HINTS & TIPS

USE ECONOMICAL SETTINGS
TACKLING CONDENSATION
LEERING A BLOCKED WASTE
FLOODS OR LEAKING PIPES
PEST CONTROL
REPLACING A BATTERY IN SMOKE DETECTOR
MENDING A MAINS FUSE

Effective use of heating
  • Adjusting central heating control
  • Tackling condensation
  • Clearing a blocked waste
  • Clearing a blocked toilet
  • Floods or leaking pipes
  • Pest control
  • Replacing a battery in a smoke detector
  • Mending a mains fuse
  • Resetting a trip switch

Heating and hot water account for two-thirds of your fuel bills. A lot of heat is wasted:

  • draughts can account for up to 24% of heat lost
  • draught proofing can cut your heating bill by up to 10%
  • an insulating jacket can cut heat loss from a hot water cylinder by 75%

Turning down the heating at the room thermostat by one degree centigrade is equal to turning it off for two hours. Turning up the room thermostat will not heat up a room faster.

Sensible steps to take

Turn off heating when it is not needed at night or if the home is empty. In very cold weather, keep a low heat going to prevent frozen pipes. See adjusting central heating controls for details on how your central heating controls work.

Use economical settings:

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set heat to come on just before you get up or get home from work set it to go off before you go to bed

Keep to a reasonable temperature:

  • turn down radiator thermostats
  • keep heat low but constant
  • control hot water temperature

In spring keep adjusting settings:

  • to come on for shorter periods

Preventing heat loss

Draw curtains when it gets dark:

  • use thick curtains with linings
  • tuck the bottom of curtains onto the sill to prevent draughts
  • tuck curtains behind radiators

Fit draught excluders:

  • a flap over the letterbox
  • draught strips around external door frames
  • draught strips around window frames

Close doors to prevent heat loss:

  • before opening external doors, close all doors adjoining the hall

Lagging:

  • fit a jacket on the water cylinder if it is not already insulated
  • put lagging around hot water pipes
  • use a good underlay with carpets

A common form of dampness in homes is condensation.

TACKLING CONDENSATION

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How to recognise it:
  • water collecting on windows and walls
  • black mould growth on walls, woodwork, clothing and curtains
  • there may be a musty smell

What to do:

  • Provide a constant low heat in all rooms during cold weather
  • Make sure windows are opened to allow fresh air into the room. Do not block air vents or air bricks
  • Only use the heaters provided. Do not use bottled gas or paraffin heaters
  • Wipe down walls and windows regularly. Keep internal doors closed

What not to do

  • Do not boil saucepans and kettles without lids on and without having opened the windows
  • Do not air or dry clothes in an unheated and unvented room. Do not use tumble dryers unless you have discussed this with us

When bathing ensure the extractor fan is working, windows are open and left open until all moisture has gone

LEERING A BLOCKED WASTE

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Unblocking:

  • bale out most of the water
  • hold a rag tightly over the overflow opening
  • place the plunger over the drainhole
  • pump the plunger up and down rapidly
  • after clearing the blockage, it is advisable to clean out the trap

Cleaning the trap:

  • place the bowl underneath the trap
  • unscrew the joints and remove the trap
  • clean thoroughly, replace the trap and
    check the seals are in place and all
    joints are screwed up tightly

 
General advice:
  • If more than one unit is blocked, the problem is in the soil stack or main drain. This will need to be cleared by a plumber
  • Blockages are usually caused by the build up of fat, tea leaves, hair etc. It is advisable to clean wastes with hot water and soda crystals at least once a month
  • Do not pour fats and grease down the kitchen sink
FLOODS OR LEAKING PIPES

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Frozen pipes:

  • turn off the water at the main stopcock
  • it is probably best to leave the pipes as they are but you could try to thaw the pipe using hot water bottles. Take great care and do not use a blowlamp or any electrical appliance
  • if the hot water system is frozen, turn off the water heater

Burst pipes:

  • turn off the water at the main stopcock and turn off any gate valves from the water tank
  • run all your taps to drain water from the system
  • turn off any water heaters
  • if electrics are getting wet, do not touch, turn off electricity at the mains
  • if water leaks and makes the ceiling bulge, place a bucket under the bulge and, using something like a screwdriver, pierce a hole to let the water through. This could prevent the ceiling from falling down

General advice

  • Know where your mains stopcock is. It is usually where the mains water pipe enters the house or
  • near the kitchen sink
  • Know where the gate valves for the hot and cold water tanks are
  • Make sure pipes and tanks in your roof space are lagged, especially when the loft has been insulated and so less heat is getting into the roof space. Never insulate beneath the water tank in the loft
  • If you are going away for some weeks during the winter, drain down the hot water and cold water system by turning off the stopcock and running all taps. Do not drain the heating system (boiler or radiators)

In very cold weather, you may want to open the loft hatch to allow heat into the loft, to prevent pipes from freezing

 
PEST CONTROL

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To help prevent pests in your home such as insects and mice, ensure that:
  • all food is kept wrapped up where possible, and preferably sealed in an airtight container
  • worktops and floors are kept clean and free of items of food

Cure

If you are troubled with pests, consider:

  • the careful use of pest control brand names available from local stores
  • you may also contact the Environmental Health Officer at your local council
  • or contact the Customer Services Centre who may be able to help

Ants

We do not assist with the removal of ants. You should obtain a suitable insecticide which can be obtained from general stores and garden centres. Always follow the instructions given and keep out of the reach of children.

Bees

If you discover a bees nest you should contact your local Environmental Health Department who will arrange for their removal.

REPLACING A BATTERY IN SMOKE DECTECTOR

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You need:

A spare 9 volt battery (eg Duracell MN1604 or Eveready 1222 or 522)

General advice

  • The detector will beep automatically when the battery is low
  • To check that the existing battery is working press and hold the test button. If the alarm does not beep, the battery needs changing
  • Check that the male (+) and female (-) terminals of the battery are correctly fitted into their opposite connections in the smoke detector

You should test the detector's operation every three months

What to do

  • Open the detector by gently prising off the cover
  • Unclip the existing battery from its connection and retaining clip
  • Clip the new battery firmly into place. Make sure it is put in the same way as the one removed, in other words, the (+) and (-) signs on the battery must match up with the (+) and (-) signs on the detector

 

MENDING A MAINS FUSE

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You need:
  • torch
  • screwdriver with an insulated handle
  • fusewire or cartridge fuse of the correct rating
  • step ladder

What to do

  • Unplug all appliances
  • Unscrew the cover to the fuses on the consumer unit
  • Pull out each fuse holder to check which has blown
  • If it is a rewireable fuse, remove any remaining old wire and feed new wire through the holder, around the retaining screws at each end and screw up tightl at both ends
  • If it is a cartridge fuse, take out the old cartridge and fit a new one into the holding clips
  • Switch the mains back on and check all circuits are working
  • Plug in each appliance one at a time to check if any is faulty and the fuse blows again

General advice

  • The fuse box or consumer unit is next to the electricity meters
  • Fuses usually blow because:
    • the appliance is overloaded
    • an appliance is faulty
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  • Always replace the cartridge or fuse wire with one of the correct rating:
  •  
    • 5amp - for lights
    • 20amp - for immersion heater
    • 30amp - for sockets and cooker (in some cases the cooker cartridge will be 45amp
  • Mark the name of each circuit on the inside of the fuse and cover to help identify fuse circuits
  • Never tamper with the Electricity Board's fuses and seals