Every household has plumbing emergency problems now and then, the house may be either a small comfy flat or detached house with a comfortable front and back garden. Whenever there is a plumbing emergency within the home, our natural reaction is to try to fix it ourselves, which may seem like the most sensible idea at the time. Sure, it is always a good idea to prevent further damage by taking some immediate action, like turning off the mains water….but ultimately, it is best to call a professional emergency plumber. 

We are here to help you with a “How-to”guide, about patching or fixing a plumbing emergency until  ESBAH Emergency Plumbing professionals arrive at your doorstep to provide a permanent fix.

“How-to”guide to fix plumbing emergency?

Before trying to fix a plumbing emergency problem, first, you have to understand “What causes the problem ?” and “Why ?”, so we will brief it out along with the causes and easy fixes, it will give you a better understanding of the situation and help you take necessary steps without panic during a plumbing emergency.

“Check our blog post 4 Minor Plumbing Problems you should never ignore to make sure, you’re aware of the minor plumbing emergencies”

Dripping Tap 

When it comes to a plumbing emergency, a dripping tap is the most annoying of all. If you have a good sense of humour, even the dripping sounds make you feel like being part of the horror movie. Coming to the point, there are two kinds of tap leaks 

• Leak through tap handle
• Leak between the tap connecting to the pipeline     

Tap and the pipeline connecting the tap has two kinds of threads 

• Internal Thread (Pipeline)  
• External Thread (Tap)

One of the common cases in dripping tap is wearing off Tap handle thread. The water might leak through the tap handle from above and it may be due to wear off thread or the washer is no longer capable of controlling the water flow. 

When it comes to leakage between the tap connecting pipeline, the size of the tap thread will always be smaller compared to the pipelines (like a key in a lock ), so the plumbers usually use tools and external materials to fit the tap to the pipeline without any gap between the top thread and pipeline thread. 

In that way your tap doesn’t leak, as time goes by the thread connecting the tap and pipeline wears off, it can be due to increased limescale in water, which is common around the United Kingdom or it can be due to corrosion between the threads.

How to fix the dripping tap?

• Identify the leak, if it’s above the tap handle or tap connecting the pipeline, so you can remove the tap or just the tap handle.  
• Shut down the water flow to the tap, you have to close the water flow valve to the specific pipeline to fix the tap.
• If there is a leak in the tap handle, undo the screw connecting the tap handle and check if it’s caused due to corrosion between the thread or a problem with the washer.
• If there is a leak between the tap and pipeline connection, do remove the tap by loosening the thread connecting the pipeline and installing a stopper to the pipeline.
• Once you have found what is the problem, reach out to the local plumbing store with the tap to purchase the spares to fix it or a new tap if the thread has been completely worn off. 

Is it complicated? 

You haven’t heard the complicated part yet, the thread gets to wear off on both sides, either the external thread of the tap or the internal thread of the pipeline. Without a Plumbing professional handling the plumbing emergency work, you can’t have a permanent fix unless you’re an expert in it. The easy fix might work for the tap handle if it’s done without any complications, but when it comes to tap connecting the pipeline, an easy fix isn’t an option unless you remove the pipe to understand the cause of the leak.     

“ There is a news article about how Water leakage in the United Kingdom have risen to 3 billion litres a day and why it’s so important to make sure water leakage should be serviced first hand”

Clogged Sink

The major cause of a clogged sink drain is food particles, greasy waste, and tiny debris. Even if your sink drains slower than usual or the sink wouldn’t drain completely, then there might be a clog within the sink drain line that is blocking the flow.

Preventive Measures

• Before washing, remove any food particles from the dish.
• Pour no grease or fat oil down the drain.
• Do not dispose of dust or other tiny material in the sink.
• Maintain a clean sink at the end of the day.

How to fix the clogged sink?

• Pour Hot water or Boiling water within the sink drain line, boiling water will remove the tiny obstacles or food waste blocking the flow
• Pour a mixture of warm water and vinegar
• Plug the drain and wait for 10 minutes
• Remove the plug and flush the sink drain with boiling water again

Complications to know

Using plumbing emergency immediate fixes will help solve the clog immediately, but it might damage the pipeline as well. We do not recommend frequent usage of this easy fix or pouring some fluid to remove the clog, if you have a frequent clog in the sink it might be due to your pipeline problem. Call in ESBAH Emergency Plumbing Services and get your pipeline fixed, so you don’t have any clogs in the sink in near future.

