is currently being debated in the House of Commons.
Richard de Bruin has had numerous encounters with metal thieves whilst working as plumbers in London.
“I’ve been a victim of copper theft six times. I have had my van cleared out in three minutes,” he said.
“I used to live in a semi-detached house in Raynes Park and they and they jumped over the fence, into the communal alleyway and stole £400-£500 worth of copper.”
The estimated cost of metal theft to the national economy is currently an estimated £770 million a year and is becoming an increasingly high profile issues, which is clearly affecting plumbers London.
Aubrey Miranda, an engineer in Streatham, says he isn’t surprised the price of copper and other metals is on the rise. “People underestimate how valuable scrap metal is. A 30m sheet of copper can go for £125.”
Source: SWlondoner
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AGA Cooker Firm Eyes International Growth 12 Sep 2017 4:54 AM (7 years ago)
Staunch and Flow can report that a company behind the iconic range of AGA cookers has posted a 3% drop in revenues but has insisted that it can return to pre-depression levels of trade.
AGA Rangemaster is hoping that at least 50% of its profit can be gained from overseas markets, compared to the 37% last year, as it believes its products are better suited to the international market.
11,000 cast iron cookers were sold in 2011, which was a drop of 6% on the previous year. Despite the latest decline in sales, AGA Rangemaster believes that it can restore cast iron cooker sales to 2007 levels of 19,600.
Despite the fact that the overall sales volume of cookers was only around 62,000 in 2011, a good level of demand from France has fuelled hopes that AGA services will be able to drive export orders up.
AGA has managed to weather a downturn in sales by implementing a range of cost efficiency measures made between 2008 and 2010. Even though revenue dropped by 3% to £250.9 million, operating profits rose from 16% to £18 million, but there are no details on the profit returned from AGA Rayburn servicing.
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