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Saddleworth Plumbing Services engineers see lots of plumbing problems in the course of our work. Some of them we would technically class as misguided DIY mistakes but
others as 'illegal workmanship'! Below are just a few examples with a brief explanation of what we see that untrained people might not understand and the photos are offered here in the
sincere hope that people may see these examples and recognise the fact that their houses might have a similar problem that may need to be addressed... If you want your
Plumbing problems sorting Contact us HERE
1-The Tiled-in Bath
1-This very common mistake is often made by people who want a bathroom like the hotel on holiday in Spain. They get the tiler to completely tile-in the Bath so it
looks flat and easy to clean (also saving on the cost of a bath panel) but the ones in Spain have an access duct next to the bath so they can fix a leak if one occurs.
Unfortunately it can result in the floor joists slowly rotting or even the ceiling collapsing. if they do get one. This mistake is even worse when bath taps are fitted at the back
of the bath making them completely inaccessable requiring removal of the bath, tiles and contacting a good plumber to fit it all again but this time properly If you want
your Plumbing problems sorting Contact us HERE
2-The Missing Pressure Relief Valve pipework 1-Before photo
2-Missing Pressure Relief Valve pipework 1. After photo
2-This common problem involves pipework not being fitted properly to a very important valve on combi boilers which can release high temperature gases and even steam if the boiler goes
faulty. This pipe should normally be fitted to the outside of the house but on the boiler pictured the pipework fitted just points down to the floor and as can be seen, has been
'blowing off' as we say in the trade, creating an Indoor Sauna!. On another job we were called to it was actually blowing off on to the customers fuse box under her stairs! If
you want your Plumbing problems sorting Contact us HERE
3-The Missing Pressure Relief Valve pipework 2.
3-This is probably the worst way for filling a Dogs water bowl I have ever seen but it could lead to the dog getting its head injured! If you want
your Plumbing problems sorting Contact us HERE
4-Replacing the Guttering?
4-This shows a new plastic gutter that has been fitted underneath an old wooden one. The old one was probably leaking or blocked so someone just fitted a new one underneath-belt and
braces type guttering. If you want your Plumbing problems sorting Contact us HERE
5-The unfinished Flue Pipe.
5-This is what happens when someone is fitting a Boiler and forgets or doesnt have any ladders. The Boilers flue pipe is pushed through the wall from inside with its rubber
sealing ring on and the hole is left open without cement. If you want your Plumbing problems sorting Contact us HERE
6-The Condensing Gas Boiler/Vehicle Steam Cleaner?
6-It is against the Gas Regulations to fit a Boiler under 2 metres from ground level without fitting a wire cage round the flue because of the danger of someone getting burned. But in
this photo there is'nt one and you can also see that there are cars parked very close to this condensing flue which in use emits corrosive gases (see photo below) so they are in danger of
getting a good steam cleaning or possibly paint stripping as the gases are acidic! I dread to think what else has been omitted inside the building. If you want your
Plumbing problems sorting Contact us HERE
7-When is a door not a door? When its a Boiler!.
7-This is a quite simply one of the oddest Boiler locations i have ever seen. It is just beyond belief that a better location for the Boiler could not be fitted. Obviously the Garage door
is not now a garage door but in fact a garage Boiler holder but also it is obvious that they will never be able to park their car in the garage again. The Boiler flue could have been fitted
through the roof and then the Boiler fitted on another wall inside but maybe that was'nt as easy for someone to do? If you want your Plumbing problems sorting Contact us
HERE
8-Open sesame or open sewer says me?
8-Until I saw this i had seen it all in 30 years of Plumbing (the arrow in the photo is pointing to the open pipe which should have a special valve fitted on it). The customer had
called us out to an existing plastic ballvalve float that had melted in their unvented hot water heater (it should have been made of Copper!!!!) which had caused a flood in the flat
below. We replaced that but then he said he had had a terrible smell in the bathroom for four years and i definately agreed when i entered it. The photo shows what was causing it and we
couldnt wait to fix this problem believe me. Thank goodness websites don't have smellorama! If you want your Plumbing problems sorting Contact us HERE
9-Gas Appliance Flues facing other Flues
9-This pair of gas appliance flues have been installed facing each other in a narrow passageway and may effect the way each other perform. One of them has a gaurd on which shows that it may
have been installed before the other which has not and so may have been installed by someone unaware of the dangers in doing this. If you want your Plumbing problems
sorting Contact us HERE
10-The Danger of Flues in Ginnells or Alleyways
10-This gas appliance flue looks quiet innocent but its location can be a very dangerous position. One similar to it contributed to the tragic death of a young boy recently and if you see
or are living in a house with this type of flue position that has walls on both sides and a ceiling around it so the gases can not rise out and upwards you are recommended to contact your
CORGI registered installer or CORGI enquiries@trustcorgi.com or 0800 915 0480 for help and information about this problem.
If you want your Plumbing problems sorting Contact us HERE
Summary
We hope that this page has been helpful to you and helped you to understand the problems that can occur using unqualified workers or carrying out DIY. Using the right company in
the first place is the best way, usually found by recommendation not pot luck and it has to be said there are many excellent companies out there that take great pride in their work but
are let down by the ones featured in these photos and on TV programs. If you want your Plumbing problems
sorting Contact us HERE
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