5 Tips for Winter Boiler Maintenance You May Not Have Thought Of

Boiler maintenance becomes ever more crucial in the winter, and that is not just because you happen to be using it. On the contrary, this is the time were pipes become damaged and the whole system can be broken down in a matter of days. There are ways you can prevent your system from going down.

Here are some useful tips for making sure you do not have to order a plumber in Glasgow to fix your boiler in the dead of winter.

1. Bleeding the Radiators

Many plumbers in Glasgow find themselves being called out to people’s homes for boiler problems when the only real problem is the fact they have not bled the radiators. If you can feel a cold patch on the radiator, trapped air has blocked the system. Anyone can bleed a radiator and it does not need the help of a professional.

Only if you bleed the radiator and the cold patches remain do you need to call someone in. This could be an indication that you require a chemical flush to remove any sludge that has blocked up the pipes.

2. Insulate the Condensate Pipe

If you have a condensate pipe that carries away the condensation, there is a good chance the winter months are going to lead to problems. The problem is the cold weather can freeze the condensation inside, which can lead to blockages. It can lead to holes and cracking within the pipes.

It does not take much to solve this problem. Wrap the pipes in lagging. This can be picked up at most DIY stores. Simply wrap it around the pipe and you have some homemade insulation.

3. Thaw the Condensate Pipe

If insulating the condensate pipe is beyond you, you now need to consider whether to thaw the pipe yourself or call in plumbing services in Glasgow. Although the process is relatively simple, if you get it wrong it can cause a lot of damage, which may require the complete replacement of the condensate pipe.

You can place a hot water bottle on the pipe or pour some relatively warm water over the pipe slowly. However you thaw the pipe, it is a matter of simply gradually increasing the temperature until the ice melts.

4. Consider a Replacement

Older boilers are most at risk during the winter months. The majority of boilers have a lifespan of between twelve and fifteen years. If your boiler is in this age range, consider whether it is worth keeping. Sometimes, spending the money now to replace your boiler saves you money on costly repairs later on.

5. Know When to Call in the Professionals

Most of us will try to solve boiler problems ourselves before we start to look towards professionals. This is a mistake because our own repairs can make the issues more expensive to resolve. Another consideration is your insurance policy. If you try to tamper with the boiler in certain ways, it can completely invalidate your policy.

Know when to call in the professionals. If a problem is beyond your field of expertise, call in an emergency plumber to get the heat back on.

The Secret to How Your Plumber is Estimating the Price of Your Job

Plumbers need to have the professional expertise required to perform a quick and accurate estimate. In the industry, it is considered good practice to provide a written estimate and to stick to this estimate. Getting it wrong can lead to a lot of embarrassment for any plumbing agency.

Customers also need to know how estimates are conducted, so they know they are getting a fair deal. This is why in this article we are going to discuss how agencies like Plumbtec24.co.uk provide their estimates.

A Visit to the Site

The fact is most plumbing jobs are easy to provide a quotation for without a visit. Most professionals will be able to give you an idea of how much they will charge for a clogged toilet or a leaky tap. They will not need to visit your home or business to figure it out.

Sometimes, it will be necessary to conduct a visit. This is because the details matter. It is not a case of looking at the symptoms of a problem and coming up with a solution. For example, a leaking tap could be indicative of a broken part or a much deeper issue. You just do not know until a thorough inspection has been conducted.

The Blueprints

Plumbing professionals are also responsible for building new plumbing systems. They will have blueprints for these jobs. A Plumbers in Glasgow will inspect these blueprints and begin listing the materials they will need to purchase and how long the job will take to finish.

Estimates and Quotes

It is not just the customer who gets an estimate. To give you an accurate quote, plumbers will go to a local supplier and get an idea of how much the materials will cost. This is not where they make their profits. The price they pay for materials is the price you will pay them for the materials. You are paying for their labour not their supplies.

Most plumbing agencies will already have deals with local suppliers, which lower their costs due to them being regular customers.

