All posts by Gareth Jones

How to make a draught excluder

Home Health, News, , , , , , ,

How to make a draught excluder.

You will need:

Old pair of trousers

Pair of scissors

Needle and Thread

Or material adhesive-web

Or sewing machine

Pair of thick tights

Filling/rice/gravel

Buttons or stick on Velcro

  1.  Cut the legs off an old pair of trousers (use a pair you were going to throw away.
  2.  Fold one trouser leg in half widthways and inside-out.

If you can sew or if you have a sewing machine.

  1. Sew along the long side loose opening, leaving a centimetre hem all the way along and do the same on one of the shorter sides leaving and the other side open for your filling.

If your can’t sew you could use some iron on adhesive web: place the adhesive web between the two pieces of material, at the edge of the opening cutting the web into 1.5cm strips make sure there are no bits of web sticking out and iron over the edges of the fabric where the web will stick your edges together.

  1. Turn your trouser leg back out the right way.
  2. Fill one of the tight legs with your filling, cut well above and tie it up. Place the filled tight inside the sewn trouser leg.
  3. Cut a small slit in one side of the small opening the same size as your button, sewing on the button on the opposite side.  Or if you prefer, cut the stick on Velcro to size.  Tuck one side of the opening over the top of the other and place the sticky sides of the Velcro so that it holds the opening closed.

Winter is coming, Is your house ready for it?

Plumbing & Drainage

Even though I can see the sunlight shining warmly through my window, winter will be on its way soon enough, so it’s at this time of year that we like to take a minute to send a few household tips out into the world.

Everyone wants to save money on their heating bills, especially with them constantly inflating.  Well this is the time to start putting into practice all those things you always want to do, to reduce those costly bills.  We’ve even done the hard work for you.  We’ve compiled a list of things, some cheap and cheerful, some merely cost effective.

However our hints are not all about saving money, some checks could save your life!

  • Why would I use draught excluders?

Using draught excluders stops the cool breeze coming through the gaps in doors, fittings, suspended, floors boards.  But be careful not to block intentionally ventilated areas like extractor fans and grilled or vents in doors, floors and windows, these are designed to reduce condensation.  Draught exclusion, can save between: £10 – £60, a year off your heating bills.

Draught excluders can be made very cheaply and with very little skill involved: Link to how to make a draught excluder page.

  • How much money will I save if I turn down the temperature on my thermostat?

By turning down the temperature on your heating thermostat you can save up to 10% off your yearly heating bill.  Pop on a jumper instead.

You could go one stage further, and reduce the amount of time your heating is on per day.  If for instance, you set your heating thermostat to turn your heating off half an hour before you go to work and say half an hour before you usually go to bed, depending how long you have your heating on for during the day, you could save a between 3-5% of your heating costs a year.  If you leave the heating on all day, even when there is nobody in you’ll be able to save even more.

  • Will I save money by turning off my appliances rather than putting them on standby?

Yes is the simple answer.  I know we all think it’s a time consuming task to turn things off at the mains, rather than just pushing a button to put them on standby…but what if I told you that you could actually save about £75 a year for 5 minutes of effort.

  • Why does it matter how much water I put in the kettle I have to boil it just the same?

The basic science-y stuff, is that you use more energy by boiling more water than you need to, and you will effectively end up boiling the same bit of water several times.  However by only filling the kettle with the amount you need, you could save between £50 and £75 a year dependent on the amount of use the kettle gets on the average day.

Radiators

  • How do I check that my radiators are working at their peak efficiency?

Radiators work by having pumped, hot water or steam, circulate through a house using a system of connecting pipework.  It is essential for the radiator system to work properly, so that the homeowner gets the required amount of heat expected when it is needed.  When the radiators are not performing their task correctly, not only do some rooms appear cooler than others, but the homeowner will more often than not turn the thermostat up in order to combat the coldness.  The problem is often, that the hot water is unable to flow through the pipes effectively.  This can be because of a few reasons, the most common being either trapped air in the pipes due to little or no use over the summer, or possibly a build-up of sludgy black residue that settles at the bottom of the radiators.  The general rule of thumb is that if the radiator is cold at the top, then it probably needs to have the air bled out of the radiators, and if it is cold at the bottom, then it is probably that it will need to be power flushed in order to reduce the amount of residue contained in the radiators.  In both cases it is best to get a professional plumber to come and deal with the problem as hot water can cause serious injuries and should be treated with caution.

(Plumbing Harrow)

Boilers

  • How can I check my boiler?

For a start, if you are in rented accommodation your boiler should be serviced every year by a Gas Safe engineer, who will issue a Gas Safety certificate-CP12 to your landlord, and be made available for you to check that the boiler has been regularly serviced.

In a privately owned house or flat it is down to the individual home owner to keep up regular services on their boiler which ideally should be performed yearly by a Gas Safe engineer.  Most problems with the boiler can be easily recognised as a fault, even if the homeowner has no idea what the fault is, i.e. the pilot light going out or water not heating up etc; however carbon monoxide problems are almost impossible to detect.

  • Are there any ways to detect carbon monoxide?

