The Boiler:
It is a good idea to carry out a regular on your central heating boiler as this will make sure that will work at its best and in an efficient way. This will include safety checks to make sure there are no poisonous gases being produced. If you can see the flame in the boiler it should burn blue, as a yellow flame indicates a problem. If you have any work done on your boiler is should always be undertaken by a registered plumber. If yours is a pressurised system, visually check the pressure at regular intervals to ensure it is within the manufacturers specifications. Highgate Plumbers provide a professional guaranteed service.

Drips:
You should never leave any water drip like a tap. A perished washer in your water cistern will definitely fail at some point and not at the best time. If you use a wrench on appliances like taps, shroud them with an old rag or cloth so it is not scratched. Always isolate first.

Valves:
Always make a point of finding your main stopcock, so that it can isolated in an emergency. Make some time to find and label the other valves you have in the house.

Freezing:
Any pipes that are regularly exposed to sever weather must be insulated. Before the winter months you should go around the house and visually inspect your pipework, especially in the attic and basement if you have them. Isolate any outside plumbing like the garden tap when the cold weather begins. A Highgate Plumber is a trained professional.


Waste Pipes and Drains:
Bath and shower drains will easily block with hair etc. so lots of people fit their drains with a removable filter. These need to be checked at regular intervals. If you need to unblock a drain, try using a plunger rather than chemical agents. Outside drains can easily block with leaves and moss etc. A good idea is to fit a leaf guard.

Emergency Plumbing:
If you know how to deal with a plumbing emergency you could save a lot of stress and expense. There’s a product called LLFA tape that can seal a split pipe – it might be worth keeping some in your toolbox. But always keep your local plumbers name and number handy.