Earthquake-Ready Plumbing Checklist: How to Protect Your Home from Damage

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Although we don’t like to think too much about it, we live on a faultline so our city is seismically active and earthquakes are frequent. Even seemingly small rumbles can compromise your home’s plumbing. With this in mind, it’s worth performing a few checks that could reduce the chance of water damage and increase the chance of having a usable plumbing system after an earthquake.

We recommend doing the following checks at least annually as well as after any significant shake.

Earthquake Plumbing Checklist
  • Pipework – check all visible pipes (including under the house and in the ceiling if accessible) for leaks/cracks.
  • Hot water cylinder – are there any leaks?  Is it securely strapped?  Does it have an overflow tray?
  • Water toby – do you know where it is and how to turn it off? Is it working properly? (See our post about water tobies here for more helpful information)
Emergency Water Supply

We have installed an emergency rainwater tank outside our own house. We wrote a post about it, which you can read here to learn more about how they work.   It’s reassuring to know we have 200 litres of water stored if we need it.

When using water from a tank to drink or brush your teeth, the usual precautions are recommended – either boil the water or add a few drops of household bleach. Rainwater tanks can be strapped to protect your extra water supply in earthquakes.

You won’t regret taking a little time to go through the checklist above. Attending to each point will reduce the plumbing issues you experience after an earthquake. There’s peace of mind knowing that you’ve done what you can to be prepared. If you spot something that you would like to have checked/fixed or you would like a rainwater tank installed at your place, please get in touch.  Craig would be very happy to help.

Fix Weak Water Pressure & Enjoy Your Morning Shower!

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The most common complaint people who have a low pressure hot water system make is that they have weak water pressure at the tap. They want to luxuriate under a decent spray for their morning shower, not shiver under a dribble. Another problem some experience is difficulty controlling water temperature with mixers.

Read more

Save Money on your Power Bill!

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Winter is officially here!  It has certainly made its presence felt in Wellington over the past week. As we dig out our warm coats, turn on heaters and stay an extra few minutes under the shower to warm up, we also brace ourselves for a hike in our power bills.

On average, heating of hot water accounts for 1/3 of your power bill! There are a number of ways to make your hot water system run more efficiently and reduce costs. Craig can check over your system and make power-saving suggestions that fit your budget.

Some of the affordable measures Craig can take are to:
  • insulate hot water pipes with lagging to reduce heat loss.
  • install flow restrictors in showerheads and taps to reduce the amount of water used.
  • adjust the settings of the thermostat and tempering valve on your hot water cylinder so it’s not heating more than it needs to.

In recent years, plumbers have switched to a new system for running water pipes from the hot water cylinder to taps and showerheads. Using 12mm pipe to run water to each tap directly from the hot water cylinder saves 2/3 of the hot water consumed by the old way of doing things (which was to use one 20mm pipe to serve all taps and showerheads in an area).  Using the new method, less water has to be drained from the pipes before hot water arrives at the tap. This might be worth considering if your pipes are accessible (such as under the house or in the ceiling space), need replacing anyway due to a burst or other problem or you are renovating.

You might want to consider installing a hot water heat pump as we have done recently in our family home. Manufacturers guarantee they save 2/3 of your water heating costs, making heat pumps a good option for those who intend on staying in their current house for many years to come.  Your existing hot water cylinder may able to be used with a new heat pump.

Craig would be very happy to pay you a visit and make opening your power bill an easier task!

Keep warm this Winter,
Craig & Julie