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Clean your gas room heater
Since June 25th 2021, we are being asked to stay at home with the latest COVID-19 outbreak.
Greater Sydney is settling into winter and it’s wet! So, if you have a gas room heater, now is the time to clean it!
Dust is the thing that diminishes the efficiency of a gas room heater. The simple thing to do is clean and vacuum the air filters and ensure the fans are turning freely.
Most heaters have a service manual that demonstrates how to dismantle, clean and reinstate the relevant parts.
Please remember Safety First.
If you don’t feel confident, call us on 02 9664 4990 for help or arrange for our gasfitters to do a gas heater health check.
The Lone Drainer Recipe collection
It’s the second month of the New Year and we’re all still full of good intentions.
I, The Lone Drainer, the fastest plumber in the Eastern suburbs, hereby announce my New Years Resolution: I will become a better cook. I am committing in print in the hope that my public announcement will help me stick to the program.
Here’s how it will work:
Every week, I will publish a new recipe, fully tried and tested in The Lone Drainer Coogee kitchen and stomach. I’m aiming for easy, fast and not too many ingredients. And something that won’t make me fat. I want to be a fit, healthy fifty year old. (Ed: who are you kidding Dave? Rumour has it you’re closer to sixty already!)
It won’t always be a recipe, sometimes it will just be a meal idea, suitable for a man to make. (OK, sexist, I know. I’ll rephrase that. What I mean is suitable for me, a mere male without a lot of cooking skills, but certainly a man who likes to eat well).
Here is No 1 Recipe, a sample of my ‘easy-after-a-hard–days-work–plumbing meal’ idea:
Go to the supermarket.
Buy a bag of mixed salad leaves, a bottle of bread and butter pickles, and a piece of salmon.
Put two potatoes and two carrots on to boil. (Good plumbers need carbs. We work hard and burn a lot of energy).
Spread the salad leaves on a plate. Pour a tablespoon of olive oil on the leaves. (Uncooked olive oil is good for keeping cholesterol down).
BBQ the salmon. Or cook it in a heavy cast iron frypan. Six and two minutes on a gas stove.
Put the salmon on top of the leaves. Put the now cooked potatoes and carrots next to the salmon on the plate . Add a couple of dill pickles. There is dinner. Four vegetables, fish for protein and a few carbs for energy. Twenty minutes tops.
Read our blog. Cook my food. Admire our plumbing.
Gas heater time again
Winter is coming to Sydney.
With some much needed rain approaching as we head towards June 1st, it’s time to go looking for some indoor heating.
If you haven’t run your gas heater since last winter, please dust it and ensure the bayonet fittings are well lubricated before inserting the heater hose. Don’t forget to check for leaks. Soapy water is one way to do it.
If you’re in Sydney and not sure about your gas appliances – Call Us! 02 9664 4990
Help! Where does my Hot Water turn off?
“HELP!“
“My water heater is spitting out hot water and steam. Can you get over here Urgently?” “I don’t know how to turn it off and I think it’s going to explode!”
Monday morning brought a call from Deborah in Randwick. It sounds like a job for The Lone Drainer ……and Pronto.
Of course we were able to rescue Deborah. We replaced the water heater and the gas and water shut-off valves that controlled the unit. But, how many people don’t know how to turn off their water heater?
The image below shows where to shut off the water and gas supply to the heater. Why don’t you practice turning the water heater off when it isn’t urgent?
If you need help Call us 02 9664 4990
My car is powered by sewage
This post was brought to my attention by the ever vigilant Richard Piper. When you ring our office for help you may speak to him. Tell him you enjoyed this post; I did!
Sewage powered VW Beetle hits the road in Bristol! A Volkswagen Beetle powered by gas from sewage has taken to the road for the first time in Britain.
This converted Beetle car runs on methane gas. The Bio-Bug was launched on Thursday by Wessex Water, which is generating methane from human waste at a sewage treatment works near Bristol.
The company claims the prototype is able to cover 10,000 miles annually on the waste from 70 households.
If the trial proves successful, Volkswagen will consider converting some of its fleet of vehicles to run on biogas.
Mohammed Saddiq, of GENeco, a Wessex Water subsidiary which runs the biogas plant at Avonmouth, said: “Our site has been producing biogas for many years, which we use to generate electricity to power the site and export to the National Grid. With the surplus gas we had available we wanted to put it to good use in a sustainable and efficient way. We decided to power a vehicle on the gas, offering a sustainable alternative to using fossil fuels which we so heavily rely on in the UK.
