Posted on August 30, 2010 by David
If you would like to install a shower but think you can’t because there’s insufficient water pressure, you might like to consider an instantaneous electric shower. It’s connected directly to the mains cold water supply, so you are guaranteed a good jet of water. And as you heat only the water you use, it’s very [...]
Continue ReadingPosted on August 26, 2010 by David
1. Proprietary jackets will fit most cold water tanks. Start by flopping the jacket over the tank arid pulling it roughly into position.
2. Rather than cut into the jacket’s ‘envelopes’, try to accommodate a pipe by parting the seam between them. All cuts must be sealed with tape.
3. When installing blanket insulation start [...]
Posted on August 22, 2010 by David
1. Start by wrapping the bandage twice round the end of the pipe next to the tank. Hold the turns in place securely with string or tape.
2. Wrap the bandage round the pipe in a spiral. Make sure That each turn overlaps the previous one by at least 10mm (3/81n). Don’t pull the bandage [...]
Posted on August 17, 2010 by David
An inadequate ‘head’ is, of course, one of the commonest reasons why a shower won’t work properly. Although the minimum distance between the base of the cold water cistern and the shower rose must be 1 m (3ft), for best results this distance ought to be 1 .5m (5ft) or more.
However, all is not [...]
Posted on August 12, 2010 by David
1. Start to assemble the new plumbing. Wind PTFE tape around the screw thread of the waste outlet and spread some plumber’s putty underneath the rim.
2. Put the waste outlet in position and make sure that it is firmly seated. These days the overflow will be made of plastic and connects to the waste [...]
Posted on August 8, 2010 by David
Ceiling switches can either be surface or flush mounted. If you’re going to surface mount one, you’ll have to pierce a hole in the ceiling so the cables can be drawn through into a plastic mounting box. Before fixing this in position with No 8 wood screws, you should knock a thin section of plastic [...]
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Posted on August 5, 2010 by David
It is possible to replace your cast iron bath with a new one made of the same material, but more modern in styling. However, these baths are expensive and very heavy indeed. Carrying one into the bathroom and fitting it requires considerable strength (you’d need at least one strong helper) as well as care.
There are [...]
Posted on August 1, 2010 by David
The ‘tank’ in your loft or attic is in fact a cistern’. Cisterns are not sealed — though they should be covered — and so are subject to atmospheric pressure. Tanks are completely sealed — as with a hot water storage tank — and are not subject to atmospheric pressure.
Cold water cisterns have traditionally been [...]
Posted on July 28, 2010 by David
Water leaves the storage cistern in distribution pipes which are usually 22mm (3/41n) or 15mm (1/2in) in diameter. In a direct system, supply from the cistern will usually only be to the hot water tank, and in an indirect system this link must also be direct — but other distribution pipes are used with branches [...]
Continue ReadingPosted on July 25, 2010 by David
1. Think about how you’re going to get the old bath out before you begin. The connections are likely to be inaccessible, old and corroded.
2. Start by trying to detach the waste trap using an adjustable wrench and, if necessary, penetrating oil.
3. Undo the back-nuts underneath the taps or mixer. These are likely [...]
