Tips to Prevent a Plumbing Emergency

There is nothing worse than suffering from a plumbing emergency, especially when it is out of hours. These emergencies can cause a lot of hassle and be extremely costly to fix but you may be able to avoid the emergency by carrying out routine maintenance on your plumbing and being careful. Otherwise, you will need to enlist the help of an emergency plumber like First Call Plumbing.

Ensure the Drains are Maintained

One of the most common plumbing emergencies are blocked drains which cause water to overflow, or even worse, sewage to back up and flow out into the house or garden. These emergencies are largely preventable by taking proper care and doing maintenance on your drains. Do not allow grease, oil, hair, food or other debris to go down the drains. Throw out the grease, and use strainers or traps to catch the other stuff. Only ever flush toilet paper – nothing else should go down the drain. Also, make sure that tree roots are kept under control and away from plumbing. If you’re planting new trees, choose ones that don’t have invasive root systems and keep them as far away from pipes as possible.

If you like you can use one of the common drain cleaners that are available in stores periodically to ensure that your drains are kept in top condition. You should only have to do this once or twice a year but make sure you follow the instructions on the container.

Check All Leaks

You might think that it is only a tiny leak, but you’d be surprised at how a small leak can turn into a big problem. The leak might only be because of a worn washer but if you have a loose or leaking pipe, fixing the leak while it’s small will save you from the worst-case scenario of the pipe becoming totally loose and gushing water everywhere.

Also, have your place checked regularly by a plumber for hidden leaks as much of the domestic and commercial plumbing and heatingsystems is on the walls and floors where you cannot see. We employ leak detection technologies that can pick up those small hidden leaks that you’d otherwise never know about and you can get the problem fixed while it is still small.

If you do see a damp spot, get it checked straightaway before the leak turns into a flood!

Find out the Pipe Runs

If you are doing any digging, drilling or renovation work that is likely to take you near water pipes, always make sure that you know exactly where those pipes are so that you don’t cut into or damage them, resulting in you having to call a plumber to fix the problem that you’ve created. You may find that your house plans outline where plumbing runs. If you are at all unsure, it’s a good idea to check.

Know Where to Turn the Water Off

Knowing how to turn off the water supply to your home is vital if the worst unexpectedly occurs and a pipe breaks. The quicker you turn off the water, the less damage will be done not only to your home but also to the plumbing. Turning the water off quickly may mean that your plumber does not have to do such an extensive repair job.

How To Check The Home Electrical Installation

To maintain your electrical installation in perfect conditions it is necessary to check the plugs periodically. When one of them gives problems, it is advisable to fix it as soon as possible. In this post, we explain how to change a plugging step by step, as well as the safety parameters and necessary material.

Material To Change A Plug

A flathead screwdriver will be the only tool needed to change a plug. There is a wide variety of screwdrivers in the market, but in the case of the plug, you only need the best-known one. According to your preferences, you can use a manual or electric screwdriver.

New Plug

Before starting to remove the broken plug, have the mechanism to replace it by hand. In addition to the plug, you must acquire the base of the plug and frame that will accompany it. To choose the new plug, value the design and aesthetics of the article. It is also important that it matches the size and proportions of the mechanism that will replace it.

Although there are multiple models on the market (glass, wood, striped, metallic plugs...), remember that all the mechanisms work exactly the same. Next, to the plug, remember to acquire a new base for the plug you are going to install and everything will be ready for the installation to begin.

Step-By-Step Plug Installation

When changing the old mechanism for the new one, the first step is to close the general house light to avoid any risk of electric shock. Therefore, it is necessary to make the change during the day to have the necessary visibility thanks to sunlight.

Below we detail the steps to follow for the installation;

1. Remove the frame from the old plug. This piece is fixed under pressure and its extraction is done in the same way. You can insert the tip of the screwdriver between the frame of the plug and the wall to pry.

2. Unscrew the old plug and cover. First, unscrew the central cover, which is the plug itself. Normally it is provided with a screw in the center that you must unscrew. Next, remove the mechanism where the lid is embedded. This usually has two screws on the sides, one on the left and one on the right, which are usually hooked directly to the universal box. When you loosen the screws, you will see that the mechanism is already hanging outside the wall and with the cables on.

3. Disconnect the cables.  To disconnect the cables, pay attention to the connection system. The trimmers are small levers are placed by the back of the mechanism, in the area where the cable is connected. To release the mechanism, you must squeeze these levers and this pressure will cause the cable to come out. This operation should be repeated with the three cables, two above and one below, which are differentiated by colours:

•  Phase: is the blue or black cable, is on the top.
•  Neutral: it is the brown cable and it is also at the top.
•  Earthing: this is the green and yellow cable that is located in the lower part.

4. Connect the cables to the new mechanism.  Have both parts of the new plug at hand: the loose mechanism and the frame. Take the mechanism first to connect it to the cables. You must place two cables on top and one on the bottom:

• The blue/black cable is inserted into the hole marked with the letter L line.
• The brown wire is inserted in the letter N of neutral.
• The green and yellow wire are inserted in the lower hole.

To insert the cables, the procedure is simple: insert the cable into the remaining gap, release the lever and check that it has been properly secured. When making the change, make sure there is no loose copper wire. (You always need a reliable electrician, so make sure you reach them before something goes wrong) 

5. Insert the mechanism in the flush-mounted box. To fit the mechanism, insert the mechanism into the hole in the wall making sure that the long cables are bent at the back. Check that the cables have been left inside and no cables are left.

6. Screw the new mechanism. Once the mechanism has been fitted, you must put back the screws on the sides of the universal box. Normally this one has two small holes in each of its ends, which is where the screws should be fitted.

7. Place the frame and lid, if you prefer to use a trim. Once the mechanism is installed, only the plug cover and its corresponding frame need to be replaced.