Tuesday 8 March 2016

How to get rid of an airlock in the plumbing system

In case there is a disruption on the water supply in your home; you may end up getting airlocks in your internal plumbing system.
This is usually caused by a faulty internal plumbing.  In case you turn on the water in your home but notice that no water is coming out, this could be as a result of airlock occurring in the pipes. An emergency plumber can help you to deal with the situation. However, if you would like to do it on your own, it is still possible as long as you have the time and the patience. There are a few steps that you can take to get rid of the airlock that occurs in the plumbing system.

First you should ensure that all taps have been put in a closed position. In case the cold and hot taps aren’t combined in the mixer tap of the kitchen, ensure that you turn off the hot tap. If this was as a result of an airlock, water will not flow from the tap that has hot water. Use a short hose to connect both the cold and hot taps in the kitchen. When the cold tap is turned on, cold water will flow out of the system for hot water and the air that is causing an airlock will move back into the attic.

Connect the hosepipe to the tap that is broken. The other end of your hosepipe should be fixed to a working tap. Ensure that the tap that is broken is turned on. You should then turn on the tap that is working. The airlock will come out of the pipe as a result of the water pressure of the mains. It may be necessary to ensure that the pipe is running for a period of a few minutes. Incase this method doesn’t work, you will need to leave those taps for a few minutes before trying again.

After the taps start working again, remove the hose from the highest tap first. Removing it from a lower tap first can end up creating a vacuum and this will result in another air-lock. You should then disconnect your hose from the tap that is lowest before draining the water in it. This method is a good option where the air lock occurs in multiple taps. All you will need to do is to attach the hose-pipe to any tap that is working to get rid of the air-lock. 

Where you have a mixer tap in your kitchen, start by turning on the hot taps. Use a piece of close to minimize the amount of water that will squirt out and block your mixer tap before turning on the tap for cold water in a gentle way. This will result in the cold water passing through the hot water system resulting in the air occurring in the water tank to get into the attic. It is important to be careful when doing this. Alternatively, you can contact a good plumber such as Fizxit to handle the job for you.

Wednesday 2 March 2016

Is Knob and Tube Electrical Wiring Safe?

Where these were installed in the correct manner, the knob and tube wiring were quite superior as compared to the current wiring methods. However, the only downside of these wiring methods is that they would rarely remain intact after being used for a period of 80 years or more. This is because there are certain issues that can occur after the original installation that can result in many issues.

 Electricians in Brisbane and Ipswich never use the knob & tube methods as this is believed to have a risk for home owners. Most of the older houses have the knob and tube wiring despite the fact even insurers consider it to be a major risk.. This makes it difficult to insure buildings and homes that make use of his method. So why is this method so dangerous that insurance companies do not want to insure it? Is there something that home owners should fear with this type of wiring?
Dangerous of the knob & tube wiring
If you live in a home that was constructed before the 50s, there are high chances that your structure contains what is known as the knob and tube wiring. This is due to the fact that during this time, this wiring method was considered to be the state-of-the-art wiring method. However, it is considered to be quite dangerous. But why is it dangerous? Here are top 5 reasons why knob and tube wiring is dangerous.

Two stranded. The wiring method is usually two-stranded-consisting of a neutral wire as well as a hot wire and doesn’t have the ground wire. This means that in case of a fault, there isn’t any protection. It is easy for fires and shocks to result from this form of wiring. The insulation is made of sheathing which tend to wear out with time. Since the wiring was used in the old buildings, this problem has been compounded. Nowadays we have wiring that makes use of a better insulation which is quite safer.
The electric systems have a 60 amp service with the fused wire being made of 15 amps. This can cause excess heat leading to a fire breakout as there will be more current flowing than the wire is able to handle. The older systems had less ampacity. The extra loads can cause the insulation to brittle and this can end up exposing the bare wire and can cause overheating. The older systems make use of the 2-prong receptacles ad this means that small kitchen appliances cannot be used. With no ground work, the chances of injury and shock increases.

Despite the dangers associated with knob and tube wiring, it is important to note that when these are installed in the right way, this wiring method can be superior to the current wiring methods. However, the method is no longer used by electricians due to the hidden risk to homeowners. If you are searching for the right home repair service in Brisbane to do your wiring, you should get in touch with Fizxit.