Additional Expenses

Any miscellaneous overheads will be added on to the total bill. There are many added fees they have to take into account to keep their business afloat. Some of these expenses include:

1. fuel
2. insurance
3. taxes.

Most plumbers will aim to make about a 25% profit margin. This is what they will charge for their labour costs. Everything else goes towards covering what they have to pay out to initiate the job.

Written Estimate

Responsible consumers should always look to have some form of written estimate. You do not want to receive an estimate verbally only to discover this is not the price you are charged when the job has been completed. There’s nothing you can do to prove the original quote, so you’re left with a bad taste in your mouth from having to pay more.

Always remember an estimate is an estimate and nothing more. If the cost does need to increase, due to unforeseen problems, it’s considered good practice for them notify their customer of this as soon as possible. You should the choice as to whether they continue the project.

Your Guide to Troubleshooting a Blocked Toilet

A blocked toilet is perhaps the most common plumbing-related problem in the bathroom. Plumbers are constantly being called to homes that have toilet water running across their pristine floors. The issue with dealing with a clogged toilet is you are never quite sure what the reason is for it.

In this guide, we are going to give you some insight into what you can do to troubleshoot the problem. If you do have to call in the help of a plumber in Glasgow, you will save them time by notifying them as to what you think the source of the issue is.

Precautionary Actions

There is always a danger of overflowing water. There are actions you can take to stop this from happening. Begin by taking off the lid of the toilet tank. Press down on the lever to close it,which should stop any rising water.

As an added precaution, we recommend turning off the water supply entirely. You can usually find the panel for this where you keep your gas and electric metres. Most homes tend to have everything in roughly the same location.

The next precaution you should take is to take the funnel cup plunger and rinse it under hot water for about a minute. The goal is to soften the rubber so you can better mould it over the exit hole of the toilet bowl. You do not want a particularly nasty clog to lead to the water level rising too high.

Plunging into the Problem

Add a slew of hot water from a pot. You can also help loosen the clog by adding some detergent. The detergent acts as a type of lubricant. It lubricates the pipes to provide the blockage with an easier path out of your home and into the sewerage system.

Place a plunger into the toilet bowl and make sure the cup is directly above the exit hole. Press it down and pull it up quickly. The plunger should remain in contact with the toilet at all times;otherwise,you are only going to get a splash of water hitting you in the face.

You will soon start to see little bits and pieces come up into the toilet bowl if it is just a simple blockage.

Using the Auger

So you’ve established the plunger is not getting rid of the problem. Try the auger. It’s a piece of metal used to unblock curved pipes. Place the auger cable in the hole and force it through the hole. If you feel some resistance soon afterwards, this is the clog you need to get rid of. Keep breaking up the clog. If it snags the obstruction, pull it out and this should solve the problem.

What if it Doesn’t Work?

If this does not work, you have a more serious problem, which will require the help of a professional. One of the tell-tale of this is if the water begins to back up into the shower and the sinks. This is a main line obstruction and will require the plumbing system to be taken apart, which is something a home DIYer should not attempt.

To know more about Plumbing services in Glasgow visit - www.plumbtec24.co.uk

Revealed - A Guide to the Plumbing Problems in Your Bathroom

The bathroom is one of two areas where you are likely to experience problems with plumbing. In most cases, the problem will not be anything major. Even when you have water running across your floor, it is important to not panic. You will not always have to shell out for a plumber in Glasgow to solve the problem.

In this article, we are going to go through some of the plumbing problems you will experience in your bathroom, with the help of plumbtec24.co.uk.

Clogging

The clogging of a toilet or sink is perhaps the most common problem. It is rare for a clog to appear out of nowhere. Rather than this happening, you will notice water draining away slightly slower each day. Eventually, water will stop draining completely. Act before this happens to make the repair easier.

A plunger or snake can be used to remove clogs. Clogs that are more serious further down the system may require an emergency plumber in Glasgow to unscrew the pipes and remove the clog manually.

