Do You Really Appreciate Your Plumbing?

Plumbing. It’s something most of us take for granted and don’t really think about until it goes wrong. Life without functional plumbing (and good plumbers to fix it) wouldn’t be much fun, so as it’s World Plumbing Day this month, we thought we’d celebrate this vital invention and the plunger-wielding heroes who keep it all working.

World Plumbing Day

While it might sound a bit frivolous, World Plumbing Day is a serious initiative launched by the World Plumbing Council alongside partners like the World Health Organisation. The aim is to highlight the hugely important role these systems play in supporting public health and the general convenience of day to day living. While we’re lucky to enjoy clean running water and excellent sanitation systems in the UK, World Plumbing Day reminds us that there are still many places around the world that don’t have access to these vital resources.

Plumbing maintenance

We all know that poor sanitation is a risk to our health. There can be some seriously dangerous bacteria hanging around in our bathrooms. That’s why we do things like washing our hands after going to the loo, scrubbing our toilets and keeping shower heads mould-free. Exposure to bacteria due to bad sanitation can cause health problems like gastroenteritis, campylobacteriosis, skin conditions and even pneumonia. Look after your sinks, toilets, pipes and drains and you’re less likely to face a health issue or plumbing disaster. It’s advisable to:

• Check for leaks regularly – a gusher will always make itself known but a slow leak might not be so obvious, so check for damp on or under pipes and get problems fixed as soon as possible.
• Inspect the condition of your pipes – pipes and joints can deteriorate, so get them replaced if they show signs of wear or leaking.
• Don’t pour fat down your drains – it clogs up your pipes. Wait until it hardens and put it in the bin.
• Use a hair trap in the bath or shower drain – hair and soap residue can block your bathroom drain and cause water to back up.
• Don’t flush anything but toilet paper down the loo – wet wipes, sanitary products and any anything else should all go in the bin, not down your pipes.
• Keep your heating on a regular temperature – in cold weather this will help to avoid pipes freezing and bursting.
• Find a good plumber – having a reliable, experienced plumber on call when you need them gives you peace of mind and can help you mitigate costly damage.

Trusted plumbing contractors

So, the next time you turn on the tap or flush the loo, be thankful that you’re lucky enough to have access to clean water, good plumbing and a phone book full of emergency plumbers.

If you need commercial plumbing maintenance or emergency repairs, give us a call on 01269 841416 or contact us online. Our Groom Property Maintenance plumbing engineers are on call 24 hours a day and cover the M4 corridor area, including the Swansea, Port Talbot, Cardiff, Newport, Bristol , Swindon, Reading and London areas.