Low Water Supply Pumps for showers, bathrooms and kitchens
When you have low water pressure, you can boost the water flow and pressure by installing a Shower Pump. These pumps can be used for mixer showers, kitchens, standard baths, showers and basins, to boost hot and cold water. In London, the water pressure is a common problem in most buildings.
Contact us for shower pumps installation.
Old Central Heating, boilers plumbing and drains systems in London, UK
The Water Supply to a property
There are two ways the water supply is feeding a house or a flat in London.
1. The direct system – where all cold water in the house comes from the main street water supply.The direct system means that water from any tap is fresh water and drinkable.
In old properties, the water supply pipe is made of lead, and it should be changed to plastic pipes, for health and practical reasons. The new pipe colour code for water pipes is blue and will deliver a larger amount of water supply at higher pressure. If there is a water meter in the street, the pipe length that runs from the water meter into the dwelling, is the property of the homeowner.
2. The tank system, where only the kitchen tap is fed from the mains and the rest of the taps and appliances are fed from a storage tank, usually located in the loft. The tank can be made of plastic or metal.
Because the water is stored into the tank, only the water from the kitchen tap is potable (Safe to drink; drinkable)
An advantage for the tank system, especially if there is a low water pressure supply, is that you can flush the toilet, etc and have a constant water pressure supply.
StopCocks, Taps, Drain Cock and Valves
There should be two main water supply stop valves – or stopcocks in every property. One is located outside, in the street – front of the property and located in the pavement, with a metal or plastic cover. The second one is located inside the property, most of the time can be found in the kitchen, under the sink or under the staircase. These stopcocks are installed to allow a plumber or homeowner to turn off the water supply, when there is water leak or maintenance to be done to the plumbing system.
The cold water tank in the loft also has two valves. One valve for the cold water supply to the bathroom taps, garden taps, etc, except the kitchen sink and one valve for the hot water tank supply water pipe.
Drain cocks or Drain Valves, can be found at the bottom of the hot water tank. To empty a hot water tank you need a hosepipe, attached to the drain valve. To empty the Central Heating plumbing pipes and radiators, again,a hosepipe, attached to the drain valve which should be located at the lowest point in the plumbing system. To empty the cold water tank, turn off the mains and just open the cold water tap in the bathroom or garden tap.
To turn the water supply off for a kitchen sink, bathtub or bathroom basin, there should be two valves fitted on the supply pipes, one for the cold water and the other one for the hot water, located under the bathtub taps, basin,or sink.
Boilers and Central Heating System
PUMPED SYSTEM – The water is circulated by a pump, through the Central Heating system. From the boiler to the radiators and back. The same water is reheated by the boiler, pushed by the pump through the Central Heating pipes to the radiators and back to the boiler to be reheated. There is a pipe for safety reasons, called Open Safety Vent Pipe to let built up steam and pressure escape if the boiler overheats itself. Motorised valves and thermostats are are used to control the heat. In the loft, there is small Feed and Expansion cistern.
GRAVITY CIRCULATION SYSTEM – The grandmother of Central Heating, a very simple system than only very experienced and very Qualified plumbers should attempt to tackle. It works on the principle of physics, hot water is lighter and expanding than cold water when is heated by the boiler, thous it goes up the pipe work. Less mechanical parts than can break down, but larger pipes are needed instead of the 22mm and 15mm diameter pipes used as standard in Central Heating. There is also a saying among the plumbers : These types of boiler don’t like to be moved because the gravity system works better when the hot water tank ( cylinder ) is right on top of the boiler to work at its best.
SEALED SYSTEM CENTRAL HEATING AND UNVENTED SYSTEMS
This types of Central Heating is more modern, very unlikely to find them in older properties. Megaflo system is a very popular choice when a large amount of hot water is needed, dwellings with more than one bathroom, underfloor heating, etc.
Drains pipes, waste systems
There are two systems of drainage that you need to think about: ’foul‘ and ‘surface water’. In general, these two systems should be kept separate.
Each of these has above-ground and underground elements.
Foul drainage carries the used water from toilets, sinks, basins, baths, showers, bidets, dishwashers and washing machines. The above-ground pipework is referred to as sanitary pipework; the underground pipework is referred to as foul drains and foul sewers.
Surface water drainage carries rainwater (and melted snow and ice) from hard surfaces. The above-ground system of gutters and rainwater pipes is referred to as roof drainage; the underground pipework is referred to as surface water drains and surface water sewers.