Take note, chemical drain unclogging agents should be avoided. These may or may not clear the blockage in the first place. Furthermore, even if they do they can lead to the pipes eroding away. In time, the pipes will get weaker until you start to notice holes in them. They cause more damage than they are worth.

Dripping

Dripping is a relatively minor yet irritating problem. The problem with dripping is it can be a side effect of so many problems. It could be that a part has come loose and all you need to do is tighten it. It could also indicate a much deeper problem, and become the prerequisite to a major leak.

If you are not experienced in plumbing repair, it is highly recommended you call in an expert when you notice a dripping tap or toilet.

Leaking

Leakages are similar to drips in that a large number of problems can cause them. Most of the time, they are not a cause of concern. It could be a case of a cracked washer in a sink, or a compression fitting that needs replacing. Leaks range from the little drips you get from a pipe all the way to the torrents of water racing across your bathroom floor.

In general, you should be looking to call in outside help. It is not uncommon to see amateur DIYers making things worse by attempting to fix a leak themselves.

Toilet Seals

Toilet seals are a major source of problems. First, you need to know more about them. There are the various points that keep the water within flushing toilets. You have five separate seal points on your average toilet. If you have an older toilet, it may be different, but most models are standardised these days.

If a seal is cracked or broken, you could find up to five gallons of water on your floor every time you flush.

In conclusion, you should react the moment you spot a problem with your bathroom. Leaving plumbing problems to fester will only result in costlier repairs in the long-term.

5 Most Common Plumbing Problems

Plumbers can find themselves doing all sorts of jobs. Most of the time, they will be fixing conventional problems such as clogged drains and leaky taps. With the help of Glasgow-based plumbing company Plumbtec24.co.uk, we explore the five most common problems, and what you can do about them.

1. Leaky Taps

We start with the most common of all. Leaky taps are often ignored but, over time, the loss of water can add a significant amount onto your utility bills. In addition, overtime the leaky tap can get worse and cause real damage.

Most of the time you will find it is the washers that have deteriorated. One fix is to replace the washers. Alternatively, replace the tap completely. A plumber in Glasgow can help you with the replacement.

2. Clogged Drains

Clogged drains are another common problem. This tends to happen in the bathroom or the kitchen. As an open area, drains are highly prone to deterioration. When these become blocked, water cannot leave and you have flooding.

Most of the time, a plunger will be able to remove the blockage. You can do this yourself at home. Blockages that are more serious might require a professional plumber to unscrew the drain and remove the blockage manually. Understand not all blockages are close to the surface. Clogged drains could involve a blockage further down the plumbing system.

3. Blocked Toilets

Blocked toilets are caused by the same things as clogged drains. The difference here is the build-up is caused by waste, which is why it is also essential you solve this problem quickly.

A plunger can solve the problem, but you may need a sewer snake to negotiate the U-bend. Blockages that are more serious may require an emergency plumber in Glasgow to remove the pipes and deal with the blockage that way.

Make sure you react quickly to any signs of a blockage. Human waste is unhygienic and can lead to the spread of illness.

4. Broken Water Heaters

Water heaters often break during the winter months when extreme changes in temperature are more likely. A broken water heater means you will not have any access to hot water throughout the home.

There are so many reasons why a water heater may become faulty, including but not limited to loose connections and broken parts. Contrary to what many people think, new heating parts are not expensive.

5. Under-Sink Pipes

The kitchen sink is the most commonly used plumbing appliance in the house. This is why it is often the source of most domestic plumbing problems. The pipes under the sink are often contained in a cupboard also used for storage. Most under-sink pipe problems are caused by storing items under here. Householders knock the pipes out of place, leading to plumbing problems.

It does not mean you have to stop using this storage area, but it does mean you have to be more careful.

In the majority of situations, the fix is a simple tightening of the pipes. Damaged pipes with holes inside might require a complete pipe replacement, which will require the help of a professional to complete.