Plumbers Diary.

Information on Plumbing and heating Property maintenance contractors.

	Paul Lynch Plumbing and Heating Engineer. (Insured) Bargy Rd,  Dublin 3.  Dublin city centre and suburbs emergency plumber.                   Tel  8881635. 0872695020 63paullynch@gmail.com	Bathrooms.    Showers.    Gas appliances.

Plumbersdiary is about plumbing and heating in Ireland and  the United Kingdom where domestic water supply principles have changed  little since Victorian times.  Low water pressure conditions may lead to disappointing performance of combinationboilers and imported high pressure taps. High pressure showers and legionnaires disease. Should we market high pressure pumped showers when we know realistically the tanks that feed them are unlikely to ever be cleaned or disinfected?  See Legionnaires' Disease. We are only asked to inspect water storage when there's no water or the odour from drowned mice or birds becomes distinctly noticeable. Removed  but not resuscitated. Underwater photographs are taken at great personal risk If you want a plumbing web site please don't use mine. Get a wetsuit and take your own. Beware water test scam.  Don't be pressurised into fitting an expensive water filter without checking with a competent local plumber or your local water supplier. Water filtering and treatment. It was reported on the Pat Kenny Today show and a consumer affairs show that reverse osmosis filters removes valuable minerals from mains water.  Dec 4th  2008. Dublin mains drinking water contains  minerals essential for healthy growth. I would not install any system that would de-mineralise my drinking water. Neglected under-sink filters. I would not drink water that has been strained through a bacteria laden soup held at room temperature for long periods. If pushed I would use a simple jug filter kept cool in the fridge.

Pipes and tanks in a cold attic space. During prolonged freeing conditions lagging alone on pipe and tanks may not work. Without an energy input burst pipes will occur. We have noticed that clever people left trap doors partialy open to allow heat to rise above the ceiling insulation into the cold attic space. This has prevented tanks and pipes freezing. This is perhaps better than burning the house down with granny's ancient electric fire. When the overhead bust pipes are fixed we should consider re-arranging attic insulation. Within the roof space... Attic insulation may pass over a light structural framework that encompasses tanks pipes and the trap-hatch. Insulating the underside of the main roof is an option. This keeps the attic space cooler in summer. Waste Disposal Units and rat infestation. Sewers were designed and constructed  for conveying human waste.  Not unwanted curries and bent spoons.  The use of these devices will certainly,  increase the risk of grease blockages,  waste water and boost any rat population  in your drainage. Fortunately many local authorities have  banned the use of food waste disposal units. The Greater Dublin Regional Code of Practice  for Drainage Works.  Chapter 18.4 “The use of, under sink food macerators/food grinders for processing and discharging waste food to the drainage system are prohibited” In Dublin Use the Brown bin

Links to The Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering. About membership. I recommend that all competent plumbers and apprentices explore the benefits of CIPHE. Customer tips About the C.I.P.H.E. Burst pipes and emergencies Have leaks attended to promptly even if they are external and not doing damage. Check with your insurer for  an emergency assist line. Leave it in a prominent position. Preferqably Get to know a competent local plumber. Ask for obvious water damage risks to be eliminated. Offer Tea and Pay promptly. Nice to  know a plumber who welcomes a call from you at any time. Loose Radiators. Don't wait until a dinner party guest and radiator endup flat on the floor. Ensure radiators are properly fixed? In the Dublin area many are not. Tainted Water. Water in the mains should be taint free and wholesome. But any lead pipes that deliver water to the boundary line of your property may affect water quality. Your local water supplier may only replace this section of lead pipe.   Any ageing lead pipe from the boundary line to the house is usually longer.  It will have a greater effect on both quality and pressure of drinking water at the kitchen tap. This pipe is the house owners responsibility. Metal below ground mains water pipes that are breaking down can be replaced with the new plastic MDEP  pipe. Anyone concerned about the possibility of lead in their water supply can take simple short-term precautions including not drinking water that has been sitting in the pipes overnight. Showering and flushing of toilets first thing in the morning should shift any tainted water before you fill the kettle or make drinks. You don't drink tank water do you?.

 

        Plumbing.      Heating.     Corrosion    Radiator testing.  This Month.      Black-Museum.    Legionnaires' Disease.