Overheating or Underheating Radiator

Whenever there is a problem with the radiator, you can easily find it by the heat radiator emits or using the room temperature.

How to know if there is a problem with Radiator?

• The water’s colour

There are three simple ways to tell if you require radiator power flushing by looking at the water flowing within the radiator.

Clearwater  — There is no need for radiator power flushing

Light brown water — Sludge is forming, hence Radiator Power flushing is advised.

Dark Brown Water — The accumulated sludge is beginning to wreak havoc on the central heating system and radiator. Hire our professionals and get it power flushed as soon as possible.

• Boiler and Radiator Noise
• Cold spots near the radiator’s base
• Certain rooms are significantly cooler than others.
• The system takes a long time to warm up.
• Breakdowns are common.
• A radiator that is cold but has hot pipes

How to fix them?

• If you’re thinking, “why is your radiator not heating up after bleeding?” After Radiator Bleed, the radiator heating might not increase sooner, it’s due to releasing the pressure. In case you have clear water flow within the radiator, wait for some time so your radiator will pick up the pace. If the slow heating continues, call in ESBAH Emergency Plumbing Service professionals.
• Adjust the water flow and thermostat to check if the room temperature is returning to normal. Even if the problem persists, it can be due to sludge buildup within the radiator. If you find any of the above-mentioned symptoms, it’s better to call ESBAH Emergency Plumbing Services for radiator power flushing. 

High or Low Boiler Pressure

To function properly, your boiler must consume a constant amount of water and air to ensure that the pressure in the system is sufficient for the boiler’s use when it is turned on. Furthermore, modern boilers require constant water pressure to function properly. 

Boiler Pressure Rule, 

• Normal Boiler Pressure – 1.0 to 1.5 bars
• Low Boiler Pressure – Less than 1.0 bars
• High Boiler Pressure – Above 2.5 bars

Here are some of the common reasons behind due to sudden change in boiler pressure

• Boiler Leakage
• Radiator Bleed
• A leak within the system
• The faulty Pressure relief valve
• Damaged Expansion Valve
• Damaged Boiler Parts

How Do I fix it?

We would not recommend an easy fix for boiler pressure problems because there is no such thing when it comes to fixing a boiler. Servicing a boiler necessitates a British Gas Safety Certification; if the boiler parts are removed or attempted to be repaired by a Non-Certified Gas Engineer, the boiler’s warranty will expire. If you look at the manual or your guarantee card, you will notice a specific rule that states that you must hire Gas Safety Certified Engineers to repair your boiler to receive a guarantee from the company. It’s the law in the United Kingdom, so don’t waste your 15-year warranty trying to get them fixed cheaply.

Clog in the toilet

Unfortunately, many people treat toilets like garbage cans, flushing a wide range of items that should never be flushed in a toilet. Toys and personal care products are among the items that should never be flushed down the toilet.

Beauty and personal care products, in particular, are made up of a variety of chemicals that do not react well with drainage pipes.

These factors can cause massive blockages, resulting in significant drainpipe damage such as leaks, burst pipes, sewage backflow, and drainage-related problems.

How to unclog a toilet?

• You can use cling film to wrap up the toilet bowl airtight and flush it three to four times. Air pressure within the bowl will help the toilet bowl unblock itself.
• Toilet block remover “powder or liquid” helps you with quick-fix block remover, but it also damages the drainage pipeline if it’s used frequently
• Boiling water is the old traditional way to remove the blockage in the toilet, make sure to not use them if there is any hard plastic kinda material is the blockage in toilet

Steps to Prevent Blockage in Toilets 

• Keep your toilet clean
• Flush 2-3 times after using it
• Do not dump the tissue inside the toilet
• Do not use unauthorised toilet cleaners, that can damage your sewer drainage service pipe.

“ Clogged toilets are such a headache, do check our blog post guide How to unclog a toilet for more tips and suggestions”

How can ESBAH help you?

ESBAH Emergency Plumbers is a local plumbing and drainage servicing company based in Birmingham & West Midlands. Our team has over 30 years of experience in domestic, commercial, and industrial drainage services. We are available 24*7 for 365 days, so do reach out for any Emergency Plumbing Services at an affordable cost.