November 2005
Are you prepared?
The weather experts are predicting a harsh winter ahead, which means that many homes will be faced with plumbing emergencies such as frozen pipes and leaks over the next few months. With Christmas just around the corner, it’s an expense that few of us can afford, so the advice from the Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering is – be prepared – it could cut the damage and the expense considerably.
- The first thing to do is to prevent water passing the point of the leak - turn off your stop valve (stopcock). If water cannot be controlled immediately, open all cold water taps so that the pipework and storage system drains quickly. Do not turn on hot taps. Turn off the central heating system and, if it uses a solid fuel boiler, allow the fire to die out. Switch off the electric immersion heater, then call your plumber.
- If a pipe freezes, turn off the mains water supply at the stop valve inside your home (if fitted) - these are often sited under the kitchen sink. If there isn’t an internal valve, turn off the water at the external valve. If the frozen pipe runs from a storage cistern and is not controlled by a valve, check that it hasn’t split. If it has, empty the cold water storage cistern either by opening the cold water taps and flushing the WC or by siphoning the water from the cistern with a garden hose, then call your plumber.
- If the pipe isn’t split, thaw it out by applying hot water bottles or by careful use of an electric hair dryer. Don’t try to thaw it too quickly as there may be splits in the pipe which are not immediately noticeable. Never use a naked flame to thaw a pipe. Always start thawing a pipe at the end nearest the tap. If any part of the hot water system is frozen, there could be a risk of explosion if the boiler (or other heat source) is kept alight, so ensure it is turned off, or for solid fuel systems, extinguish the fire. Be careful because although water may be flowing from taps, other parts of the system may still be frozen.
If you have been lucky enough to find a trustworthy, competent plumber in the past, they should be your first port of call. If you haven’t, visit www.iphe.org.uk for a list of Registered Plumbers in your area. Preventative measures like making sure pipes are lagged, could save a lot of heartache and expense. And remember, if you are going away for Christmas or New Year, leave the thermostat set low to help prevent pipes from freezing. Also check with your insurance company in case your policy has specific conditions imposed.
ENDS (464 WORDS)
NOVEMBER 2005
Facing Up To The Challenge
The IPHE’s Women in Plumbing Group in conjunction with Plumb Center, hosted its third Conference, which took place at the Union Jack Club, London SE1 on Wednesday 2nd November 2005.
More than 100 delegates packed the Gascoigne Room in eager anticipation as the guest speakers waited to take centre stage. Ursula Russell MBE, chaired the Conference and set the tone with a welcoming address before introducing the speakers.
The Conference theme, ‘Education and Training – facing the challenge,’ was taken up by Jenni Wood, Master Plumber and plumbing teacher, with an in depth account chronicling how she came into the industry, the challenges she faced and surmounted to achieve her ambition. A shared presentation by trainee, Sue Leong and plumber, Charlotte Thompson, described the reasons for changing careers and the obstacles they overcame during training and for Charlotte, the road to self-employment.
Alan Stevenson, Brand Director for Plumb Center, followed with a presentation outlining new research that highlighted the fact that in 74% of UK adults want to see more women plumbers. The research also found that women now make up 70-74% of new entrants into the labour market; making them the fastest growing workforce. The interactive session followed and delegates formed small groups to discuss the points raised during the presentation.
The afternoon session began with guest speaker Caroline Slocock, Chief Executive, Equal Opportunities Commission, presenting the findings of the EOC’s Gender Segregation Investigation and the suggestions made in the report to address the barriers to equality in the workplace. Caroline revealed that in 2004 of 3000 plumbing apprentices only 22 were women. Managing Director, Janet Shelley, Women Builders gave an inspiring talk describing how she had set up the business in order to fulfil her own desire to become a plasterer. The day ended with Claire Curtis-Thomas MP giving a presentation covering areas that could help support women in the workplace and to publicise the industry at primary and secondary school level.
Andy Watts, Chief Executive, IPHE, closed the Conference with a vote of thanks to the speakers and echoed the sentiments of the delegates that this had been a truly inspirational day.
ENDS (361 WORDS)
NOVEMBER 2005