Common Plumbing Issues When Renovating a Property

If you are looking to renovate your property, there is a good chance there will be some level of plumbing work that needs to take place. Installing new drainage, fitting new pipework, and repositioning sanitaryware are all common plumbing tasks that take place when renovating a property. In this post, Plumbers Sheffield cover some of the common problems customers face when renovating their home, so you can avoid the same mistakes!

Lead Pipework - if you are renovating an older property, there is a high possibility that the previous plumbing pipework may contain lead. In the past, lead was a common building material used for plumbing throughout the home, however it is no longer used today as it is extremely toxic. Lead pipe can be detected by a dark grey appearance and if you suspect that your pipes may contain lead, we suggest calling in a professional plumber to get them removed.

Asbestos Pipework - asbestos is another common material that was used for plumbing installations, typically around boilers, around pipework and for toilet cisterns. Asbestos is commonly found in homes built before the 1990’s and is very dangerous for human health if disturbed. If you are doing any type of renovation works that involves the removal of old plumbing installations, then we advise to have an asbestos survey carried out prior. This will tell you where any asbestos is located and how it can be safely managed. If the asbestos requires removal, then you will need to call in a professional asbestos removal contractor.

Working in the right order - when renovating a property, it is essential to carry out tasks in the right order. Making this mistake can lead to costly disruption further down the line. To make sure you avoid this mistake, it is handy to remember that plumbing is installed in two distinct phases - first fix and second fix.

• First Fix plumbing relates to all installations that happen before the walls are plastered. This involves the installation of underground pipes, installing a new water supply, installating waste drainage pipes and pipework that will be hidden behind the plaster.
• Second Fix Plumbing involves the installation of the bathroom sanitaryware, boiler installation, water cylinder installation, connection of the pipes to taps and waste and testing of the plumbing system for any leaks.

If you are calling in a plumber to carry out the plumbing work for you, they will need to have two distinct visits,. One for the first fix and one for the second fix. This will ensure that their work does not interfere with other tradespeople such as electricians and plasterers.

Gas Safety - many customers fail to realise that some plumbing installations can only be carried out by a gas safe engineer. The gas safe register provides a list of all plumbing and heating engineers who are qualified to work with gas appliances such as boilers, fires and gas cookers. If you carry out work involving gas yourself, then you could be breaking the law and worse still, you could be risking your health and safety. A gas safe engineer will be able to provide you with a gas safety certificate following works to any gas appliances and this will evidence that your property is safe and compliant with the law. This is a very important document should you wish to sell or rent your home. Remember that as a landlord, you are also required to have an annual gas safety check on the properties you own.

Isolate the water supply - when doing any work on a plumbing system, it is important to make sure that you isolate the incoming water supply and flush out the system. This will remove any water that is held in the pipework and help to avoid any damaging leaks from occurring whilst you are working in the property. Older plumbing installations may not contain isolation valves, so you may need to isolate the property’s water supply by turning of the stop tap to do this.

If you need a professional plumber to help with your property renovation, contact Plumbers Sheffield today. Our gas safe plumbing and heating engineers are experienced with all types of plumbing work and are on hand to offer friendly advice . Call Plumbers Sheffield to schedule a quote now!