At Redsea Plumbing we strive to help. As our mission states, we are 100% customer focused. That’s why we have compiled some handy tips and interesting facts below, to help you, the customer. If your particular concern is not listed, please feel free to contact us, and we will be able to advise you on the best possible solution.

Problems with Hot Water Systems?

No Hot Water?

How does your HWC work?

High Water Bill?

How to Read your Home's Water Meter

Suspected Gas Leak?

How do I Turn Off my Gas?

Waste Disposal Tips and Common Problems

Desirable Qualities of Water for Domestic Use

10 Best Ways to Conserve Water

 No Hot Water?

This often happens at the most inconvenient times, however these helpful checks may save you the cost of a plumber or electrician call out charge.

• • Power Supply - your power provider may have a problem with the power supply to your hot water cylinder. As the power provider controls the electricity to your hot water heater, you may want to contact your power provider and request a tariff control check as it may be a fault which they are responsible for.
  • Hot Water Heater - there may be a fault with the heating element, thermostat or tempering valve.
  • Extra Load - if there is an extra demand on your hot water heater, i.e. guests staying, this may explain your lack of hot water. Alternatively, the hot water heater may not be of sufficient size to meet the needs of the household. There are some options with this problem worth discussing with your local plumber, Neuservice Plumbing. 

How does your HWC work?

A water heater consists of the following parts:

• • A heavy inner steel tank that holds the hot water
  • Insulation surrounding the tank
  • A dip tube to let cold water into the tank
  • A pipe to let hot water out of the tank
  • A thermostat to control the temperature of the water inside the tank
  • Heating elements to heat the water
  • A drain valve that allows you to drain the tank to replace the elements or move the tank
  • A pressure relief valve
  • A sacrificial anode rod to help keep the steel tank from corroding

A water heater uses nothing more than the "heat rises" principle to separate hot water from cold water in the tank. As cold water comes in, it remains at the bottom of the tank because it is denser than hot water. If you use the hot water faster than the heating elements can heat the incoming cold water, and if you consume all of the hot water that the tank holds, you run out of hot water in the middle of your shower. 

High Water Bill?

If your water account seems too high, these are a few tips on how to check for leakages:

• • Check for any dripping taps (including outside garden taps).
  • Is the toilet(s) running continuously?
  • Is there water dripping from the overflow pipe outside?
  • Check the hot water overflow on the roof?
  • Look in the garden for a pipe leak - grass is very lush around a leaking pipe.
  • Can you hear the sound of water running at night?
  • Check the water main connections.

How to Read your Home's Water Meter

1. Fix all obvious drips and water leaks.
2. Locate your water meter box, which is usually near your front boundary.
3. The meter is normally in a box with a blue or black rectangular lid on it. The reading dials are usually under a flip-up cover.
4. Read your meter and note down all the numbers. The numbers on a meter are read from the right. Then ensure that no water at all is used in the home for a set period of time.
5. Read it again approximately 3 hours later.
6. Subtract the first number from the second - do you have a leak?

Suspected Gas Leak?

• • If you smell gas around an appliance, turn it off and call a Registered Gas fitter for advice straight away.
  • If you can still smell gas after turning off the appliance...

DO

• • • Turn off the gas supply at the cylinder (if LPG) or gas meter (if natural gas)
    • Open doors and windows to ventilate the area
    • Go to a phone safely away from your home or work place and call your gas network operator

DO NOT

• • • Switch on or off any lights or electrical appliances in the room, as this could ignite the gas and cause an explosion
    • Use a telephone or mobile phone near any suspected gas leak
    • Try to track the gas leak yourself
    • Light matches, lighter or cigarettes in the area

How do I Turn Off my Gas?

If you're using a free-standing gas appliance with an LPG cylinder, use the valve on top of the cylinder to stop the gas flow. All valves need to be closed to shut off the supply if you have more than one cylinder.

If your home or workplace is supplied from the natural gas network, you can turn off the gas at the meter outside the property. Turn the valve on the main pipe from 'On' to 'Off'. ('On' is when the handle is in line with the pipe. 'Off' is when the handle is at 90 degrees to the pipe.) You may need a spanner or crescent wrench to do this. Once gas has been turned off at the meter it must be reconnected by an authorised gas network representative.

Waste Disposal Tips and Common Problems

1. It's Jammed - your disposer can jam if foreign objects get into it. You may be able to dislodge whatever has jammed the disposer. Make sure the disposer is unplugged and turned off before trying to remove the object. If you can't find a foreign object and have no success in freeing up the jam, then seek expert assistance.

2. It Hums - if, when you turn on the switch, you hear the motor humming but it's not mincing the waste, then turn off disposer to avoid damaging the motor. The disposer may be jammed or the motor is giving up. Again, a professional is probably required.

3. It's on but nothing is happening - on the bottom of the waste disposer is a small red button - the reset button or trip switch. Flick this back on and you may find this fixes the problem without having to call in a professional. If not, its best to get Neuservice out to help.

4. Grinding poorly - the disposer may be blocked, and you will notice water and muck backing up into your sink. This will require a professional to unblock and clean out. If the drain line is clear but the disposer still does not seem to grind up the waste well, then the unit is probably worn. As waste disposal units age, they gradually wear out and/or rust internally. If your disposer has reached this stage, call Neuservice for advice on the best way to replace your unit.

Desirable Qualities of Water for Domestic Use

Water for domestic use should fulfil the following conditions:

1. It should be practically colourless, clear, sparkling, and free from sediment.
2. It should be pleasant to taste and have no smell.
3. It should be soft to feel, dissolve soap easily, and not contain excessive amounts of mineral matter.
4. It should be free of organic matter.
5. It should not contain organisms which may cause disease.

10 Best Ways to Conserve Water

The following hints are designed to help you save money and preserve our water resources.

1. Run your washing machine and dishwasher only when they are full and you could save thousands of litres a month. Also, if you run them past 7:00pm you will save on energy as well.

2. Don't let the water run while you brush your teeth and you could save up to 15L a minute.

3. Grab that wrench or call Neuservice Plumbing to fix that leaky faucet. Its easy, inexpensive and could save you 500L a month.

4. When doing laundry, match the water level to the size of the load so you don't accidently over water the load. Also, try to only do laundry when you are going to do a full load.

5. Install low-flow shower heads in all showers and aerated faucets on your sinks. They are inexpensive, easy to install, and can save your family up to 3000L a week. Hint: if your shower can fill a 3L bucket in less that 20 seconds, then you probably need to replace it with a more water efficient showerhead.

6. By re-using your shower/bath towel multiple times, it will cut down on the amount of laundry you will produce.

7. Verify that your home is leak-free! Many homes have hidden water leaks. See "How to read your home's water meter".

8. Use a hose nozzle and turn off the water while you wash your car.

9. Consider installing an instant tankless water heater so you don't have to let the water run while it heats up.

10. Store drinking water in the refrigerator rather than letting the tap water run every time you want a cool glass of water.