Our domestic water heaters these days work very hard, sometimes they can be on for 24hours a day and 7 days a week to satisfy our insatiable need for the luxury of constant hot water. Because of this demand, it means that a great deal of energy is burned to heat and also maintain this quite large volume of water heated. However there are a couple of Greener more ecological methods that are becoming more popular and that can save precious energy and cash.Three options below are worth considering:1).Re-Circulate The Hot Water:At the press of a button a thermostat, timer, or motion sensor, the pump begins to recirculate cooled water which sits in the hotline pumping it back into the water heater through the cold water pipe. A pump is used in this system in order to send hot water where it is required. This process certainly gives some benefits regarding cost/energy. 2). Recover The Heat:This is a system that is fixture that sits under the drain in your bath or shower. Heat from the waste-water is recovered as it flows down the drain. Only the heat is re-circulated back to the heater not the water. The cold water returns to the water heater not down the drain. Archway Plumbers will always try and fit a green appliance.3). Use a Tank-Less Heater:An Archway Plumber will recommend and can fit this type of equipment. For this example, the cold water comes in at the bottom, and then a very efficient gas driven heater will heat it until it is almost boiling. If the hot water is shut off, the heater shuts down also. This particular heater must be situated close to the kitchen area or the bath to make sure that the water does not have a long way to go. It is expensive, costing around twice the price of standard equipment, but will in under 5 years have paid for its initial cost.
Glossary of Tools
Self-Locking Wrench:This versatile tool, commonly known as a mole wrench from the name of the original maker, can be used like a pair of pliers or a makeshift extra spanner. Its serrated jaws will grip around things like the knurled nuts on waste traps, and its lockable jaws mean that you can use it as a clamp when you need an extra pair of hands. Archway Plumbers carry these tools.Measuring:There are two types of measuring implements that are normally needed to carry out measuring tasks in plumbing. The first is a measuring rule, it can be made from either, wood, metal or plastic for sizing and marking drill holes. The second is a flexible tape measure for long measuring tasks like the position of taps, or radiators and lengths of pipe.Pliers:Pliers are very handy and widely used. Long nosed are great for electrics, with large ones used for heavy work such as soldering.The Basin Wrench:Is a long handled wrench and is specifically designed for the fitting of taps. The jaw is turned over into ‘tighten’ or ‘untighten’ mode and then is operated with a pivoting movement.Chain Wrench:This tool has a handle, a toothed jaw and a chain that is used to grip the pipes and larger nuts. The chain wraps over the item to be undone or turned, connect the chain and the toothed jaw and lever with the handle so it grips. It is a very useful tool for carrying out work on, very old pipework, larger nuts and also threaded older galvanized pipes.Spirit Level:A tool to check that fittings and fixtures are level and true. Available in lots of sizes and types. Most common used are small wooden bodied with the level set in the middle. Great tool and used by an Archway Plumber.Hammers: There are three hammers normally used in plumbing, a claw hammer for general work like knocking in nails and clawing out old ones. A small tack hammer for pins and tiny nails. Lastly, a large headed clump hammer to lift floorboards and chop holes in plaster or brickwork.
The Toilet Cistern
The cistern that is attached to your toilet has undergone many changes over the last 15 years. The water supplied to the cistern is controlled by a float operated valve. Most of these valves are of a similar design to the ones used in the cold water cisterns. Prior to 1993, a 9 litre or 2 gallon flush was employed, having been like that for at least one hundred years, pretty much since the first toilet was designed. However, in order to try to conserve water the quantity was reduced, first to 7½ litres and then to a current maximum of 6 litres. In order to discharge this water from the cistern down into the toilet pan, a device is employed that closes when the required volume of water has been discharged. Toilet systems traditionally worked by using what is called a “Siphonic” device, however today there is another design which consists of a valve that is lifted allowing the water to flow as required. Archway Plumbers fit toilet systems.Below is a very brief description:Siphonic Action.This occurs when water is removed from a container without any kind of mechanical aid, travelling up and over a tube in a upside down ‘J’ shape. The long leg joins to the flush pipe whilst the short leg is open to the water inside the cistern. When the air is removed a partial vacuum occurs. This is triggered by a large diaphragm washer being lifted, discharging a quantity of water down through the flush pipe taking air and causing a partial vacuum.Valve Type.There are usually two buttons fitted to the cistern, one being for a short flush and one for a long flush. They work via a long and short rod system which will release small and bigger volumes of water as it is required. An Archway Plumber is familiar with this system.
