Top 5 Plumbing mistakes

This is a great topic and obviously plumbers never make mistakes so here are the top five common plumbing mistakes that the untrained make when carrying out plumbing work. Changing a radiator and not removing the radiator valve tail. This is quite a big one and we often get asked for either just the tail or the radiator with the connection. Radiators are not supplied with any tails and only come with a ½ BSP connection that you screw into. So when doing some DIY work and changing a radiator please make sure you take out the radiator valve tail. This has to be done with a large Allen key or radiator spanner. I have a system boiler and want another one! This is a massive common mistake and is often done by even plumbers and gas engineers. It is a matter of terminology and most people think that they have a system boiler because it is doing the whole system, heating and hot water. System boilers are a fairly new invention and allow for a pressurised heating and hot water circuit without a need for a feed and expansion so it is a closed system. A traditional or conventional heating system is an open vent one that has header tanks in the loft and is what generally people have. Most system boilers are used in conjunction with an unvented cylinder for ease of installation. So we always double check and this is easily solved by whether the pump is external to the boiler, if it is then it is a conventional boiler and not a system. This plumbing tip can save you a lot of money so it is always worth double checking that you have selected the right type of system. It should be noted that installing a boiler isn't the sort of DIY project that an amateur should undertake and can fall under unpermitted work as far as the council is concerned, so best to leave this job for the professional plumber or heating engineer. Not cleaning and protecting the system. This is a big mistake and should not be underestimated in the importance of the cleaning and protecting the system. There is a misconception that a new system is clean as it is all newly installed but debris from soldering and the build-up of flux residue in a new system can really impact on its integrity. It is pointless to protect a dirty system and it is really not cost effective for the life of the boiler and new system. This also goes for drain lines and waste pipes too. A liquid drain cleaner can clean these up easily in most cases. However, be careful when handling harsh chemicals and ensure you wear protective clothing and gear. Not reading the instructions for a product. This obviously does not apply to professional plumbers and gas installers because they know it all and do not need to read instructions. For us laymen it is always wise to read the instructions because products change and it may be just a simple thing that is affecting a product and how it works. This tip can prevent a lot of different plumbing problems. Not having the right tool for the job For simple home improvement projects that involve your plumbing system, before you start disconnecting the home's plumbing you should ensure that you have the right tools and parts for the job. Picking up a basic DIY plumber tool kit can help you deal with some real problems with your plumbing. Some plumbing issues such as a leaky faucet or showerhead can be solved just by tightening the connection with a tool such as a basin wrench or monkey wrench. Leaky pipes are also simple to fix when the leak is at the connector. More complex issues with the plumbing system such as soldering joints can require specialist tools and this may be out of the scope of a do it yourself plumbing project. Boilers come with flues. Here at Mr Central Heating we supply most boilers with flues and will always ask what you need as it is a separate pack and is not included within the boiler packaging. You need a flue to vent the emissions away and this can go either vertically or horizontally. You need to let us know what you want and please chat with your plumber before we supply the wrong boiler with the wrong flue. We all make mistakes and hopefully we learn from them. We have had enough chances to learn and 99% of the time we get it right otherwise we would not one of the largest Independent retailers of central heating. Saying that sometimes we get it wrong but if it is our fault we will aim to get it rectified as quickly as we can. If it is your fault we act in the same manner but we all need to be grown up on the impact of costs and what is achievable. We want to help so give us a call today you might be surprised how easy it is to order central heating online.