     Plumbers Gripes   Dublinnights.ie  Links   Super Photos and advice Select a Mira Shower Tec7

 

Photos of what would appear to be  in my opinion dangerous installations. X X Plastic tanks need support over the entire base area. It may last for some years until a dripping ball valve increases the water level and hot water pitches into it from an inadequate standing open vent. or thermostat may fail. This can cause it to collapse with hot water pouring down through the ceiling. Scalding fatalities may occur. If you have a tank installed like this get it rectified. x I see many cylinder vents just hooked over the side of the tank.. A low vent pipe like this can emit boiling water instead of steam. Especially when the immersion thermostat fails. x Someone forgot the plywood base too. It certainly would have collapsed if the thermostat had failed. X The plastic heating vent has simply slipped  down to discharge water through the ceiling. Note the cylinder open vent just laying on the edge. A plastic storage tank should sit on a WBP plywood base on timber bearers. Chipboard can turn to mush if wetted from a leak in the roof. This sorry looking tank was not designed to support another tank. Note the warped side wall. Plumbers are cautious when pointing out such installation faults. We are aware that it may be the work of the householder, a friend or relative. Reactions can range from being appreciative to downright hostile. For an immersion heater re-wire in South Dublin Call Tommy Munroe 087 2342637  Ask the electrician about the addition of a suitably sized contactor to switch the immersion heater load. Does your recessed lighting offer a ready route for fire to travel into ceiling voids or a roof space? Scalding fatalities have highlighted the need for thermostats with a Hi limit trip button. Where is it? I have often installed and set them but now a close look.                      In this immersion thermostat the Hi-limit trip pin is between the two terminal screws is normally in a deeply recessed position.

UK SCALDING TRAGEDY of 10 month old baby. A child was fatally scalded when an overheated plastic tank split. It was located in the roof space over her cot. There are so many poor installations like this all over Dublin that it is reasonable to suggest that any health and safety checks would include water storage, vent pipe-work and  immersion heaters as well as water temperatures at taps. Creche inspectors must carry ladders and visit attic spaces.  A room full of sleeping toddlers No it is unthinkable! I would ask every owner of a child care centre to ensure they do not have an installation like those depicted here. A multiple scalding tragedy must not be allowed to happen. Any creche owner with installation work like this could end up in very serious trouble. All inadequate open vents should be quickly replaced. Lowering this water level was no solution. The ball valve may fail. I know I should clip it firmly in position but it's jigging around. All hot water vent pipe-work should be copper.150mm plus 40mm for every Metre of system height is thought to be ok. I take vents at least 400mm above the top of the tank at the highest point. I  don't tinker with margins.  Ventilation cut in tight fitting dust covers also enables escape of steam in event of thermostat failure. A fail-safe alternative is to extend the open vent pipe through the roof covering and invert it externally, like in my great grandfathers time. Perhaps we should start making  patent 3/4 and 1in roof slates. Warning Signs of Hot Water Cylinder Thermostat Failure.  If the standing vent pipe is high enough above the feed tank you should only get steam and condensation in the attic. It can eventually  bring the ceiling down on top of you. But you should see and hear signs before that happens. If you get hot or  warm water at cold taps or w/c cistern switch off  the water heating and ask a competent  plumber to check it out. Vacant Property.  Isolate the immersion heater if leaving a cylinder drained. Someone may switch it on. The thermostat rod was inserted into near boiling water. The Hi limit pin has popped up and the circuit is permanently cut. Your plumber will not push the pin in to re-set  it without reducing the temperature setting and checking any boiler thermostat. He may quite rightly offer to install a motorized valve to control the heating primary circuit through the cylinder. This will be controlled via an adjustable thermostat on the side of the cylinder. The hi-limit safety trip should not be relied upon to function repeatedly. Note. The mechanical parts of an immersion thermostat will continue to move  and wear even when the cylinder is heated from the oil or gas boiler.  The realistic lifespan of a thermostat is about five to seven years. A plumber may lower the manufacturers temperature setting when installing and then work upwards to the temperature wanted. Oil or gas boiler over-heating the cylinder. Thermostatic primary heating control at the cylinder is often missing or inadequate.  This  accounts for the reported frequent tripping of the hi-limit immersion protection. It is only discovered when the immersion heater is next used.

X How many cylinder vents are like this in Dublin?