How to Unclog a Garbage Disposal
There are some simple things you can do to keep GD clogs to a minimum. Below are some reasons for clogging:foreign objects i.e. dropping a spoon or fork into the disposal.Feeding garbage in too rapidly.Failing to run enough water while garbage is being processed.Your garbage disposal is not perfect, so dont expect it to devour and digest everything. For example, dont throw corncobs or fish and chicken bones down a disposal and expect it to continue working without a clog. Never use chemical drain cleaners in a disposal as they are corrosive to parts and you of course. You can ask professionals such as Archway Plumbers to unclog your machine and advise on dos and donts.Every few months cut a fresh lemon in half, throw one half in the disposal then turn on the unit. The lemons odour deodorizes the unit. You know its working by the fresh lemony smell. Follow these steps to unclog a disposal, Shut off the electrical power switch. ( actions carried out by every Archway Plumber ).Never put your hand in the disposal. Remember that the switch may be defective, so keep your hands out of the disposal even when power to the machine is turned off.look for any foreign objects caught in the disposal.If an object caused the stoppage, use a pair of pliers to reach into the disposal and remove it.Turn on the power and push the reset or overload protector button. If the disposal is still clogged, follow these steps:Turn off the power and insert a long dowel, a wooden spoon, or a broom handle never your hand into the drain opening.Push the bottom end of the wooden probe against the impeller (the blades that grind up the garbage) and rock it back and forth to free it. 3.When the impeller moves freely, turn the power back on and test.
Installing and Connecting Vanity Sinks
Installing a vanity cabinet and sink is an excellent way to get more storage and countertop space out of your bathroom. Keep in mind your storage needs, size requirements/limitations, and personal tastes when selecting a vanity and consider asking professional advice fro company’s such as Archway Plumbers . The water lines should have caps soldered or glued and you’ll need to cut them off once the vanity is set. Measure the water and drain line locations on the wall. Transpose them to the back of the vanity and cut holes out for them. Cut the sink aperture if it isn’t already cut. Place the vanity over the lines and up against the wall. Check that the cabinet is sitting level/square and secure it in place.Connecting Vanity SinkCheck the manufacturer directions and connect the spout, water valves and handles on the sink. Link the supply tee and hose assembly to the spout. Our sink had braided steel lines that we looped to the valves and fastened them with coupling nuts. Attach the water supply lines to the valves if possible, to avoid reaching up under the sink later. Apply plumber’s putty (carried by any Archway Plumber ) around the drain fitting to form a seal and seat the fitting in the drain hole. Add a washer and slip nut on the bottom and tighten the fitting. Screw on the drain stopper coupling and its gasket so it lines up with the back of the sink. Feed the stopper’s slip arm through the sink and connect it to the stopper coupling. Push the stopper fully open and tighten the arm down. Flip the sink upright and set it in the cabinet. Remove any rag or cap plugging the drain stub. Glue a threaded adapter coupling onto the drain stub. Fit the trap and screw it to the adapter and sink drain. Tighten the sink water lines to their shut-off valves. Slowly open a shut-off, check for leaks, then check the other line. Fill the sink, check for leaks around the drain, then drain the water and check the waste line joints. This will also put water in the trap to stop sewer gases. Caulk around the rim of the sink to seal out water and to finish off the sink installation.
