Fixing a leaking tap is a job that just about every home handyman has tried, but there’s usually more to it than just replacing the washer. Servicing a standard tap and replacing the washer and O-Ring Whilst we recommend a leaking tap only be fixed by a qualified plumber (as incorrect servicing of a tap can cause irreversible damage to the tap body), it can in most cases be done by carefully following the steps below:
Turn off the main water supply.
Using an adjustable spanner, remove the tap cover, placing a cloth between tap and tool to prevent scratching.
Use an open-ended spanner to unscrew the gland nut, and expose and remove the old washer.
Use a re-seating tool to shave the tap seat back to a flat, shiny surface.
Replace the O-ring on the spindle and apply grease.
Flush away filing debris and insert spindle with the new tap washer.
Reassemble the tap (taking care not to over-tighten the gland nut) and turn main water supply back on.
HANDY HINT
We always recommend you buy replacement tapware or fixtures from a recognised plumbing supplier, as their items will always be covered by warranty should any fault occur – unlike when you buy from a regular hardware store or chain.
Read more about how Plumbdog Perth can help you with your Leaking Taps or give us a call on 1300 884 146.
Plumbdog Plumbing Perth are following the advice and recommendations released from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Australian Government, and we are monitoring the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak very closely.
The safety of our employees, contractors, customers, and suppliers remains our highest priority through this difficult time. Plumbdog Plumbing will be following these guidelines and updating them throughout, as required.
We can confirm our employees and contractors have not travelled internationally within the past 14 days.
We can confirm our employees and contractors have not to our knowledge, been in contact with anyone who has a confirmed case of Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Plumbdog Plumbing will follow strict quarantine measures where required by the World Health Organisation (WHO) / Australian government, to ensure the safety of our people and the West Australian community.
At Plumbdog we already had a screening process in place whereby all of our clients are required to complete our online booking form prior to us confirming our client’s bookings. This booking form allows us to gather specific plumbing details we require for each job including clients name, residential address, phone number, and email address. Our valued clients are also required to advise of who we are meeting us at the property during our visit, for reasons such as access, works approvals and for payment.
Due to the seriousness of this Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak we have added some extra questions to our online booking form, allowing us to understand who is residing in the property and if they are showing any symptoms relating to Coronavirus (COVID-19). Should any client answer yes to our specific ‘screening’ questions, then we will be using our due diligence and will be assessing each booking on a case by case basis whether or not we will be able to attend the property. Fortunately, in many instances our work is external of the property, such as when we are clearing blocked drains, performing water leak detection and repairs, and when we are repairing hot water systems, and so by monitoring risk we are confident in minimising the risk to our employees, contractors, and customers.
The questions we have added to our booking process are as follows:
Has any person residing in the property been in contact with anyone who has a confirmed case of COVID-19?
Has any person residing in the property travelled internationally in the past 14 days?
Is any person residing in the property showing signs of any flu-like symptoms such as fever, sore throat, coughing, or difficulty breathing?
We hope our valued clients understand and do not take offence in our need to include this screening in our booking process, but we have or duty of care for the general public of Perth and surrounding suburbs to ensure we are able to help those in need throughout this terrible time. If we ourselves at Plumbdog become infected, then we are not able to help others and will ourselves be at home in quarantine with our families.
We see ourselves as the go to Perth plumbing specialists, and we need to ensure we are on call and available to homes and businesses in ensuring they are able to remain open and operate as effectively as possible, in regards to plumbing and gas fitting during this difficult time.
Our greatest sympathies go out to all of those people who are, and who will be affected by this horrendous virus, and we wish you and your families all the very best in your full recovery.
We are confident in our government and the Australian people that we will all bounce back, and we are sure this outbreak will bring us closer together and allow us never to forget the importance of community, family, friendship, and supporting local business .
We look forward to being able to assist our valued clients, should you have any questions, please do not hesitate in contacting us via our website or by telephone 1300 884 146.
Updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) can be found here.
What is involved in installing your new hot water system?
Hot water systems are made to last anywhere from 6-15 years. Over this time, safety regulations have changed in both the plumbing and gas worlds…
There are a lot more items we need to check to make sure installations are compliant.
Before
We were recently requested to replace this unit and in doing so we needed to bring this install up to standard.
For the new unit we needed to install a heat trap, a tempering valve, an expansion control valve, 2 drains and a soak pit under each drain. We also needed to add a gas shut off valve.
For some units, there will be even more that needs to be done, like the addition of a concrete slab under the unit…
After
This is what the pipework looks like after all the new standards have been applied to the new install.
N.B. These items are NOT included in a straight swap install.
Continue reading to find out what each one of these items does to protect your system and house…
Heat Traps & Lagging (insulation)
Heat traps are valves and or loops of pipe installed on the cold water inlet and hot water outlet pipes on hot water systems. They allow cold water to flow into the system, but prevent hot water from flowing out of the system back up the cold water pipes.
Lagging is insulation used to reduce heat loss and conserve the energy consumed. It is important that the heated water piping has adequate insulation to minimise heat loss.
A tempering valve ensures your hot water is at a safe temperature for personal hygiene use. A tempering valve has a temperature sensitive element which adjusts the level of cold water depending on the temperature of the water from the hot water system.
Regulations on safe water services are Australia-wide and fall under the Plumbing Code of Australia (PCA). The water in a hot water storage system must be kept at a minimum of 60°C (AS3500.4.2 Clause 1.6) to prevent bacteria. The maximum temperature water can leave the tap is 50°C (AS3498) and a maximum of 45°C in institutions such as early childhood centres, schools, and nursing homes or other facilities where the young, sick, aged or disabled could be using hot water.
