General Tips and Hints

The average household plumbing system represents an investment of about fifteen percent of the value of the house. No part of the house is more important. Nothing in the house is used more often. A smoothly functioning plumbing system is a pin to health and adds to the convenience of modern living.

These tips and hints were written with the objective of helping home owners as well as renters keep their plumbing systems in good operating condition. The sale value of a house with sound plumbing is far greater than that of a house where plumbing is in poor repair.

There are many things that an owner or renter can do; there are many things that should be left to an expert - the plumbing contractor and his staff of plumbers. Minor repairs should be made promptly. Annoyances such as a blocked drain, dripping tap or a leaking flush valve in the toilet, are more than a mere bother - they usually waste money.

Major repairs, replacements, and new plumbing installations should be left to a plumbing contractor. His working methods are based on years of experience and training - and his guarantee is assurance that all materials and methods are of the highest quality.

Leaking Hot Water Units

There can be nothing more distressing than a leaking hot water unit, particularly if the unit is located inside the home.  There are only a limited number of places that a hot water unit can leak from. The pressure and temperature relief valve is located near the top and to one side of your hot water unit and will have a small lever on it. This lever should be gently lifted every six months or so to flush the valve free of accumulated debris. Be careful when you do this as hot water will come out of the relief line under pressure - keep your valuable body parts out of the way!

After 10 seconds or so, gently let the lever back down and the flow should stop. The relief valve is designed to leak small amounts of water particularly on the heating cycle (after someone has had a shower for example) to stop the excessive build up of pressure inside the hot water unit itself. Unfortunately, it is a fact of life that these valves do eventually wear out and need to be replaced. If you notice water running from the relief line on a continual basis the valve needs to be replaced. The longer you let it run the higher your electricity bill is going to be as the unit is constantly heating water even though you are not using it.

The second place a hot water unit can leak from is the element gasket. The element will be near the bottom of the hot water unit where the electrical wires enter and is covered by a box or plate. The element has a rubber gasket around it where it penetrates the tank itself and these do perish over time causing leakage. Obviously, leaks from this area should be treated as a matter of some urgency due to the close proximity of the leak to the electrical supply. The unit usually needs to be drained and the element removed to allow replacement of the gasket. Always use a qualified tradesman when dealing with any aspect of your electricity system and supply - it simply isn't worth risking your life for the sake of a few dollars.

The third place the unit can leak is from the cylinder itself. In the great majority of cases a leaking hot water cylinder means the unit is beyond repair and will require replacement. If you think your unit requires replacement don't hesitate to give us a call on (07) 5530 6333 for a competitive replacement quotation and fast service. This truly is one situation where we want to see you back in hot water as soon as possible!

Ok, my hot water unit is leaking, how do I isolate it?

Go to your hot water unit and locate the pipe closest to the bottom of the unit - this will be the cold water inlet pipe, it is where the unit recieves its water and it should have a black knob fitted on the line near the tank. Turn the knob in a clockwise direction until it closes. This will stop any more water from going in to the unit. The leak may continue for a little while but without the water supply coming into the unit the tank should quickly depressurise which will slow the leak considerably.

Next, go to your electrical switchboard and locate the hot water circuit switch. The great majority of homes have a separate circuit for the hot water unit and this circuit should be marked as such. Flick the switch marked hot water to the 'off' position. Once you have done this you have now isolated both the water and power supply to the unit. If you don't islolate the power supply and the unit does drain dry the element will remain active and will overheat due to the lack of water.

No Hot Water

Another annoying thing about hot water units is that every now and again they stop producing hot water. If there is no apparent leak from the unit then there are a number of possible causes. The element or thermostat may have failed. The plumber can undertake checks to test whether or not power is getting to both the element and thermostat - never try to do this yourself. If the everything checks out ok it may mean a problem with the electrical supply from the switchboard itself. If this is the case, a licensed electrician will be required to locate and rectify the problem.

Taps

In order to prevent water hammering always turn taps on and off softly. Water hammer can be caused by something as simple as a tap washer or the isolating valve on your hot water service. Curing water hammer can be a process of elimination and, in certain cases, may require the fitting of water hammer arrestors.

Don't overtighten taps when turning them off. Turning off a tap too hard can split the washer and a drip will turn into a flow. If the tap is continually dripping have it serviced before it wears the seat and the cost to repair becomes greater.

If a tap does start running the only way to isolate it is to turn off the main supply to your home. Familiarise yourself with the location of your water meter (near one corner of the front nature strip) and its operation so that you know how to isolate your water should a problem arise.

Gutters

Have your gutters and downpipes cleaned out twice a year. Debris sitting in gutters and downpipes is a major cause of corrosion. Corroded gutters are expensive to repair or replace. Have leafguard fitted to the gutters to stop debris from settling.

