- Detach the shower head from the wall tiles, remove any plumbers tape, clean the protruding head and attach the pressure gauge to it.
- Turn on the cold tap and check for any leaks running down the wall with your torch.
- Turn the cold water off and check the gauge. The needle should stay in the same position indicating the pressure in the line. If the pressure drops there is a leak in the pipes. Turn the valve off after testing to release the pressure.
- To check the hot water, turn the cold water off and the hot water on. The gauge should indicate the same pressure.
NB: A PRESSURE TEST DOES NOT WORK FOR GRAVITY FED HOT WATER SYSTEMS. - If the test indicates a leaking pipe, Call a Plumber.
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How To Guides for Showers that are leaking and other repair issues .
· Change a Washer
It is easy to change the washers in a tap . if you have the correct tools and materials.
The materials you will need are tap washers, body washers (thin, fibre washers), o-rings and a silicone lubricant. The tools needed are, an adjustable spanner, funnel-nosed pliers, a tap re-seater, wrench, cloth and wire brush. If the taps are in the shower or even the kitchen, you may need a tube spanner to remove the tap spindle if it is recessed into the wall so that the tiles block the use of a normal spanner. You may even need a screwdriver, in some cases, to remove the tap handle from the spindle. Multigrips may be required to turn off the mains pressure if the tap is tight . (see below)
Some Technical Terms :
·Spindle
- The spindle is in two parts - an outer and a central part.It is the main body for turning the tap on or off.
·Headnut
- The head nut is part of the spindle, which enables you to screw the spindle from the body of the pipes.
·Tap Washer
- Most taps outside the house in the garden take 18mm or ¾ inch washers, inside taps take 12mm or ½ inch washers.
·Body Washer
- Body washers are thin, fibre washers usually orange in colour. Make sure you choose the correct size - not too small or not too large.
·O Rings
- O-rings are small circular rings that fit on the inner spindle.
·Tap Seat
- The tap seat is the circular base of the pipes after the spindle is removed.
Procedure:
- Generally, the hot water tap is on the left and the cold water tap is on the right. If the taps are horizontal, the hot water tap is on top. Check before you start that they have been installed correctly.
- Turn off the mains. If you live in a house the mains water supply tap will be outside in the front of the house near the meter. If you live in a unit, it will be inside. In some units there may be a number of isolation taps: in the bathroom, kitchen and laundry. (Look in the kitchen cupboards, under the laundry sinks, in the shower or next to the toilet). If you have recycled water, there will be two mains. In some homes the hot water supply may be in the roof. Before you do any work , make sure you have isolated the water by turning off the correct water supply. If the mains have not been turned for years, they may be tight. You may need a pair of multigrips to turn the water off. Remember to turn the mains off, you turn clockwise. To turn the mains on, you turn counter clockwise.
- Remove the taps. To safeguard chrome surfaces place a cloth around them so that the serrated surfaces of the wrench do not damage the chrome. Turn the spindle counter clockwise and remove it from the pipes.
- Remove the body washer (orange fibre) & clean the surface on which it sits with a wire brush and cloth.
- Clean the tap seat and grind it with the re-seater tool. Grind until it is smooth and clean. Remove any filings with a cloth. It is important to remove all filings at this stage as they may get under the washer and cause the tap to leak.
- To change the O-ring on the spindle, turn the spindle until it appears on the inner part. Prise the old ring off with your funnel-nosed pliers or cut it off with a knife. Clean the spindle with your wire brush and cloth and roll the new O-ring into place. Some spindles have two O-rings, if so, repeat the process.
- Fully lubricate the inner spindle with the silicone lubricant. This is an essential step to make the tap easy to turn. Then fully screw the two parts of the spindle together.
- Replace the tap washer. Tap washers should slide out easily, but if not, use your funnel-nosed pliers to remove them. Slide in the new washer.
- Replace the new body washer and re-assemble the tap screwing it into the main pipe. Carefully replace the hot and cold labelled buttons on the correct taps. Clean any lubricant off the taps with a paper tissue. Turn the tap about half on and open the mains. Use only gentle pressure to turn the tap off as over-tightening can damage the new washer.
· Water Pressure Testing
The Shower Repair Centre conducts a water pressure test as part of its standard service. A pressure test is used to evaluate the water pressure at pipe junctions in the shower such as at taps and the shower head. Many showers leak because of faults at these points due to worn washers or breaches at T-junctions (or along the pipe lines). Water pressure in the pipes should be stable. Any leaking in the lines will manifest itself in a loss of water pressure. When the shower is on, a pressure gauge reading will be unreliable. A loss of pressure when the water is turned off will indicate a leak in the pipes. For accurate testing, double check readings by turning the water off and checking that all the connections are firm and repeat the procedure.
· Procedure
*These instructions are purely a guidline .
Seek a Plumbers advice for further information
Seek a Plumbers advice for further information
·Termite Damage
Leaking Showers can attract Dangerous Termites to your Home
Termites thrive on moisture and they are capable of eating their way through your entire house in six months once they become established. Leaking showers can produce perfect conditions for nesting termites: a veritable time bomb to destroy your home. Termites are social insects which cause great damage to wooden structures in the home such as frames, joists, bearers, studs, braces and even battens and rafters. Not even your furniture, books or dry materials are immune once they get a hold and they feed until nothing but the shell remains. Termites are also known as white ants because of their whitish ant-like bodies. This is a misnomer based on the superficial appearance of the two insects. Termites are more primitive insects which require darkness and moisture to survive. Their diet consists of wood and other substances containing cellulose.
Their colonies can contain up to a million insects with a queen capable of laying 30,000 eggs a day. Most termites build their nests underground although some species build mound-like structures, 6-7 metres high, as can be seen in our Northern Territory. Nests under homes in Australia can contain tens of thousands of individual insects.
The elimination of termites by pest controllers is a costly exercise. Once they are detected and eradication processes put into action, then comes the search for the damage they have caused. The eradication itself can be very costly, as the exterminator has to dig under your house, concrete driveway, gardens or environs to find the nest.
If your shower is leaking contact us today.
The Shower Repair Centre will protect your home with a 12 year warranty.
Get rid of the smell of darkness, mildew or mould and remember prevention is so much cheaper than cure. Termites cause tremendous damage to homes in Australia and although you can insure against fires, rain damage, floods, accidents and public liability, there is no insurance against termites.
The Shower Repair Centre is the only company in Australia with innovative technology such as our Sealright™ products and Diamoseal™ equipment to renovate and seal your showers with our hygric barrier which stops the leaks and the dampness which emanates from it. Others have tried to emulate us but they do not have our patented technology.
