Free Plumbing Info discussion thread

A question about : Free Plumbing Info discussion thread

This discussion relates to the article containing Free Plumbing Info given by Ian Puddick. Click reply to discuss.

Best answers:

• Thanks to Ian for his hard work on this and providing us with some very useful information about our questions and other peoples.
• One of the questions in the interesting article was:
  Q: I have an electric shower in my flat (one of the basic Mira ones) and when I turn the dial off it often stays on for up to 30 seconds after I turn the dial.
  I can't remember the make of our electric shower, but it do know that it intentionally stays on for about 10s after being turned off. The reason is that it is pumping out the water from the shower heating system so that if you turn it straight back on again you do not get some water that is heated twice and therefore too hot.
  I don't know if this is what your shower is doing - 30s sounds like a long time for this!
• I have has Aqualisa showers for many years now and have found that their help with problems has been incredible. Often they have supplied spare parts at no cost long after the guanantee has expired.
  www.aqualisa.co.uk
  "To speak to a customer service representative, please call 01959 560 010
  Please note that calls may be monitored for quality and training purposes. Lines are open Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5.00pm."
• It was very interesting to read all the answers to other people's questions but I was a bit disappointed to find after reading through all the tips that none of them answered my queries. Oh well I guess there were too many questions to answer them all and I drew one of the short straws, still very interesting and useful.
• I too missed the opportunity to ask a specific plumbing question, However I will post it here, and with a little bit of luck, somebody else maybe able to give me a bit of advice. Martins weekly tip led me here, so with another bit of luck, it might lead other people here.
  A few years ago, I had a small extension fitted to the end of the kitchen. For whatever reason, the builders did not move the existing mains water stopcock. This area where the stopcock is, is now part of my lounge. I have a solid floor and want to move the stopcock back into the kitchen. My house is about 30 years old. My questions are:-
  I cannot see if the water pipe comes in from outside the house, or under the house. Can I assume that it comes from outside?
  I have an outside water stopcock at the bottom of my drive at the front of the house, (slightly to the side of the house), as do all of my neighbours. Does this mean it is more likely to run down the side of the house and round the back? and if this is so, would I be able to intterupt it on the drive and take it into the kitchen from the front?
  I have spoken to the local water board to check any regs etc, however they told me that as it was on private land, it was not in their scope to either advise or do the job.
  p.s I am assuming it is a plumber that I need for this job?
• Hi
  Not sure if Im writing this in the right box but here goes! I am selling my house and the surveyor has said i have an asbestos concrete cold water tank in the loft, and should be replaced. I have spoken to a plumber and he says it is very unlikely to be asbestos, as house about 50 yrs old probably made of glass reinforced plastic/concrete, which is often mistaken for asbestos. Any opinions, i am wondering whether to challenge what the suveyor has said in housebuyers report. thanks
• I have recently had my Gas fire which is a Baxi Bermuda with boiler behind for central heating, serviced. The plumber that the burner is cracked. Is it dangerous to use my fire? Please could you tell me if I should get a new burner and where from. Thank you
• Sorry - can't help with any of the posts above, but I do have my own experience as a DIY plumber (I am a civil engineer by day) to recount - it may help someone. Many years ago I swore never to touch plumbing after a few "problems". I have found now that after a lot of reading of how plumbing systems are organised e.g tanks and mains supply it's a lot safer. The new push-fit fittings are also very easy and reliable - make sure you put an end sleeve in the end of plastic pipe.
  Recently my thermostatic shower stopped working. This happened at the same time a water meter was fitted to the water connection to my property. After a lot of investigation I fixed the problem.
  1) There was some grit on the gauze filter to the hot water inlet to the shower mixer valve. This must have been reducing the hot water pressure slightly.
  2) The meter installers replaced an old stopcock that must have been throttling the supply, and thus the cold water pressure to the mixer valve. The cold water pressure then increased.
  The resulting imbalance in pressure caused nothing but a cold dribble to emanate from our previously gushing shower. The thermostatic mixer valve could not handle the pressure difference. (and these are very dear to replace). After cleaning the grit out, and installing a push fit isolator valve on the cold water inlet to the shower valve, i cut off the isolator valve, turned on the shower and gradually opened up the valve until the shower started working.
• i have purchased a bathroom suite, and have enquired how much it will cost to fit, its going into the same place as the old one, so no moving around of pipes, i have been quoted wildly varying figures, from Ј4000,
  Ј2.500 from plumbers to someone telling me they got theirs fitted for Ј300 (they have forgotten the number!) can anyone give me a ballpark figure, of what i can expect to pay for just the fitting and not the tiling or moving of pipes. i dont mind paying a fair price for a good job, but with so many horror stories out there am vary of being ripped off.
• I have an Aqualisa Shower (Aquavalve 605) - C605 04T. Installed in 1998. It is leaking at the Control Valve. Can anyone tell me how to extract the existing Control Valve without having to remove the gold shroud and the wallplate. I have taken out the centre piece which has about a 2-inch stem with 3 O-rings on it but I can't see how to get out the main body of the Control Valve, which turns, but doesn't seem to go anywhere. Any pointers will be much appreciated.
  Thanks.
  BB1
• Just recently when we turn on any taps or flush the toilet we get a ring sound from the pipes what could cause this.
  Thanks
• is there a trick of the trade to pinpoint the whereabouts of aleak on my central heating system. it needs topping up every three days.
• I am in the process of installing a new kitchen, but i need to move the stop tap about 20cm, and another pipe moving into a wall, both are inset in a concrete floor, can this be done and would this be expensive?
  Many thanks for any advice.
  Mark
• my daughter lives in room on top floor but her radiator is only warm half way up do you start bleed from ground floor and work up or top floor and work down, also does the heating need to be turned off or left on to bleed. any advice would be welcome.
• I've been quoted Ј800 including VAT for a new plywood / chipwood floor for my bathroom, which is approx 7ft square. The old floor which is water damaged is being taken out, so my toilet and sink has to be removed. When the new floor has been fitted I'm having laminate (that I've already paid for) to be laid.
  Does anyone think that Ј800 is a good deal? What should I expect to pay do you think?
  many thanks!
• Since having a new ball valve fitted in the cold water tank in my loft the hot water suppy is noisy after you turn the taps off. It sounds the same as after you flush the loo and its filling up. The hot water didn't make this noise before. Does anyone know what the problem is or how to fix it. The plumber says it is normal, but it never used to make this noise. It is not an airlock or water knock.
• There are boxed in pipes in the 2nd bedroom in our house. Any water (cold/hot) from anywhere in the house causes the pipes to click. Even putting on the washing machine/dishwasher/flushing the toilet makes them click.
  The worst point is when the bath water is let out it clicks every second and gradually goes down to every 10 seconds, but it is about half an hour before it stops completely.
  The noise seems to be coming from the lower half of the wall or maybe the floorboards.
  The only thing stopping me phoning a plumber is the cost. Does anyone know how much it would be to fix this problem?
  Also a friend of mine had pipes insulated and it didn't make any difference?!