How to Unblock a Drain with a Snake
A blocked drain of any sort is an annoying problem for us all and if you have tried everything you can think of to unblock your drain either inside or outside then your final weapon of choice is the trusty “Snake” ( carried by all professionals like an Archway Plumber ). I recently tried this piece of equipment and found it very useful in my case as a first aid measure. A coiled spiral snake that’s usually about 1/4-inch thick with a handle on one end, the snake works in a totally different way to the common or garden plunger.You push the snake into the clogged drain and twist it to drive it further into the obstruction. The snake helps you gain access to the main bulk of the blockage so that you can break it up. Snakes are especially handy because they’re long enough to reach deep within your pipework. You may have to apply pressure when cranking the handle to get it to bend around the tight curve under for example a sink. After turning the curve, the snake usually slides through easily until you hit the blockage. Some snakes connect to an electric power drill which increases the power. The spinning action enables the tip of the snake to snag the bulk, hopefully breaking it up allowing you to pull bits out towards you and flushing the rest away. Of course a qualified Professional like Archway Plumber is always the best option especially if your blockage will not clear easily and is causing a potential flooding or health problem. Below are a couple of tips to prevent blockages:Use a sink strainer: A clogged kitchen sink is usually the result of foreign objects entering the drain. Use a sink strainer to prevent garbage and small items from entering the drainpipe.Take care of your garbage disposal ( if you have one): When using a garbage disposal, run cold water at full volume while the machine is chopping up the garbage, leave the water running for a full minute after you finish. This precaution flushes the garbage completely out of the small-diameter sink drainpipe and into the larger main drainpipe.Finally: Don’t put any foreign materials down your sink as they can harden and block the drain.
Insulation of Plumbing Fixtures
HYPERLINK “http://www.diyfixit.co.uk/plumbing/insulation-of-plumbing.html” Insulation of Plumbing Fixtures.Pipes, fixtures and fittings which are exposed to freezing temperatures should be protected. Advice can be obtained by contacting a professional service like Archway Plumbers . Cisterns (or tanks as they are often called) in the attic, outside water pipes and taps are also affected. Supply pipes rising through a solid floor normally only require insulating if they are close to an external wall. Exposed overflow pipes that drip water can also be a freezing risk. When water freezes and turns to ice, it expands in size by around 10%. Where this takes place within a pipe it causes expansion and splits can occur. While it remains frozen, obviously the water won’t escape. However once it melts as temperatures rise, the split in the pipe, or the opened fitting, begins to leak and the amount of potential damage can be enormous.It may be more sensible to drain down a section as recommended by an Archway Plumber . A good example of this might be a pipe running externally to supply a garden tap at the back of the house. If the tap is only used in the summer, turn off the supply and drain off excess water for the winter. The insulation material can be cut to length. At elbows and T pieces the insulation may need to be cut to suit and on sweeping bends the insulation will normally flex sufficiently. At fittings such as stop valves and the like, be sure to protect the entire body of the valve whilst leaving the head free so that it can still be used.Tanks fitted in lofts need to be be completely insulated. It is very important that the bottom of the cistern is left un-insulated and there is no lagging material immediately beneath it so any heat rising from the room below at this point will help reduce the risk of freezing. Insulation to water storage cisterns actually has an additional purpose. Regulations state that water in storage cisterns should not be allowed to exceed 25 degrees C. The insulation therefore has a double benefit by preventing absorption of heat as well. Be sure to also insulate overflow pipes from water storage cisterns.
Installing a Kitchen Sink
Being a DIY person is great and a very noble art but before you read this always know you limits and don’t feel like a failure if you cannot do it yourself. There are sound professionals out there like Archway Plumbers ready to help you. Most of the time a sink will fit perfectly in a pre cut countertop opening, but test fit the sink and check that it sets level. Apply plumber’s putty around the sink’s drain hole and seat the strainer assembly. Flip the sink upside down, tighten the drain nut and “tailpipe” piece. Place the sink upright and install the taps, valves, and handles. Tighten down these items and connect up the water lines to a tee type fitting. You can also connect up the water lines coming into the valves and avoid doing that once the sink is set. Set the sink in the hole and fasten any included mounting clamps underneath it. Run a bead of sealant caulk around the edge. If the sink isn’t self-rimming, run a bead of plumbers putty as carried by an Archway Plumber on the bottom of the lip and caulk the opening to keep water out. Seat the sink and tighten any clamps.Remove any packing that you have used to block the drain whilst carrying out this job. Screw on a trap to the adapter threads and sink drain. Screw on water supply lines (if you haven’t already) and attach them to the shut-offs. Use a “two-headed” shut-off if you’re also going to connect to a dishwasher. Finally it is good practice to run some water down the drain to block sewer gases, and check each line and drain joints for leaks.