Watch for tell-tale plumbing faults

Press, 14 May 1981, Page 13

Watch for tell-tale plumbing faults

Care on the part of the homeowner can often eliminate the need for major plumbing maintenance. It is also important to detect early the tell-tale signs that all is not well with a particular part of your plumbing system.

Those who suffer least when gremlins get into the plumbing are the people who detect a malfunction early and know how to react.

Observing a few simple rules can do much to alleviate the inconvenience and upset of a plumbing breakdown.

Firstly,' know where to

find the tap that controls your household main. Usually, it will be just outside your front boundary line, partially enclosed in a box or cylinder. Secondly, note down in a safe place the telephone number of your local master plumber. He will best know what to do, giving you on-the-spot advice or coming to your aid immediately if necessary. One of the most common causes of blocked plumbing can be the discharge of tea leaves down the sink. Usually, this is harmless if care is taken to sluice the tea leaves with plenty of water. However, if this is not done, a gradual build-up of leaves will occur, leading to the eventual inconvenience of a blocked drain. Call a plumber immedi-

ately if you lose something

down a sink or handbasin. Small items, such as a ring or contact lens, might lodge in the S-bend or trap if the water flow Is instantly stopped. Water mains can burst for a variety of reasons. Old age is a common cause while

home handymen and gardeners take their toll of pipes. Make sure you know where the pipes run through the walls of the house and so avoid puncturing them. A common household plumbing emergency is a tap not turning off. This probably would not have happened without warning — the tap needed attention when it took extra turns before the water supply stopped. The continual force of tightening the tap shows itself in a strained shaft. This is when problems occur.