When planning an alteration or having the plans drawn, check with a plumber that what you want will work.
You will be linking into old sewerage drain lines and it is very important to check that levels are correct and that you have enough depth to ensure the correct falls for your sewage to flow. Also check that your water pressure is sufficient to handle any additional usage that your alterations may cause.
Starting on the ground:
This might be be the time to replace old sewer pipes.
It’s true they made things to last in those days, but your old glazed earthenware drainpipes will not last forever, especially if there are lots of tree roots around.
So if you are installing a fair amount of new drainage, get your old pipes checked at the same time, and replace if necessary with PVC. Ensure that the correct grade of pipe is being used and remember any sewer pipes passing under the building must be encased in concrete.
Your new drainage should also be checked and signed off by the building inspector.
In the roof space:
With the cost of electricity continually on the rise, consider solar heating. The initial expense will be recouped with the saving in electricity.
Ensure that you have a geyser that will supply enough hot water for the needs of the family.
If, like me, you have children who arrive for a few days then leave, it may be more economical to install two smaller geysers and only switch on the second one when the house is full. Timer switches are a great money saver – my wife and I manage comfortably on 2.5 hours of heating a day.
Ensure that the right geyser is installed to suit your water pressure and that all the necessary valves are in place.
Most importantly, ensure that the geyser is installed on an adequately reinforced section of the roof and that a drip tray has been properly fitted with an overflow hose. Although the price of gas is going up, I would look at heating water by means of gas, especially in a busy holiday home where the inconvenience of running out of gas is far less than the inconvenience of no hot water.
Piping:
There will never be a perfect substitute for copper, but the cost is making it a more expensive option, assuming, of course, it isn’t stolen before it is even installed.
For any other type of pipe the plumber may want to use, ask to see proof that it has been subjected to proper testing and is recognised by the major suppliers.
Lagging all pipes will certainly lead to savings on the hot water bill.
If you are having new plumbing done, ensure that you know where the main stopcock is, just in case.
Handy hints: Internal wall problems, plumbing damp
It is co-incidental that both sections of the article this week are on plumbing, but maybe that’s not a bad idea, as what we are about to discuss usually starts off with faulty installation.
There is little that is more unsightly, smelly and embarrassing in your house than plumbing damp. We have all seen it at some stage or another on the bottom of the wall adjacent to the bath or shower, usually right in your eye in the passage or next to the bed in your guest bedroom and, unfortunately, because it is expensive to repair, it tends to get left or, at best, we scrape off the paint and quickly cover it up for a few more months.
But the longer you leave it, the worse it will get and the more it will cost to repair.
Before you summon the plumber, whose meter will be running from the moment he gets your phone call, do some basic checks yourself.
Start by ensuring you do not have a continual leak in a pipe. Make sure all your taps are switched off and that nothing that uses water is running, then go outside, find your council meter, and check to see if any of the little wheels or numbers are moving.
It might be a good idea to switch on a nearby tap for a minute so you can see how the things move.
No movement equals no continual leak, so then you know the damp is appearing after you start using an appliance like the shower.
You should check your meter once a month to ensure that you do not have another leak that is not manifesting as damp, because this would be water you are wasting – and paying for.
Also use this test to ensure that your toilet cisterns aren’t continually running. Often the valve does not close properly and there is a continual flow of water through the cistern.
If the wheels are turning, inspect all visible pipes for signs of leaks, especially in the roof void, I have seen leaking pipes in the roof, where the water has run down the side of the pipe in the wall, until it finds a weak spot in the brickwork or plaster and begins to form damp spots.
While in the roof, ensure that the geyser, drip tray and overflow pipe are not leaking, as this water could also be dripping down a wall and causing damp. Check that the overflow pipe is also discharging on the outside of your external walls; it is amazing how many are not quite long enough and are left to discharge into the outer wall.
If these checks draw a blank and all the evidence points towards a leaking pipe, then it’s time to call the plumber, but hopefully you’ve saved some money by isolating the problem.
In closing, here are two easy things to check. First, in your shower, make sure that the holes behind the tap cover-plates have been properly sealed and closed up. Second, I have seen instances of damp caused by over-filling or excessive bath playtimes with water flying everywhere, and if the back of the bath is not properly sealed, water can leak out there and cause damp on the adjoining wall.
* Contact me at don@macalister.co.za or SMS only to 082 446 3859. - Weekend Argus