A tempering valve or other tempering device reduces your hot water temperature at the tap, to allow you to meet both Australian standards.
Tempering Valves should be replaced every 4 years.
Read the technical note from the Plumbers Licensing Board >> Tempering Valves.pdf
Expansion Control Valves
Expansion Control Valves limit the maximum pressure in a pressurised, unvented water heater system by relieving excess pressure to the drain line.
Expansion Control Valves should only be installed on the cold or inlet installation on a water heater as the valve is primarily intended to cope with the excess pressure generated during a normal heating cycle.
Expansion Control Valves are safety valves and should be replaced every 4 years.
Temperature/Pressure Relief Valves
Temperature & Pressure Relief Valves are safety controls which ensure that the temperature of the water in a pressurised unvented water heater cannot exceed 99° C in the event that the normal thermostatic controls fail.
These valves may be used to guard against overtemperature and over-pressure hazards wherever water is stored in unvented containers. This is a requirement of Australian Standard AS 3500-4.
Temperature & Pressure relief valves are safety valves and should be replaced every 4 years.
Gas Shut Off Valves (not shown above)
Allows the manual isolation of the gas flow in natural gas and LPG systems. In the open position (gas is flowing) the handle (lever) will be parallel with the pipe, when it is closed (gas not flowing) the handle (lever) will be perpendicular to the pipe.
Read the Newsletter ‘Gas Focus’ for more details >> Gas Valve.pdf
Soak Pits
Required so that the release of steam or hot water is controlled and does not cause a nuisance, is readily noticeable and will not cause damage to buildings or injury to persons.
Some units will require two pits to be installed and they should have gravel placed in the bottom. One pit for the Expansion Valve and one for the Temperature & Pressure Relief Valve.
As replacing a hot water system involves touching the gas lines, a gas pressure test will need to be carried out to ensure that the system and pipework is gas-tight.
After your system has been replaced
Your hot water system should be serviced every two years to make sure it continues working efficiently.
Read our post about Anodes to learn more about how a storage hot water system works and how to keep it running smoothly. Read the blog post
If you have any questions, please feel free to give Plumbdog Perth a call – 1300 884 146.
At Plumbdog Plumbing we like to facilitate as much training as possible and yesterday i had the privilege of spending the day out on the road with Darius from Plumbdog Midland. There’s no better way to share our skills with each other than being out on the road and attending actual jobs together. In the world of plumbing maintenance and emergencies our work is so varied and so its great to be able to see first hand how we each go about solving plumbing maintenance concerns for our clients individually. It really helps us to deliver the same high standard of customer service for our clients which we believe is the backbone of our business.
I particularly enjoy spending time with Darius because his enthusiasm towards plumbing and customer service is contagious, I believe Darius is the best of the best in plumbing maintenance, and no one loves plumbing more than Darius!
Recently I recorded a video and posted a blog in relation to this Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, as this situation has put us all in a very unknown territory, where none of us really no how it will affect us all individually . It almost feels like the calm before the storm out there on the streets of Perth, Western Australia.
I was really proud to see how Darius was handling himself and how he was asking his clients if they had any special requests in order to satisfy their personal safety concerns during the time that we were on site performing plumbing services.
It was great to see so many clients protecting themselves and also protecting us during our encounter with them. One client asked if it was okay for only one of the two of us to enter her property to minimise risk as she was concerned about the health and well being of her husband, and so she asked Darius if he wouldn’t mind washing his hands before getting started with servicing her leaking toilet. Our client had prepared some homemade soap and a laid out a clean hand towel for Darius to use, and asked if he wouldn’t mind placing the towel immediately into her washing machine once he was finished washing his hands. Another client spoke to us through her fly screen at her front door, and at the point Darius required her signature in order to formally accept our quotation he gave her the option to use her own pen if she preferred. She accepted Darius offer to use her own pen, and also wore surgical gloves in an attempt to best protect herself and not come into physical contact with our quotation sheet. None of these requests were unreasonable for Darius and he was more than happy to oblige.
Following this valuable feedback we have decided to add extra bullet points to our booking form process and are we are now giving our clients the opportunity to voice any special requests they may have whilst we are on site in relation to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. So now our clients have the opportunity to request anything within reason in order to help them feel safe during our attendance to their properties. We will do our upmost to accommodate and meet these expectations, and will certainly discuss all points to ensure the health and safety of everyone concerned.
Plumbdog Plumbing will continue to evaluate and improve its services in relation to safety to our clients and our people , so our clients can be assured that we will not allow any plumbers to attend clients properties should they themselves have any symptoms.
Please contact us should you have any questions or if you require our services.
A tempering valve ensures your hot water is at a safe temperature for personal hygiene use. A tempering valve has a temperature sensitive element which adjusts the level of cold water depending on the temperature of the water from the hot water system.
Expansion Control Valves limit the maximum pressure in a pressurised, unvented water heater system by relieving excess pressure to the drain line.
Allows the manual isolation of the gas flow in natural gas and LPG systems. In the open position (gas is flowing) the handle (lever) will be parallel with the pipe, when it is closed (gas not flowing) the handle (lever) will be perpendicular to the pipe.
Required so that the release of steam or hot water is controlled and does not cause a nuisance, is readily noticeable and will not cause damage to buildings or injury to persons.