During a heavy downpour, a blocked downpipe can cause a backup of water in the gutters which can overflow into the eaves and into your ceiling space. If you find this is happening you can alleviate the problem immediately by making a reasonable size hole in the base of the offending downpipe. This will allow the water to escape in to your yard rather than into your ceiling - it will be cheaper to replace or repair a downpipe than your plasterboard ceiling!

Drains

It pays to have your sewerage and stormwater drains checked on an annual basis. Root growth and blockages can cause extensive damage that may mean drain excavation and replacement if left unfixed. Maintenance is much cheaper than replacement.

If your sink drains are chronically slow and you live in an older house, the problem may be an accumulation of grease and sludge in the lines. No amount of plunging and chemicals is going to fix this. Rectification of the problem can require use of either a mini eel, electric eel or high pressure water jet to clear the affected line. Electric eels and high pressure water jets can be dangerous if used by inexperienced operators and we would recommend you seek qualified help for drain blockages.

Many people attempt to clear their blocked drains by poking their household hose down the sewer or stormwater line to try and flush out whatever is causing the blockage. This approach is rarely successful but if you do decide to try this make sure you remove the nozzle and fittings from the hose first. The nozzle can (and will) get snagged down the drain pipe and attempts to retrieve the hose by force can result in the nozzle detaching itself. Now you not only have the original blockage but the wayward nozzle is now compounding the problem.

Be careful of what you flush down toilet drains. Sewer systems are designed for biodegradable toilet tissue only. Flushing of things such as disposable nappies, household paper towel or sanitary items can and will result in expensive blockages. Don't flush grease down the sink - it may look like it is gone but it will build up in your drains and block eventually.

Toilet Ducks

The use of toilet ducks to provide constant cleansing when a toilet is flushed can cause problems. Ducks that attach to toilet bowl rims can dislodge (or be dislodged by small hands) and be flushed around the trap of the bowl. If this happens they can obstruct the drain causing blockages. Once this happens the only option usually is to remove the toilet pan to extract the duck. If you want to use toilet ducks, try and stick with type that go in the cisterns, not in the bowl.

Water conservation facts and tips

The average home uses 230,000 litres of water per year. That's 63 buckets a day or 23,000 buckets a per year!

A dripping tap can waste more than 2,000 litres of water a month - around 200 buckets per month or 2,400 buckets per year!

A leaking toilet can waste more than 16,000 litres of water per year - around 1,600 buckets per year.

That single dripping tap and leaking toilet costs you a considerable amount of money over the course of a year.

An eight minute shower with a shower head uses around 120 litres of water. A water efficient shower head will use less than 72 litres for the same period.

A tap left running can waste up to 17 litres of water a minute - almost 1.5 litres every 5 seconds. Don't leave taps running when you brush your teeth or shave. Put the plug in before commencing to fill the sink - don't wait for the water to get hot first.

How to tell if you have a leaking pipe

Wait until everyone is finished using the water for the evening (showers, toilets, dishwashers, etc). Locate your water meter which is normally just outside the front boundary of your property and most are covered by a green lid that will be flush with the ground. Open the lid (you may need a small screwdriver to pry the lid open) and you will see a small lever handle at one end and a water meter in the middle. Write down the meter reading on a piece of paper. Ensure nobody uses the water till morning when you check the meter again and write down number again. If the morning figure is higher then it is quite probable that you have a water leak that needs to be located and repaired as soon as possible.

By the way, that small lever next to your meter can be used to isolate the water supply to your home. Gently turn the lever to turn the water off. Be careful when you turn if back on - turn it on slowly to allow the house system to repressurise gently.

Is the leak my problem our Councils?

If the water leak is on your side of the main water meter to your property it is your responsibility. If the leak is on the street side of the water meter the leak is Councils responsibility.

Dirty or Discoloured Water

Dirty or discoloured water could be caused by a number if things. If the cold water supply is dirty it may simply mean that Council has been undertaking water main work in your area and sediments in the water mains have been disturbed. Always check with Council first to see if this is the case before calling a plumber. If Council have been undertaking works on the water mains the problem will normally settle in a short period of time and your water will return to normal.

Reddish or rust coloured water from your hot water supply can mean that the internal cylinder of your hot water service is badly corroded and will require replacement in the very near future. Flushing and refilling of the unit is a stop gap solution and will not solve the problem.  Unfortunately, there is no easy fix for this situation.

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Jackson Plumbing

Postal Address
P.O. Box 5108
Waikiwi
Invercargill 9843

Tel: 03 214 9444
Tel: 0800 THE PLUMBER
Email: jacksonplumbing@xtra.co.nz
Website: www.jacksonplumbing.co.nz