Plumbers in Kensington and Chelsea, London
Robuild London Plumbers cover Kensington and Chelsea, Central and West London area. We also offer Building, Electrical, Painting & Decorating, Carpentry, Roofing and Refurbishments services in Kensington & Chelsea. Our Plumbers DO NOT charge by the hour or minute,for plumbing jobs, unless necessary. The plumbers are Gas Safe registered engineers and will always try and give a fixed price for the plumbing job, unlike other Plumbing and Central Heating companies.
Our plumbers run a Plumbing Merchant Shop, based in Acton, West London. This means that we can get plumbing materials and parts, faster and cheaper than most plumbers. From full bathroom suites, boilers, radiators, underfloor heating to designer bathroom fixtures.
Full Bathroom Refurbishments, Kitchen Refurbishments, Underfloor Heating, Showers, Wet Rooms, Wet Floors, Central Heating Problems, Cold water storage cistern repairs and replacement, Central Heating Installation, Central Heating Service and Repairs, Boiler Breakdowns, Gas Safety Inspections, New Boiler Installations, Boiler Upgrades, Megaflo Central Heating Systems, Hot water cylinder replacements, Combi Conversions,Immersion heater replacements, Radiators, Tanks,Thermostats, Unvented hot water system repairs, Fault Finding, Showers repaired or replaced, Shower pumps, Water Pumps, Water Softeners, Water Filters and other Plumbing Services.
Cast-iron Piping: Old and New
Because of its durability, cast iron has for a long time been the most popular material for drain, soil and vent pipes, but it is also the most difficult to install because of its weight and the difficulty of joining it . The conventional type, still in wide use, is connected with spigot and socket joints, which must be sealed with molten lead and a rope like material called yarn. Plain-ended pipe is easily joined with
mechanical couplings. It can be inserted into an existing system of spigot and socket pipe to replace a damaged section or to add a new one. Leaks at socket joints can often be stopped by using a sealant.
Three grades of cast-iron pipe are available : medium, heavy and extra heavy. Ask the plumbers’ merchant for the weight allowed by your local authority. All grades can be cut either with a saw and chisel or with a special cutting tool. Proper support is more important with cast-iron pipe more than any other type, both because of its weight and because the mechanical joints are slightly flexible. Use pipe straps or special clamps.
Cast Iron piping is sometimes required in London – Listed Building or Conservation Areas. Most plumbers in London will rather use plastic waste pipes.
Cutting Cast-iron Piping
Two ways of working. The easiest way to cut cast iron pipe is with a link pipe cutter,usually available from tool-hire firms.
If the pipe is already in position, there may not be enough space to cutting any other way. Wrap the chain section of the tool round the pipe, hook it on to the body of the tool, tighten the knob and work the handle back and forth until the pipe snaps. Cast-iron pipe can also be cut with a hacksaw and chisel. Mark the circumference of the pipe where you wish to sever it , then support the pipe on a block of wood or a sandbag. With a hacksaw, cut a 2 mm deep groove round the pipe at the mark, then tap round the groove with a hammer and chisel until the pieces separate.
Acton Plumbers in West London, Plumbers based in Acton, West London
If you need a plumber in West London, Robuild London Plumbers has a plumbing team based in Acton , W3, West London. The plumbers shop – Plumbing Merchant Shop in Acton is also available if you need bathroom suits, showers, furniture, boilers and plumbing parts. Contact us for a free quote for your plumbing project. Our plumbers are Gas Safe Registered and Plumbing Engineers.
Central Heating
Bathrooms
Kitchens
Boilers
Drainage
Boiler repairs
Boiler replacement
Boiler & Gas Certificates
Landlord certificates
Underfloor Heating
Some home owners fix the plumbing in their homes as matter of routine,especially if its just a dripping tap. The plumbing generally is left to the plumbers.Due to the cost, a whole list of tasks once the domain of professionals plumbers, like replacing old waste pipes, fixtures, cleaning a blocked waste trap and changing taps, extending pipes or relocated bathroom units, installing a dish washer -washing machine or a garden tap, this type of plumbing can be done by amateur plumbers. DIY websites can offer a large amount of information for the wanna be plumber. Picture galleries also helps identifying parts from the plumbing system. Do-it-yourself plumbing is however restricted to what is generally perceived as safe plumbing jobs. Under no circumstances, a DIY plumber should attempt installing a Boiler, Central Heating and work with Gas appliances like kitchen hobs and kitchen owen.Only qualified plumbing engineers who are Gas Safe Registered can do that, for safety reasons.
