It's that time of year again when you have a constant stream of guests coming over to your house. Sometimes planned, sometimes impromptu. Plumbminto's have a quick, easy and free tip to help you to stay ready. 

Amongst the manic rush to shove things into closets, clean the bathroom, tidy the kitchen, prepare the food and do a quick run to the shop for drinks, there is one thing easily forgotten but so effective to present a homely space... A BEAUTIFUL SMELLING HOUSE! 

Take just 2 minutes to soak a cloth or paper towels into your existing fabric conditioner and wipe the top grills of your radiators with it. Once you turn on your central heating, not only will it blast a cozy warmth into all your rooms, but it will circulate a fresh scent of clean laundry around the house. 

So all pets are now invited; sure, take your shoes off at the door; eat as many brussel sprouts as you like and just let go... you have it covered!

You're welcome!

- Plumbminto's - ​

Limescale on your shower head can cause your shower spray to go in all different directions making it extremely annoying to shower, not to mention soak parts of the bathroom you didn't intend to get wet!

First point of call, try WHITE VINEGAR:

1) Remove the shower head if possible.

2) Fill a plastic bag (ideally one that can be sealed, for example a large sandwich bag) with white vinegar and put the shower head inside, securing it with a rubber band. Alternatively fill a little bucket or a large bowl with the vinegar and place the shower head in it. Make sure that the whole affected area is submerged.

3) Leave for several hours. If you can leave it outside, do that because vinegar smells strong!!

4) Carefully remove the shower head and gently scrub away any remaining limescale using a sponge. 

5) Rinse the shower head thoroughly before fixing it back to the shower and then let warm water run through it for a while before stepping in and smelling like a chip shop!

If this hasn't done a good enough job, call us and we'll come to replace the shower head for you. 

DISCLAIMER: please do a patch test first to make sure that the vinegar won't ruin your shower head coating!
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​Just a Drop's water, sanitation and hygiene solutions take into account a community's local water availability, geography, infrastructure, economic conditions and culture. Solutions are identified which will best serve the community's specific needs.

Hand-Dug Wells
Wells are dug by hand, to reach the water stored in the aquifer below, at a depth of no more than 15 meters. Hand-dug wells, or shallow wells, are the most common way of extracting water in rural areas of the developing world. 


Drilled Wells
Machinery is used to drill down into the aquifer to extract water stored many meters below the earth's surface, and a pump is fitted for the community to bring this water up through the well.


Rainwater Harvesting
Rain falls and is directed into a sanitary water tank, usually by guttering. Find out more about how rainwater harvesting tanks work here. Rock catchment systems operate in the same way, on a larger scale, with the rainfall that flows from a steep rock face directed and collected.


Sand Dams
A dam is built across a river, and during the rainy season water flows, bringing with it sand which collects behind the dam. Water is then stored in the sand which acts as a natural filtration. The water can then be extracted through a well and handpump at the side of the river.


Water Distribution Systems
Work by distributing water to locations through a system of pipes. Gravity Fed Water Systems use the pull of gravity to direct the flow of water to a sanitary storage tank. Piped Water Systems work by distributing piped water to a series of taps in a community. 


BioSand Filters
Biosand filters remove pathogens and other contaminants which are harmful to human health from water using layers of sand, covered with a biofilm. 


Spring Protections
A system is built to capture water from a naturally occurring spring source, and the clean water is stored.


Latrines
Covered shelters with a pit below provide privacy and safety for toilet users.


Household latrines
Vary from a simple pit latrine - a hole in the ground with a covered shelter - to a flushing toilet, depending on the country.


Communal latrine blocks
These are gender sensitive and feature washrooms. Where possible consideration is made for people with disabilities. School latrine blocks are essentially the same, are gender sensitive and feature washrooms for girls. Teachers have separate latrines.  


Urinals
Function effectively to prevent latrine pits filling up too quickly. Urinals are necessary when there is a high volume of children in a school or community using a latrine. 


Drainage training
Community training in the construction of soak pits and proper drainage channels. Village drainage is often left to nature and this causes contamination of water sources.


Waste management training
Communities are trained in recycling, rubbish disposal, keeping the village clean, and the hygienic and safe disposal of human waste.


Hygiene training
Communities are trained in the importance of hygienic practices, to prevent diseases and contamination of clean water sources. As part of our projects we support a variety of hygiene training and practices including: handwashing & tippy tap construction, personal hygiene, menstrual hygiene management, environmental and domestic hygiene, understanding of the safe water chain from collection to consumption, food hygiene, soap making, disease awareness.

Showers & Baths:
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When brushing your hair, try to collect the hairs in the brush and dispose of them in a bin rather than washing them down the drain.
 
When your soap has come to the end of it’s little life, throw it in the bin rather than squish it down the plughole!
 
Of course, there will still be hair in the drain so regularly remove hair or purchase a hair trap if your plug hole can fit one.
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So...

If you have discovered a lingering smell emitting from a sink, bath, shower or basin, there’s a good chance you have a blockage. If your water is very slow to drain away, then there’s also a good chance you have a blockage.
 
Sometimes the problem is not what has been put down into the pipes, but rather the way the pipes have been installed in which case they will need correcting for a long lasting solution.
 
