Emergency Services

 With conventional taps, the knob to the right of the spout controls the cold water and the knob to the left controls the hot water. With a single-lever mixer, the hot and cold water are controlled with the same handle. Sliding the handle to the right controls the cold water, and sliding it to the left controls the hot water. Both types of taps, however, are fed by two supply pipes located under the washbasin. Switching from hot to cold water is a simple task that requires only basic plumbing skills. You can also adjust the mix of hot and cold water that the tap dispenses. Switching water pipes These are chrome-coloured knobs on the back wall under the sink with a thin plastic or metal tube running up to the tap. Turn each knob anticlockwise to turn off the water supply . Turn on the tap to make sure that the water supply is turned off before removing the supply lines. Loosen the supply pipes by turning the nut securing the supply pipe to the shut-off valve anticlockwise with a spa...

  For a perfect flush, you need a functioning toilet float. A toilet float is a small device that ensures that the toilet bowl fills with water without overflowing. This small device, sometimes called a ball valve, can become misaligned from time to time, leaving you in a predicament. If you are not getting the right amount of water into your toilet bowl (too much or too little) or the toilet sounds like it is constantly running, check your toilet float. It may be that the float needs to be adjusted. It is relatively easy to know how to adjust the float. Before you call a plumber or flood your bathroom, check your toilet float and see if you can adjust it yourself.  Remove the tank lid First, remove the toilet tank lid, which is the large cap that sits on the back of the toilet. Next you need to identify the float in the tank. Every toilet looks a little different, but usually the floats are easy to identify. Your toilet float should look like a ball floating on the water in ...

  If you look forward to gardening every spring, you need to know how to care for your old outdoor water taps to keep them working well. Salty sea breezes and cold temperatures can wear down valve seals and corrode metal parts. The results can be dripping, rusty outdoor faucet handles that won't turn, or splashing from the handle when the faucet is turned on. Another possibility is that the outside tap turns constantly or cannot be turned off. Outside taps or spigots use pressure valves and are among the easiest taps to repair. All you need are a few tools, a little muscle power and some inexpensive replacement parts. Evaluate the old parts of the outdoor tap Analyse the problem before you embark on an outdoor tap repair . If the tap is dripping, you will probably need to disassemble it. If the tap is leaking where it connects to the water pipe, you may be able to fix the leak by tightening the tap. Also, you can often stop water spraying out of the handle by tightening the bush th...

  A howling noise when filling the toilet tank may be due to something simple, such as a partially closed valve. However, often the problem is that one or more parts of the ball valve need to be cleaned or replaced. To determine the cause of the howling, you must first make the simplest repairs before replacing the entire assembly . Toilet tank assemblies Inside your toilet tank are two assemblies: the ball valve and the flush valve. The ball valve controls the water fill in the tank, and the flush valve controls the flow of water from the tank to the bowl. When you flush the toilet, the lever or arm lifts the chain or wire attached to the flapper. When the flap lifts, the water is directed through the valve seat into the basin. Once the tank is empty, the plug falls back over the opening in the tank and the float ball releases the ball valve, allowing new water to flow through the tank filling pipe. Blockage or damage to the ball valve will obstruct the flow of water and cause a l...

  If you are removing a sink in the kitchen , bathroom or laundry room, you will need to disconnect the drain from the waste pipe. Unless you are planning a new sink, you will probably want to remove it and patch the wall. When you open up the wall, you will probably find that the stub has vertical connections to the basement drain and the roof. If you can find these pipes in the attic or crawl space, it is possible to cut them off and remove them. If you cannot find them, it is probably better to seal the pipes behind the wall. Locate the studs on either side of the drain stub you want to remove with a stud finder. Using a box cutter and a wall saw, cut a rectangular piece of drywall that extends at least to the sides of these studs and about three feet above the drain stub to the floor. Cut through the drywall in the middle of the stud faces so that you have access to wood to which you can attach the new drywall. Using a hacksaw, cut the PVC pipe anywhere in the wall that will a...

  A blocked bathtub or shower drain is one of the most common problems you face when using your bathroom on a daily basis. Even if the water is slow to drain, over time this leads to a slippery build-up of soap scum, dirt and grime on the bottom of the bath or shower tray, which can be unsightly or even dangerous. Regardless of what form your troublesome clog has taken, it needs to be dealt with. Fortunately, it's usually not too difficult to fix a bathtub or shower clog yourself, so you don't have to call a plumber right away. There are a number of DIY methods you can try to clear the blockage.   Removing the blockage by hand The first step is to take a look at what is causing the blockage. Remove the chrome cover of your drain by lifting or unscrewing it (whichever is appropriate for your type of drain), or pull out the plug if it's an old style with a plug and chain. The culprit is usually a build-up of hair and soap residue. If you discover hair on the bottom of the ...

 Dryers require a special dryer socket to function properly. This outlet is designed to provide both 240 volt and 110 volt power to the dryer. The dryer needs the 240 volt supply to heat up, while the 110 volt supply is used to control the timers in the dryer. Over time, sockets can become damaged or simply stop working, for a variety of reasons. There is no point in trying to repair these sockets as they are very cheap to replace for safety reasons . Switch off the power Before you start working on your home's electrics, make sure you switch off the power. If the power is left on, this work can be very dangerous. Either turn off the circuit breaker for that circuit or, if you are not sure which circuit breaker to remove, turn off all the power in your home. Remove the old socket The old socket must now be removed from the wall by unscrewing the two screws that hold the faceplate. Once these screws are removed, it should be possible to pull the socket out of the electrical box. Be ...