“If you were to drive the car you wouldn’t know it was powered by biogas as it performs just like any conventional car. It is probably the most sustainable car around.”
The Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Association said the launch of the Bio-Bug proved that biomethane from sewage sludge could be used as an alternative fuel for vehicles.
Lord Rupert Redesdale, the association’s chairman, said: “This is a very exciting and forward-thinking project demonstrating the myriad benefits of anaerobic digestion (releasing energy from waste). Biomethane cars could be just as important as electric cars.”
Last month Volkswagen announced plans to conquer the green market with a new generation of hybrid and electric cars.
Hot Water Heaters are Big ticket items $$$$
Do you know:
- Where is your hot water supply coming from?
- Is it electric or gas? Can you turn off the supply safely?
- The pressure relief valve (T&PR valve), usually near the top of the heater, should be eased quarterly; it does drip water under normal circumstances, but should not constantly be running.
- Turning your water heater off whilst on holidays saves electricity and gas. The unit will heat and cool whilst you’re away, wasting energy & your money. Turn it on when you return, have a coffee, unpack, say hi to neighbours etc. The water will be hot before you know it
- Don’t forget to shut off the water valve. Storage heaters are under pressure. My brother in law had his water heater burst about the time he boarded a jet for the islands. After 2 weeks, the damage to carpet, floorboards, furniture, paint added up – $$$$!
- Flexible water connections on the inlet and outlet of your water heater are dangerous. Check if you have them. If you do, I strongly recommend you have them removed and have the connections redone in copper tube and brass fittings. I guarantee these flexis will rupture and if they are indoors the damage they can cause is huge.
- Rusty water coming from the unit is a sign of age and potential disaster. Don’t ignore it!
What do you know about your gas supply?
Winter starts tomorrow and if gas is your preferred method of heating then read on…
Natural gas is a great resource to have in any home for ovens, cooktops and hot water heating. However leaks in a high pressure gas line can be extremely dangerous especially if they go unnoticed or are allowed to continue unchecked. The massive explosion in Bondi Junction last year is an example of how horrible a gas blast can be.
If you live in a building with multiple gas meters, it is really important to know where your gas meter is and how to turn it off. Make sure all the gas meters in your building are labelled or numbered clearly, so that in the event of an emergency, you can turn your gas off safely.
Here are some pointers to detect gas leaks early so that appropriate measures can be taken to avoid major damage.
- If you suspect a gas leak, mix some bubbles using detergent with water, and cover the suspect area. If bubbles expand, you have found the leak.
- Don’t ignore a gas leak. Gas can be dangerous! Not to mention your bills will be increased.
- Disconnect your plugged-in gas heater in summer.
- When reconnecting the heater in winter and the bayonet is difficult to plug in, it is probably dusty. Dust and lubricate the connection, then try again.
- Don’t mess around with gas. If you are not sure don’t touch!
If you are not sure when it comes to a gas pipe problem, always call a licenced plumber and gasfitter.
7 easy ways to extend the life of your Water Heater
Have you found yourself in a situation where its winter and you head home for a shower after work, or after a rugby or netball training session, turn on the hot water tap and the water is cold?
There are many plumbing fixtures around your home, the bath or hand basin, kitchen sink, of course the toilet. Some homes, offices and small business have multiple toilets, showers and basins.
As we move into the cooler months the average hot water heater becomes more important for all these plumbing fixtures to work.
Its easy to take these often ignored assets in your home or office for granted, but some simple actions will prolong the life of your storage water heater.
Replacing your hot water heater can usually be unexpected and sometimes expensive, but in today’s fast moving world we can easily ignore this vital cog in our daily routine.
So be sure you are aware of the following:
- Where is your water heater? You need to know where it is!
- Is it gas or electric? You need to know!
- Can you turn off the gas or electricity?
- Can you turn off the water supply to your heater? Try it! Check this valve or tap works
- Is it a mains pressure storage heater or instant (continuous)?
- If it is mains pressure, have you released the Temperature and Pressure Relief valve (T&PR valve)?
- Keep the area around this heater clean and clear. Keep long grass, paint cans etc. well clear.
See the “hook” on the Temperature and Pressure Relief valve, lift it and hold it up for 30 seconds at least every three months. If this is working properly, it will discharge the hot water whilst you hold up the hook, then stop when you let it go. It is normal for it to discharge water while the heater is heating. Then the water should stop! Be careful the hot water doesn’t scald you.
Our water heater is a friend, if you are ever unsure about how your water heater is performing, or have any questions about any of the things we have outlined here, contact a professional plumber for guidance.