In the case of a blockage or slow draining, you can always call on us!
   

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As it’s Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week, it’s the perfect time to tell our customer all about how to install their alarms!
 
What is a CO2 alarm?
 
Simply put, it’s like a smoke alarm, but for the potentially deadly Carbon Monoxide instead of smoke. THESE DO NOT REPLACE SMOKE ALARMS!
 
What is Carbon Monoxide?
 
Carbon monoxide (CO2) poses an invisible threat. It's a gas that is both colourless & odorless. It’s produced by any fuel-burning appliance or fixture — such as a boiler, water heater or fireplace. CO2 can build up in the home from malfunctions or poor ventilation in those devices. It can also accumulate if the home is improperly ventilated for the exchange of inside and outside air. Running a vehicle in an attached garage can also allow carbon monoxide to enter the home. Carbon Monoxide when inhaled creates a toxic compound in your body. If you suspect inhalation or a leak, open all windows and doors, get fresh air in you lungs, do not light an open flame and call the emergency services immediately. If you need your appliances replaced of fixed, call us!
 
Where to install the CO2 alarm:
 
1) Every Floor of your Home
 
If your home has several levels (including basements used attics), then you will need detectors on each level as the gas can often be trapped within a single level and you wouldn’t know it without an alarm on that floor.
 
2) Near Bedrooms
 
You want the alarm to wake you at night, just as you would a smoke alarm, so keep it nearby where you and your family sleep. If bedrooms are more than 30 feet apart you will need more than one detector.
 
3) Homes with attached Garages
 
If you have an enclosed garage directly attached to the house, then you should also place a CO2 detector within 10 feet of the internal door to your garage. You should also place a detector in any room situated directly above your garage.
 
4) Height
 
You should mount your detectors securely on the walls at least a couple of feet below the height of the ceiling. If your detector has a digital read-out, then it would make sense to install it where you can read the display.
 
5) Locations to avoid
 
Keep your CO2 alarm away from:

• Gas hobs / ovens (15 ft away)
• Heating furnaces (15 ft away)
• Fireplaces
• Bathrooms

• Spots in direct sunlight
• Any appliances that generate significant heat

• Areas within children’s reach
• Open windows or anywhere else there might be a strong draft
• Behind curtains or any potential obstructions to the CO2 alarm sensor

These alarms are so easy to fit and cheap to buy. They could save lives. If you’d like us to supply & fit one for you, please contact us now! 

Warm Water Underfloor Heating  Vs. Electric Underfloor Heating
 
Underfloor heating is a surefire way to ensure your family’s feet are toasty warm when walking on tiles, stone, wood or even carpet. It can be used as an alternative your radiator heating or a complimentary floor warmer for those chilly mornings and nights! How do you decide which one to go for?
 
ELECTRIC UNDERFLOOR HEATING

With an electric underfloor heating system, a series of electric wires or electric heating sheets are installed beneath or within your flooring. This is usually fit over screed and floor insulation. It has it’s own thermostat to determine when it comes on and turns off.
 
There are lots of options for each floor type and is less expensive to install than the Warm Water systems.
 
You must consider the cost of the electric bills compared to the cost of the gas bills in order to help make this decision.
 
WARM WATER UNDERFLOOR HEATING
 
With a water-based underfloor heating system, a series of pipes connected to your gas boiler circulate warm water throughout the floor to heat the space. It is essentially part of your gas central heating with it’s own thermostat.
 
Warm Water underfloor heating could be more energy efficient than radiators as the heat is distributed more evenly, and therefore potentially less expensive to run (according to The Energy Saving Trust).
 
It is more expensive to install that Electric underfloor heating as it’s more complicated.
 
OVERALL
 
There will be quite significant upheaval when installing any underfloor heating as the floor will need to come up, new floor may need to be laid down before the installation and you need to factor in the added height of the floor with the prep work involved.  
 
Make sure you don’t compromise on quality and that your kit is complete and all components comply with European standards.
 
Underfloor heating is a modern and high-spec feature that allows you to enjoy the luxury of warm floors during cold winters.  It could be a more energy efficient way of heating a room as the heat rises slowly around the whole room, rather than the isolated areas of radiators. 

To find out more, contact us anytime!

What is a power flush?

It is a deep and thorough cleanse of your central heating system. Chemicals are used in conjunction with a power flush machine which is attached to your central heating pipework. The gunk is then flushed out, leaving you with a clean system with clearer running water. 

​Why do you need a power flush?

Central heating systems can get a build up of sludge and debris over time. This will have a negative affect on: the efficiency of your boiler (which will need to work extra hard to produce your heating); your radiators which may get clogged and not heat properly; your household bills (due to excessive work required to get hot water around your system). 

When do you need a power flush?

- slow heating of radiators
- cold patches on radiators
- excessively noisy boiler or heating pump
- dirty water when bleeding radiators
- after a new boiler installation 

There are also preventative measures if your system is currently clean and you want to keep it that way!

Call us anytime to arrange your Power flush which can all be completed within a day. Take a look at what gunk we might find in your system, and the beautifully clean result when we're finished! 
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