Pics Taken at a large housing development in the Dublin area. Lazy hot water cylinder vent taken through the side of the plastic tank. The owner was told to inform his residents association. The water level in the open vent pipe will always be higher than the level in the tank when the cylinder is hot. Hot water may pitch into the plastic tank even if thermostat is OK. Ball valve failure alone allowing a rise in both water levels could enable this to happen. Perhaps you should get a report from a competent plumber before handing over your hard earned cash.

X In Ireland many people refer to the hot water cylinder as the boiler. This may explain why I see so many plastic pipes connected directly to a cylinder. Next to the immersion heater.

Polyethylene pipe should not be connected directly to a boiler or similar heat source. It is important that such a connection be made  with a minimum of one metre of copper pipe. Any recent exceptions to this standard should be carefully studied before application.   If a pipe distributor claims that his pipe could be  taken directly from connections at the boiler jacket he may be referring to a specific wall hung gas boiler. Certainly not in my opinion a cylinder with an electric immersion heater. If anyone knows otherwise please confirm. It is safer if the entire vent pipe from a boiler or cylinder is piped in copper or stainless steel.

Buying a house? Call a competent plumber to examine systems, water storage tanks and drainage. Certainly be careful if trying taps or showers in vacant property Water may be infected after laying unused for some time. X This un-vented plastic pipe could have burst if immersion  heater thermostat failed.... 1/2" copper and plastic pipe was  replaced with 3/4" copper.   And left self venting.

Exorcising Ghosts!  Do you sense a presence in the form of terrible odour that  only occurs on the landing when going up the stairs to bed?  Yes. it may simply be that plastic  light  bulb  holder above, overheating when the light is on. Is there a foul odour in the office? Don't blame the most unpopular person in the place -it may be a plastic connector cooking up on the end of one of those old  florescent tubes above your head. The first thing purchasers do when starting to renovate an old house is to put higher  wattage  (Hotter)  bulbs into the existing lamp holders. In fact some of these holders may need to be replaced.            I found a smelly lamp holder for new residents after they had exhausted the services of dry rot specialists to no avail. Of course their work was carried out during the hours of daylight when the offending light was off. Sniff out an such a lamp holder from above while the client holds the step ladder firmly.  ( Remember the warm air / odour rises)

Surveys.    I carry out ultrasonic steel  thickness tests on radiators and tanks for anyone with corrosion concerns. An echo to echo mode allows this to be  done without removing the original paint.            Rad Testing

Perforated radiator due to corrosion.

X Observation suggests that disaster is imminent.  Some ignore such a tank until a water damage  claim helps pay for it

Legionnaires Disease. Hubble Bubble! Overheating is obviously a problem as a layer of  a colourless mucus-like substance  was present  just below the surface, It had a yellow tinge where in contact with air. Found supplying a gravity shower. The system was cleaned, chlorinated and flushed. Whilst us plumbers cannot test for Legionella bacteria we certainly can identify the conditions in which it thrives. The  IOP Plumbing Engineering Services Design Guide mentions reports of many sporadic cases of Legionnaires  Disease associated with domestic water systems. The recommended annual cleaning or disinfection of water storage tanks and pipe-work rarely occurs. The switch from bath to shower use may result in insufficient flow activity within a range of tanks. Ask you plumber to consider disconnecting any surplus or stagnating tanks, especially if a bath is being disconnected. Whilst you may need enough stored water for an interruption in supply, it should not be so excessive that the replenishment rate fails to provide the much needed cooling effect during the summer months. Wherever possible cold water tanks should be insulated and water stored at below 20 degC A section through a tank insulating jacket available from tank manufacturers. Note the plastic dust cover which helps the tank retain its shape. Amazingly these jackets do not appear to be stocked by Builders merchants in  the Irish Republic. I have to order them in for my clients. Two different Fernox products for combating Legionnaires disease. 1.  The Original Fernox Chlorinating kit.  When the above product is used chlorinated  water must be fully flushed out before a system  is bought back into use. Ask your plumber to check the water storage  and remind him about the Fernox treatments. In Ireland, Stocked by  Hevac  Dublin 4191919 If in UK Try  BHL The un-lagged cold tank  may be a Legionnella risk? It may overheat if the hot water cylinder is left heating while you are away on holiday. Flush  through before showering upon your return even if it's lagged. New Apartments! Placing hot and cold storage within the same enclosure is surely a questionable practice. Especially if there is no dust cover or lagging on the cold water tank or lagging on the pipes. If this type of installation is the only option every effort should be made to reduce heat transfer to the cold water tank. There is a risk of any infected water droplets entering the lungs while showering. see This Months item. Planners should certainly not allow combined hot and cold storage. Even if the developer does want to flog off the tank room as a penthouse.