Remember to engage a licensed plumber to attend to your hot water heater.
https://www.thelonedrainerandpronto.com.au/hot-water-services.html
What Will Happen If I Ignore that Gas Leak?
Many people have no clue what natural gas smells like, so how can they recognise if they have a gas leak? Chemical compounds are placed in the natural gas to give it an odour which often smells like rotten eggs. This odour ensures that when a person smells it, they would be alerted to a problem. People trained in utility services, including plumber services, have the required equipment and have been taught skills to recognise and locate leaks in a gas line.
If you ignore that gas leak and do not call plumbing services Sydney, then you are placing yourself and your family at risk of being caught in a house that in the worst case, may blow up. DO NOT ignore that gas leak. It could injure you and your loved ones.
It is VERY important to know where your gas meter is, and how to turn it off. Make a point of finding this out and ensure that everyone in your household over 15 knows where it is.
When you do notice a leak, CALL, not email, your local service area to notify them of a problem. Get everyone out of the house and do not return until someone who is licensed to provide professional plumbing services says it is safe to re-enter your home.
Recognise leaks by the smell or a hissing sound, off colour vegetation in a normally green and lush area, flames if the leak has ignited, dirt coming up from an opening in the ground, or bubbles showing up in a flooded area.
When you react, be sure not to panic children or older adults. Panic only creates more problems. Have a pre-planned escape route and make sure everyone follows the plan in a calm and orderly manner.
When leaving the area, do not turn switches for lights or appliances on or off. They could send out sparks and cause an explosion.
Don’t smoke.
Leave the area and let professionals solve the problem.
Never ignore a leaky gas line inside or outside your residence.
Finding plumbing services Sydney, which will conduct a few simple tests to locate or dismiss a leaky gas fear, is not difficult to do if you look in the phone book for plumber services.
Natural gas is very hard to detect because it has no odour that will alert you of a problem. Although gas companies have put a chemical compound in the gas so that it can be detected, usually a gas leak is something that happens slowly and is not noticeable. A regular check of gas lines around or in your house by an individual that is licensed to provide professional plumber services should be done periodically so that any leaks that might develop can be caught before it becomes dangerous.
Contact plumber services Sydney and leave the area until professionals can tell you it is safe to return.
Take precautions, ensure you have a plan in place and NEVER ignore a gas leak.
What’s that smell? A pig of a gas leak
As licensed gasfitters, we have electronic equipment that detects gas leaks from all sorts of gas appliances, gas pipelines and gas meters, but this one is unusual….
A big pig with flatulence sparked a “gas emergency” near the Victorian city of Bendigo last week when the smell wafting from a 120kg oinker sparked fears of a potentially dangerous gas leak.
Two CFA tankers and a dozen firefighters responded to a nightime callout to search for the source of the suspected gas leak on a rural property at Axedale, east of Bendigo.
The ever alert firemen soon sniffed out the source; a pet sow startled from her snooze. “She got very excited and she squealed and farted and squealed and farted” said Fire Chief Peter Harkins.
Chief Harkins said the family who owned the pig had done the right thing by reporting a suspected gas leak.
Are you Ready for Spring?
Spring is here and summer is just around the corner! This means footy finals, Spring Racing and cricket! You don’t have to change your sleep habits to watch the games, and you can start planning a good old BBQ with family and friends.
This also means that people will want to get their backyard into shape, and the NSW State Government is helping with this by offering rebates for some water saving devices. More information about this can be found at http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/rebates/
Here are some simple ways to save water around the house but still keep your garden looking its best during the hot summer:
– Install a timer irrigation system. Drip lines are effective as they deliver water straight to the plant root system and largely avoid water loss through evaporation.
– Use mulch throughout your garden beds to further trim down evaporation.
– Install a trigger nozzle. They save water by shutting off a hose between watering different plants in the garden.
– Install a rainwater tank to capture otherwise wasted rain water that runs off the household roof. The NSW Government provides rebates of up to $1500 for such tanks.
– Think about installing rain and soil sensors which prevent irrigation systems from operating unnecessarily after rainfall.
Also if you are installing a new BBQ, always remember to use a licensed gasfitter!
Danger of Gas Room Heaters
We opened the heater to have a good look inside and it appeared that the motor had overheated and had started to melt the casing. It was a disaster waiting to happen!
Fortunately there was a tradesman working next door who quickly came on the scene and disconnected the gas appliance from the gas supply, preventing a potential fire!
As the days get colder and we turn to our gas room heating appliances to keep us warm, please dust them and make sure you can disconnect them from your gas bayonet fittings with ease.