Upgrade Your Plumbing System
As winter approaches especially, your pipes can freeze up or get blocked. Having your water at a freeflow constantly is essential so you can access clean, freshwater all year round. Following these tips will ensure you don’t have any big problems when the weather changes:
1. Consider a hair filter in your bathroom. No matter your age or gender, removing hair is a pain- with the clean up being the worst part. We all know how disgusting it is to pull out that big matt of hair from your shower drain- especially if it’s stuck halfway down the pipe. Avoiding this chore will decrease water flow, so invest in a hair filter to make it quicker and easier to remove.
2. Avoid pouring fats and oils down the drain. Pipes are like arteries, to keep everything flowing correctly, they need to be open. It’s easy to clog your plumbing up with fatty liquids- even the smallest amount can create a significant build-up, just like your body. The best way to prevent this is to avoid oil near your sinks and drains as much as possible, and regularly run hot water and washing up liquid down the drain to emulsify.
3. Insulate your pipes. When it comes to your plumbing, the most critical part is the pipes- with the condensate pipe being the ‘main’ body of your heating system. You can find your condensate pipe on the outside wall of your home, which means it will take a beating during the winter months. If you haven’t already when home renovating, insulate this pipe. In the winter months, the temperature tends to drop below freezing, which will mean the liquid within the condensate pipe will freeze up an cause your boiler to go to a lockout. Using pipe lagging (pipe insulation) will prevent the pipe from freezing up by making sure less heat is escaping the hose.
Checking For Pests
Before you start any home renovations on a large scale, you must check your home for pests that may be living around you. Depending on the season, different critters lurk under floorboards, in beds and up fireplaces. You don’t want to hurt anything while you’re carrying out major renovations, so it’s best to exterminate beforehand. Even if you’re not planning on substantial changes, it can be uncomfortable and create anxiety for your friends and family, so it’s better to get rid sooner rather than later. Common pests in your home can include:
● Rats and Mice
● Bed Bugs
● Flies
● Wasps
● Termites
In severe cases, the easiest fix is to call out pest control services, which are cheap and easy to find. However, there are some preventative measures that you can easily do yourself, such as:
● Sealing up cracks and openings in walls
● Keeping your kitchen clean and putting food away
● Treating damp immediately
Heat and Cool More Efficiently
Especially in older homes, your heating system can be lacking- and therefore should be at the top of your list during home renovations. Monitoring your heating routine before any changes will save you not only cold feet but also a considerable amount of money (that you could be spending on the less troublesome renovations!). Getting a new boiler installation during your home renovations will make sure you’ve got an efficient system to match your heating requirements. If you’re starting fresh, you may as well do it properly and keep on track by paying more attention to your thermostat. Understanding and regulating your heating usage is the first step to a long-lasting boiler that you won’t have to worry about for at least ten years. Smart thermostats such as Nest can help you. Nest and other smart thermostats learn your living routine and programmes itself accordingly, therefore saving you time and money. Or for budget renovations, you need to manually plan out what temperature you need to set your boiler at, and when you need it most.
Renovating your home can be troublesome, but it should still be rewarding.
Don’t let it become a long, confusing mess when making your home into somewhere comfortable. Follow our guide for a great starting point to your dream home.
*Collaborative Post
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