Looking at Your Plumbing

Taps:Do your taps suffer from constant drips, if so, there will possibly be brown stains on the side of the bath or sink. This is a good indicator that you need to fit new washers or taps themselves.Pipework:Visually inspect the copper pipework running around your home. Look under sinks, inside the cupboards etc. Should you see any green staining and dotting on the pipes, this is damp and it is time to be replaced. A Barnet Plumber can replace pipework.Main Stop-cock:Locate and look at your main stopcock. This valve will normally be fitted underneath an access flap at the front perimeter of the house. The valve that is fitted in the chamber should be quite easy to turn on and off. Call the water supplier if it is difficult to operate. Barnet Plumbers maintain these valves.Inside Stop-cock:Located underneath your kitchen sink, visually inspect your stop-cock. Does it operate easily both off and on? The stopcock needs to be in a first class condition as, in an emergency, you can isolate the water supply quickly.Drainage:Look outside your home at the drains that remove the waste-water from the bathroom and kitchen. If they constructed from pot, with iron covers, and the waste pipework being manufactured from steel or copper, then, it is time to consider replacing them.Toilet:Take the lid off the WCs cistern. Flush and observe as the system empties and refills automatically. Should the flush not operate first time, or the action is not smooth with the water rising above the level of the overflow, or any of these symptoms it requires an overhaul.Water Storage (Cold):The cold-water storage tank is normally located in the loft, it should have a tightly fitted lid. Ask someone to run some water while you observe the cylinder. If it is ok, the water level will drop, the float will lower, and water will fill from the feed inlet valve. Turn the water off. As the level of the water raises, the float will also rise and the water will stop filling. This water level should below the level of the overflow pipe. If the valve drips, is noisy or intermittent, it should be replaced.