It is reported that the Legionella bacteria is very common and is present in many plumbing systems. It can multiply in the trapped warmer areas of dirty or poorly inter-connected tanks. When the tank supply falls or fails this infected water enters the system. Shower users may inhale infected water droplets especially if the pressure is high enough to atomise the water into small enough droplets. Other Possible unique circumstances for contracting the disease A user is perhaps unfamiliar with the shower controls. A sudden cold spray causes a sharp intake of breath which  traps infected droplets in parts of the lung not normally open. Using a shower immediately after an aerobic activity would in my opinion seem to present a risk. Breathing should be allowed to normalise before showering. Sports clubs and Gymnasiums should consider signage.  No Heavy Breathing in the showers. Initial symptoms are similar to those of flu- headache,  muscle pain followed by vomiting & shaking chills. On the second or third day- coughing with chest pain  may occur.  Patients may develop pneumonia. It is important that all suspected cases are presented  for immediate medical diagnosis and attention. Some may contract the bug and show no signs of infection. It is likely that many cases of  Legionnaires Disease go undiagnosed, especially in the elderly who often succumb to lung related problems. Local authority grants.  How many grant aided power shower installations are connected to dirty storage tanks? Despite the consumers reluctance to spend on  such essential hidden items shower installers should insist that stored water problems are addressed. Thanks to feebleminds-gifs.com Grant aided  installations for the elderly. Where mains water supply is reasonable local  health authorities could specify quality mains fed electric showers.  Installers would have to replace any old lead  services and balance  the mains supply available.  We will have  to wait until the effects of a long hot summer draws attention to legionnaires disease.                     2. LP Sterox is a new non hazardous water treatment biocide used to clean and disinfect water systems and appliances. It is unique in providing a very wide spectrum of  biocidal activity and will effectively treat all water borne bacteria and viruses. (If used properly) LP Sterox is particularly valuable in modern water system hygiene management where conventional treatments such as chlorination may be unsuitable. Fernox state that "One Litre will treat a 300 litre system during normal use. Or a 400 Litre system if left for 24 hrs after application. LP Sterox is the ideal product for dosing an occupied apartment block. Access to all outlets is essential to monitor concentration levels. Systems in continually occupied buildings like nursing homes may be treated with less interruption  to services. A competent plumber may be able to siphon sediment from a sound in service tank that has been treated. Opinion from Experts welcome? Water filled Fire Extinguishers are left standing   for long periods at  room temperature. Do fire protection engineers routinely use additives in water filled extinguishers to prevent legionnella growth? It would be a pity to survive a fire and  then be struck  down  with legionnaire's after inhaling    infected water droplets. Legionnaires' Disease in Ireland This link  takes you to Denis's informative site.

Water Damage claims may be handled  for you by an independent loss assessor. N J CARROLL & associates Insurance Loss Assessors & Quantity Surveyors. 226 Harold's Cross Road, Dublin 6w.  Tel 01  4979432 Fax 01  4979300 email  njcarroll@eircom.net From first report to final claim.

Insurer Emergency Assist lines. to be confirmed. Axa Eagle Star Royal Sun Alliance IRL 1890 2473665     IRL 01 8328756

Links  andrewdodsworth.co.uk   Leeds Plumber

 buildingconservation.com   Gascentralheatinguk.com    MT AGENCIES IRELAND LIMITED, Service for Aqualisa and other Showers.

The authors and publishers of this site accept no liability, nor do they encourage you to do work that should be undertaken by a qualified tradesperson. The content of this site is best viewed and discussed with your plumber. Any original material on this site is not to be reproduced or transmitted without the written permission of David Bonney  forge@clubi.ie All rights reserved. © 2006 David Bonney.

Plumbing.   Heating.    Corrosion.     Black-Museum.     Legionnaires' Disease.  Top
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