Tag
Water heaters
13 articles
ArticleHow to Install a Wall-Mounted Shower Mixer: Checking the Wall Outlets, Setting Eccentric Unions, Mounting the Mixer, Slide Rail or Shower Column, and Leak TestingA client has bought a new chrome shower set and wants it fitted this afternoon. Another is renovating a bathroom and asks you to "leave the pipes ready for the shower" before the t…
ArticleWater heater leaking electricity: how to test it and when to replaceAn electric water heater "leaks electricity" when the insulation inside it — usually in the heating element, sometimes in the supply cable, the socket or the thermostat — has faile…
ArticleHow to Install a Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV) on a Home Water Supply: Measuring Pressure, Choosing and Positioning the Valve, Setting It and Fixing Common FaultsA client on a lower floor of an apartment block says the taps "explode" when opened, the washing machine hose burst last month, and the water heater's safety valve drips every even…
ArticleInstalling an evacuated-tube solar water heater on a town house: positioning, pipe connections, non-return valve, electric backup heating and commissioning"Can you install an evacuated-tube solar water heater on our roof?" The unit looks simple: a horizontal tank, a row of glass tubes and a frame. But a poor installation has serious…
ArticleWater heater leaking, safety valve dripping continuously or no hot water: 7 steps for plumbers to check and fix it safely"Our water heater keeps dripping from the valve at the bottom — is it about to break?" "When I showered this morning, water was running down the wall from the bottom of the heater.…
ArticleUnusually high electricity bill: checking the meter and tracing current leakage in the home“This month’s electricity bill has doubled, but we’re using everything the same as before.” “Could the house have a current leak?” “Or is the meter running wrong?” Electricians get…
ArticleTaps spluttering air and water flowing in bursts because of air in the pipes: finding the cause and bleeding air from water supply pipes correctly"The water came back this morning, but when I open the tap it keeps spluttering, the water spurts out in bursts and splashes everywhere, flowing and stopping." Plumbers often get c…
ArticleWeak shower flow: 7 steps to find the cause, from the shower head to the roof tank and the water heater“My shower just drizzles, I can never rinse the soap off.” “The cold water is strong, but as soon as I turn on the hot water it gets really weak.” “On the ground floor the water gu…
ArticleWater pipes banging, vibrating and knocking when a tap is shut off (water hammer): 7 steps to find the cause and fix it for good"Every time I turn off the kitchen tap there's a 'clunk' inside the wall, and the same when the washing machine finishes filling." Plumbers get this call quite often, especially fr…
ArticleWiring an electric water heater safely against electric shock: dedicated cable and breaker, RCBO/RCD, earthing and checking for current leaking into the waterA customer calls: “Could you come and wire up my new water heater? The plumber has already mounted it and connected the pipes.” Or, more worryingly: “Every time we shower, our hand…
ArticleLow Water Pressure at Home: How to Find the Cause Step by Step, from Aerators and Filters to Rooftop Tanks and Booster Pumps"The water is so weak I can't rinse my hair." Low water pressure is one of the most common calls a residential plumber gets, and one of the easiest to get wrong. A new shower head…
ArticleHow to Replace a Kitchen Sink Mixer Tap: Shut-Off, Removing the Old Faucet, Fitting Flexible Hoses and Leak TestingA dripping, wobbly or cracked kitchen tap is one of the most common calls a residential plumber gets, and replacing it is a job every learner should be able to do cleanly in an hou…