One of the things that new home owners often forget to check out when moving to a new home, especially one that they have just purchased, is the water on the property.
If you have just moved home, did you make sure to check that you know everything that there is to know about the water safety on your property? Did you for instance think to check the plumbing, pipes, taps and fittings? If you did not, then you are in good company because most of us do not.
Watersafe, the UK national accreditation body for approved plumbers, which is backed by the water industry has thought about it though and recently brought out a guide which offers expert advice to home buyers on what they should look out for in their new home – The Moving House Guide.
The guide was compiled following a survey with WaterSafe approved plumbers to ascertain the most common problems plumbers get called to help resolve. The plumbers were also asked for their top advice for new home owners.
The Top 5 Tips:
- Check if there is a water meter – it can generally be found somewhere in the grounds in the front of your home, or inside near the stop-tap. A meter means that you will be billed for the amount of water you use.
- Check your boiler’s service history and make sure that there is a lid on the cold water tank (normally in the loft) – ensure that you use a Gas Safe registered engineer for servicing.
- Ascertain whether your home has any lead water pipes (they are shiny when scraped with a screwdriver) – lead can be harmful so it would be wise to replace them.
- Find your internal stop tap (where your water supply comes into your home) as you may need to turn the water off in an emergency.
- Check for leaky taps, toilets and radiators – tell-tale signs are low water pressure, rust and water stains on the floors or carpets, or mould on ceilings and walls.
Get bottled water coolers and mains water coolers in London. (http://watersafe .org.uk /movinghouse)
