Tag Archive for: Maintenance

Christmas is poking its festive head around the corner and amidst all the fun and excitement is the perhaps slim but nonetheless present possibility of your heating or plumbing giving in at the very last, inconvenient second – especially if you have a house full of guests and Christmas lunch to prepare.

There are some things you can do to do avoid any problems to do with heating, hot water or drainage! Have a look:

Heating

  • Check your boiler. British Gas has revealed that more than a third of households have not checked that their central heating is working properly, and four in ten have not had their boiler serviced in preparation for winter. Maintaining your boiler is the first ad best way to avoid heating problems.
  • Bleed your radiators. This will ensure they are working properly. If your radiators have cold spots at the top, this means you have air in the system; bleeding them will return them to good working order.
  • Seal your home by making sure all of your windows and doors seal properly to stop warm air escaping. Most DIY stores will sell ‘draught exterminators’ if you’re having problems keeping cold air out.
  • Wrap your water tank to conserve hot water; materials can be purchased from most DIY stores and help to conserve heat and save you money.
  • Insulate your pipes. This will stop them from bursting; a very real treat in freezing temperatures. Use lagging, which can be bought cheaply from most DIY shops.

Plumbing

  • Check your drains. Clear your drains of debris at the point at which they enter the ground. This involves checking your gullies for autumnal leaves and twigs in order to ensure that they don’t restrict water flow at any point.
  • Wait ten to 15 minutes between showers (especially applicable if you have a house full of guests). This gives your drains a bit of breathing space to clear properly, and helps avoid any cumulative backing up. It’ll also help your boiler maintain water temperature.
  • Fit strainers to your sink and shower plugholes. They’ll help catch a lot of the soap, hair, food debris and other muck that would otherwise go into your drains and potentially cause build-ups and blockages there.
  • Don’t flush things like disposable wipes, sanitary products, cotton buds or dental floss down the loo. These kinds of objects don’t disintegrate or dissolve like loo paper, and are a major cause of blocked and clogged drains, both at home and in the wider sewerage network.
  • Avoid pouring cooking oil, fat, and other food grease down your kitchen sink. Oils, fat and grease, although liquid while hot, cool and congeal quickly, and can clog your drains and slow the rate of drainage significantly.

For more hints and tips on how to avoid disturbing your plumber or heating engineer during his Christmas dinner, read “Avoid Christmas heating disasters at home with these top tips” on Idealhome.co.uk, and “Avoid plumbing problems and heating headaches this Christmas!” on Xpplumbers.com.

And have a very merry Christmas…from the team at AA Cooper!

For more information on all your plumbing needs, contact the team at AACooper on 01689 485007 or info@aacooper.co.uk.