FAQ

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AAlmost every homeowner will have experienced some form of blockage in their home at some stage. These can for obvious reasons be very unpleasant and need to be addressed as soon as possible. Rescue Plumbing Services is fully equipped and capable of handling any blockage that comes your way. The most common causes of drain blockages are:

Trees & Leaves

As many homeowners love to spend time in the garden, carrying out essential garden maintenance such as keeping your garden free from stray leaves & debris can help to prevent blockages. Leaves, however, are not the main culprit, tree roots are at all times drawn to the nearest water source, which in most cases is your drain line. Roots penetrate through the slightest opening or crack and can cause severe blockages or even collapsed drain lines if not maintained properly. Collapsed drains are one of the costliest problems to deal with within the plumbing industry, so regular maintenance on you drain line is critical. Rescue Plumbing Services possesses the tools and equipment to cut through these roots and therefore clearing these blockages.

Grease & Fat

This is one of the most common causes for blockages, but it is also one of the easiest to prevent. Any fatty substances which are washed down sinks will stick to the inside of the pipes, eventually building up to such an extent that liquid can no longer pass through. This can easily be avoided by keeping a watchful eye over the liquids which you decide to throw away. Rescue Plumbing Services provides quick and easy drain cleaning services, and can even train you to do so yourself should it happen again in the future.

Hair / Foreign Objects

A build up of hair in bath or shower outlets can also pose a problem for homeowners. Over time this can worsen and cause severe blockages. There are many devices which can be installed over waste outlets which catches the hair before it enters the pipes, however just paying attention to this simple and avoidable issues can easily prevent blockages.
Toilets regularly block up due to too much toilet paper, sanitary items and even nappies being flushed down the toilet. These items do not disintegrate in the water and therefore get lodged in the pipe. A lot of people also like to flush away their wet wipes, not knowing that they do not disintegrate in water either. Young children are also often the culprits for blocked toilets. They have been to flush entire rolls of toilet paper, a toy or even the toilet brush down the toilet. Once again these blockages can easily be avoided by keeping a watchful eye over what is flushed down the toilet. Rescue Plumbing Services does, however, possess special tools and equipment to retrieve any objects causing the blockage.

ATurn off the shut off valve at the water mains immediately. (We have found that a lot of houses don’t have easily accessible shut off valves, or in some cases don’t have one at all, so make sure you know where your’s is situated. Should you not have one, Rescue Plumbing Services can assist you with this.) This will stop any more water leaking through, however, you will have to allow time for any existing water in the pipe to completely run out. Switch off the power to the geyser to prevent the element from burning out. If the ceiling is starting to bow or sag, to limit the damage from your whole ceiling collapsing, use a sharp object to make hole in the ceiling board to drain the water into bucket. Burst pipes are an insured peril and therefore you can open a claim with your insurance. Rescue Plumbing Services is registered with both IOPSA (Institute of Plumbing South Africa) & the PIRB ( Plumbing Industry Registration Board ) and therefore insurance companies recognize and acknowledge our invoices. Call us when disaster strikes.

ANoisy and rattling pipes can range from loud hammering to noisy squeaks are caused by a number of things. Your pipes might not be secured properly, you could have faulty tap or mixer which is causing an imbalance in the pipes or your pressure relief valve could be blocked. Due to the range of possible causes, call Rescue Plumbing Services, we will perform a thorough inspection of your pipes. Most of the time the solution is quick and simple.

AYour geyser could be overflowing for any of 3 reasons.
If it is cold water, usually running from a small diameter (15mm) plastic overflow pipe, this is your pressure relief valve. The valve will most likely need to be replaced, however from time to time it could just be a blocked valve.
If it is hot water, it will most likely be gushing and streaming out of a small diameter (22mm) metal or copper overflow pipe. This is a little more serious, and we advise to immediately switch off the power to the geyser, and opening a hot water tap to relieve pressure in the geyser. What is happening here is the geyser’s thermostat is faulty and not switching off, this causes the geyser to overheat and build up pressure, and as a safety mechanism, the excess hot water and pressure (steam) are forced out of the safety valve. ( TP Valve – Temperature & Pressure Valve ) Unfortunately once the safety valve has popped once, it has to be replaced. We, therefore, replace both the thermostat and safety valve at the same time.
If there is water running out of the large diameter (50mm) white PVC overflow pipe, this usually indicates a burst geyser. This pipe is connected to the drip tray, which by law is fitted beneath your geyser. Immediately turn off the water and power supply to the geyser, and if you are insured, notify your insurance company. Rescue Plumbing Services is registered with both IOPSA (Institute of Plumbing South Africa) & the PIRB ( Plumbing Industry Registration Board ) and therefore insurance companies recognise and acknowledge our invoices. Call us when disaster strikes.