Plumbing Utilities- The key to a comfortable home
A house is as comfortable as the convenience it can provide. Some household installations and appliances may fall into the category of luxury.
But many are necessities which make your life easier. One such utility is the plumbing network of your home.
For ease of understanding, you can divide this network into two parts: The water network and the gas network. The water network starts from the supply of water to your home and ends in drainage. The gas network starts from the supply of gas and ends at your gas appliances.
Water is required for performing several tasks such as bathing, washing clothes, washing crockery, and maintaining your hygiene. Gas is required for your gas boiler and other gas appliances.
Both intertwine when it comes to providing hot water for various purposes such as bathing, washing, and heating appliances such as your central heating system. Both these networks comprise several parts such as piping, valves, pumps, appliances, etc.
These extensive installations make your plumbing network a highly complex one. Which should only be dealt with by a certified and qualified plumber.
Safety & Security should be the top priority
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Another common threat that gas boilers pose is carbon monoxide poisoning. When natural gas is burnt, one of the by-products is CO which is also extremely toxic.
What makes it even more dangerous than natural gas is that CO is odourless and cannot be detected easily.
Any exposure to CO will make you feel nauseatic and dizzy, and even lead to loss of life. It is for this reason, that carbon monoxide detectors/alarm systems are installed with every gas boiler.
Exposed to natural gas or CO, the first thing you should do is call for help, and turn off all gas connections. You know where they are, and try to stay in the open air till help arrives.
If you live in Southampton, it is always better to call Local Plumbers Southampton, so that no time is wasted and you get a rapid response.
Natural gas and its dangers
Because a large part of your plumbing network deals with the supply of gas and hot water, safety should be your top priority.
Gas appliances such as gas boilers burn natural gas to provide heat energy which is in turn required for heating water.
Natural gas, a mixture of hydrocarbon gasses, has a high content of methane which is highly inflammable and toxic.
Exposure to gas, especially in a confined space, can lead to natural gas poisoning. Which if not treated on emergency grounds can even lead to death. The fact that natural gas burns in an instant are another potential danger of gas leakage.
Any gas leakage, whether minor or major, should be addressed right away and requires Emergency Plumbing Repair.
Certified & Registered plumbers/engineers
It is for the reasons stated above that the British government has a set of regulations when it comes to gas and gas appliances. Only engineers who are registered as Gas safe are authorized to provide these services.
While other plumbing issues can be resolved by ordinary plumbers, sensitive installations. And repairs must be handled by gas-safe registered engineers. You can check online if the firm or individual you are hiring is registered as gas safe.
Landlord gas safety certificate
Another important step that the government has taken to ensure the safety of occupants is the obligatory requirement of providing a landlord gas safety certificate.
According to this regulation, every landlord who has even one gas appliance installed on his property has to carry out a safety check once a year. The service is again provided only by engineers who are registered as gas safe.
At the end of the safety check, the engineer of the firm will provide you with a safety certificate which you can show to your tenants as well as provide to the relevant authorities.
Other plumbing issues which may require emergency plumbing repair
There are several plumbing problems, some will warn you while other may surprise you but most of them will require Emergency Plumbing Repair. These include:
- Water leakage
- Corroded piping.
- Inoperative valves.
- Bathroom repairs or complete installation.
- Installation/replacement of sanitary wares.
- Sanitation and sewerage issues.
- Blocked drains and blocked showerheads.
- Inoperative immersion heater.
- Inoperative or inefficient central heating system.
- Boiler display errors
- Others.
Build a relationship
Perhaps the best idea to deal with plumbing issues is to hire people who are trustworthy and with whom you can build a lifelong relationship.
Having a plumbing firm as a backup twenty-four-seven for minor or major repairs/replacement can eliminate the hassle of finding a new plumber every time there is a plumbing issue.
