1 Turn off water
2Call plumber
Release air
2Turn on faucets
3Use garden hose
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HOUSEHOLD EMERGENCIES
LEAKING FAUCET
1 Turn off water
• A leaking faucet is both a nuisance and a waste of valuable water.
• In cold weather, dripping water can freeze in the pipes overnight, which may cause pipes to burst.
• In hard water areas, a faucet that keeps dripping may stain sinks and baths with mineral deposits.
• Before starting on any repair work, turn off the water supply.
• Close the“ speedy” on the pipe, if it has one.
2Call plumber
• Most leaking faucets are caused by faulty washers.
• You will need to remove the faucet cover to replace a washer, which may be tricky if you have modern faucets that are complex in design. If you feel unsure about tackling the job, call a plumber.
SILENCING DRIPS
• Until a faucet can be repaired, silence the noise by tying a piece of string around its
spout. Put the other end of the string in the drain. The water should now trickle down the string and into the drain.
AIRLOCK IN PIPE
1
Release air
• If no water comes out and the pipe makes a banging noise when you turn on a faucet, there is probably an air lock in the pipe.
• You may be able to release the air by using a rubber mallet to tap along the pipe leading from the faucet.
Tap the pipe gently to dislodge the airlock
2Turn on faucets
• If you cannot find the air lock in this way, turn all the faucets on full to try to drive out the air.
3Use garden hose
• If this fails, connect one end of a garden hose to the faulty faucet and the other end to a main-fed faucet, such as the kitchen sink faucet.
• Turn on the faulty faucet, then the main-fed one. The pressure of the main water as it enters the faulty faucet should drive the air lock out of the pipe.
• When the pipe stops banging, turn off the faucets and remove the hose from the main faucet.
• Drain off the water in the hose, then disconnect the hose from the faulty faucet.
• If air locks occur repeatedly, call a plumber.