Carbon monoxide, has no smell or taste, it is possible that if there is a carbon monoxide leak, some members of the household may experience flu-like symptoms, but that is by no means conclusive of the presence of carbon monoxide.  However if you have any suspicions about carbon monoxide being present, then you should turn off all appliances, as your boiler is not the only potential source of carbon monoxide poisoning, and call out a professional.   An inexpensive carbon monoxide detector is another option, authorities are suggesting that these detectors are as essential in the home as smoke detectors.  If the detector raises an alarm. Make sure that every member of your household evacuates the premises, including pets, whilst the problem is rectified.

(Plumbing Ipswich)

That’s probably enough to be going on with for now.  I’ll be back soon with some more tips, hints and advice for saving money and for being more environmentally friendly.

cheap double glazing

Want Cheap Double Glazing? Try Clingfilm!

Glazing, , , ,

As we’re approaching those cold November nights, double glazing can go a long way towards keeping both the drafts out and the heating bills down.

But should you happen to live in a more humble abode and are unable to afford double glazing, blogger The Wartime Housewife has a wonderful suggestion that will insulate your home and cost you no more than a couple of quid.

Her secret ingredients? Clingfilm, cellotape and a hair-dryer. By taping the clingfilm across the windows frame and tightening it with a hair-dryer, you are essentially trapping air within and reducing heat transfer… which is exactly the same principle as is behind double glazing.

While the budget fix might look a little ghastly, some curtains or Venetian blinds will help cover your “shame”.

You can read the guide here and perhaps save yourself the extortionate fees a glazier would charge for upgrading your windows.

False widow spider

Is the False Widow Spider Really a Danger to the UK?

Pest Control, , , ,

Anyone who has picked up a UK newspaper in the past month will be aware of the hysteria that has surrounded a certain invasive arachnid. The false widow (or false black widow) is Great Britain’s latest unwanted pest, and many are on the lookout for the deadly “flesh-eating” and “highly venomous” creepy crawlies in their homes and gardens.

But before you enter a state of panic and dial for a pest controller, there are a few details that you should be aware of. A few details that the hysteria-inciting British media are failing to inform the public:

  • The false widow has been here for some time. In fact, experts say that the spiders arrived over 140 years ago – the first recorded mention of them in the UK dates back to 1879.
  • Since their arrival there have been no recorded deaths from false widow bites.
  • The spiders are moving indoors due to shrinking habitats and an irregularly dry summer, and are simply now easier to spot.
  • Bites from false widow spiders are far rarer than bee or wasp stings, and they are highly unlikely to attack humans. The majority of bites have come from false widows trapped in clothes or accidently squashed.
  • Many of the spiders people have recorded seeing in their homes are just common house spiders.

While it is always best to err on the side of caution – the spider’s bite could potentially prove fatal someone with a reduced immune system or with an allergy to bites – the state of panic which the media has whipped up is completely unjustified.

If you do happen to see a false widow spider in your home, rather than calling pest control simply place a cup over the tiny beast and transport it to your garden. Spiders do a wonderful job of keeping disease-spreading insects at bay.

Pumpkins drains

Protect Your Drains from Pumpkin Pulp this Halloween

Plumbing & Drainage, , , ,

The folks at Roto-Rooter are warning homeowners to be careful when disposing of their pumpkin pulp this Halloween.

Pumpkin carvers getting into the festive spirit with their jack-o’-lanterns are apparently pushing the pulp down their kitchen sink drains, where the pulp forms a sticky glue-like substance which, as other waste sticks to it, eventually clogs the drainage.

Once the drain is clogged, Roto-Rooter warn, it will require mechanical cleaning from a drain cleaning machine… which is costly and an unwelcome bill for any household approaching Christmas.

“For several years we’ve spread the word that carving pumpkins in the sink is a very bad idea,” says Roto-Rooter director Larry Rothman, who suggests carving pumpkins on a bed of newspaper and throwing the paper into the bin. “People assume when they shove the pulp down kitchen sink drain that it’s gone, but in a little while the sink usually stops draining altogether.”

And if you’re uncertain as to what exactly you should be doing with your pumpkin innards, perhaps you could try using them for some delicious pumpkin soup… or, even better, pumpkin pie.

Pumkin pie

Drainage problems

The 3 Most Common Drainage Problems

Plumbing & Drainage

Plumbing problems and drain blockages constitute a large percentage of all rapid response call-outs, and hiring a plumber to fix your blocked drain may prove expensive.

Therefore, it’s always advised that homeowners apply a bit of foresight in maintaining their property, and lessen the risks of drainage problems by addressing any potential issues in the early stages.

Foods, sludge, grease and oil may all lead to clogged drains. This will gradually degrade your pipelines and potentially cause cracks in metal or PVC plumbing. Should you find that water is moving slowly down your drains, hiring a plumber or drain cleaner to inspect your home’s plumbing system for these substances may save you money in the long run.

Pipes are also likely to corrode or deteriorate over time, more so if constructed from inferior materials. Burst pipes can cause considerable damage to your property and electrics. Avoid this by having a professional upgrade your home with durable, high quality pipes.

Check the sewer pipes in your back garden for cracks or damage. Should these break they will pollute the surrounding water, and may lead to you having to excavate your premises while they are being repaired.