Plumbing Archives - ACR Plumbing and Heating

Water Storage Tank

Water Tank Replacement

A water tank is a container for storing water for use in the home over several different applications. It can supply any number of uses include drinking, washing, bathing, showering, cooking, and the flushing of toilets.

Overtime your tank will suffer wear and tear which if not caught can cause all sorts or costly damage. Old water tanks may have corrosion and rust which can seep into your water supply and contaminate your water. If you have not cleaned your water tank all sorts of things, we would prefer not to know about could have gotten into the tank and again contaminate your water supply. Leaking or damaged tanks will need urgent replacement to protect your home and keep your family safe.

When you do decide to replace your tank, it should always be installed by a licenced plumber.

Replacing your Water Tank

When choosing a water tank replacement there are two main types on the marked, (Steel or Plastic) and it is important to select the one that bests suits your needs.

Steel Water Tanks

Although steel tanks can still be found in many homes, they do have some limitations.
They can suffer from rust and corrosion.
They are heavy and often need to be lifted by crane into your property.
Where the tank is to be placed will need a lot of preparation before installation can occur.
They are circular with a coned roof and may not suit the space you have available.
They often have parts welded or bolted together that can weakened over time.
Steel tanks are galvanised with a zinc wall which, while not a health risk, can affect the taste of drinking water and some steel tanks may have harmful level of lead.

Plastic Water Tanks

They are lightweight and can be moved into position by hand.
They can sit on any flat surface or underground out of sight.
They are available in a variety of shapes and sizes.
They don’t rust or suffer from corrosion giving them longevity.
They are strong and durable.
Plastic tanks are produced using BPA-free polyethylene plastic which is 100% safe for storing drinking water.
Because the water is for domestic use, it is important that it is clean and free from impurities, so understand how to clean your tanks is important for the health of your family and your tank.

What to Do If Your Tank Has Already Burst…

We have professionals on-hand to book you in for a plumbing visit quickly and efficiently. Call our office on 01-4979838 to schedule a visit. You can also email here to request an estimate.

Why choose ACR Plumbing and Heating

As with any job or service that involves strangers coming into your home, it is always imperative to go with a name you can trust. Here at ACR Plumbing and Heating, we have over 30 years’ experience in the industry. We supply and fit storage tanks, and will always use the best quality products, which comply with industry regulations.

We are a C2 registered company and are fully insured with both public liability insurance and employer’s liability insurance. All of our plumbers are RGII Registered, and we provide economical prices for a top-quality service. We pride ourselves on our promise to be punctual, polite, and professional at all times.

Call 01 497 9838 for a no obligation estimates.

ACR Shortlisted for Ireland’s Plumbing and Heating Awards 2017!

We are delighted to announce that we have been shortlisted in the Small Contractor of the Year category in Irelands Plumbing and Heating Awards 2017. This is a great achievement for the entire ACR Plumbing and Heating team and we’re all really looking forward to the gala award ceremony in Dublin’s Mansion House.The event is taking place on June 9^th, 2017.

Acknowledgement

We are so proud that the work carried out by the ACR Plumbing and Heating team. To have this work recognised and acknowledged by the industry is a great accomplishment for the whole team. These type of industry awards are a great way to allow companies and people to highlight their skills and to celebrate their success.

The judging panel is made up of independent industry experts who have a broad depth of sector knowledge. They base their judging decisions on a number of factors. These include the technical skills and ability demonstrated by each company, their standard of customer service and they’re commitment to raising standards in the industry.

Background to Plumbing and Heating Awards

The awards, which began in Belfast in 2012 as a recognition of the plumbing and heating industry in Northern Ireland have now become an all-Ireland event and they are taking place this year in the Dublin for the first time. They aim to honour the best plumbers and heating contractors in the industry and are sponsored by Calor Gas.

Watch this space for news of how we get on. In the meantime, wish us luck as we wait for the awards on June 9^th.

Also, now you know that when you use ACR Plumbing and Heating, you can be safe in the knowledge that you are choosing an award shortlisted plumbing company!

Frozen Pipes: What to Do!

Living with the Irish weather can sometimes be a bit challenging. As it is not uncommon to have the four seasons visit us in one day, it can be hard to keep your home safe and dry. Thankfully, we have clement weather for most of the year, but when the cold arrives it can take us by surprise. The drop in temperature often leads to you discovering your pipes have frozen overnight.

Frozen pipes can be avoided and there are steps you can take to stop your pipes freezing and prevent costly damage to your home.

Prevention is Always Better.

Here are ways to prevent your pipes freezing:

Know where your stop valve is located, test it to ensure it is working correctly.
(You will use this if you need to shut off the water if a thawed pipe suddenly bursts or leaks).
Insulate any water pipes that are exposed to the cold along with those in your garage, roof, or attic.
Keep your home heating on low, use a timer switch (especially if your away from home for an extended period of time).
Have a friend or neighbour check that there are no damaged pipes while your away.
Keep all interior doors open (this will allow heat to circulate).
Try and reduce cold air coming into the home by closing all exterior doors and windows.
Seal up all holes or cracks.
Remove exterior hoses and close interior valves.
Ensure your roof is properly insulated to prevent cold air from coming in and freezing the pipes.

Locate Frozen Pipe

If one or more of your pipes become frozen after implementing the above prevention’s try the following:

Identify what pipe or pipes are frozen.
Examine any exposed pipes outside your home (Its possible you will see the frozen part of the pipes. Check if any portion of the pipe is bulging).
Turn on your taps and if no water runs or its only a slight trickle the pipe feeding the tap is frozen. (there is likely to be more pipes frozen so keep checking).
Open both the hot and cold taps to help relieve any pressure in the system.

Thawing Exposed Pipes

If you can access the frozen pipe you can try the following:

Use a Hair Dryer – direct the heat at the pipe nearest the tap. Continue until the water returns to full strength.
Use Hot Towels – Dip towels into hot water and then wrap around the frozen pipe to allow it to thaw slowly.

Thawing Enclosed Pipes

Increase the temperature of your heating and open all internal doors to allow for circulation of hot air.

WARNING: *Never attempt to thaw a pipe using an open flame, such as a propane torch. This can not only damage the pipe, but it can also start a fire in your property.

What to do if a Frozen Pipe Bursts

If you do have the unfortunate situation of dealing with a burst pipe, you can take these immediate steps:

Turn off the water using the stop valve.
Ensure all taps and appliances are turned off to stop flooding potential.
Soak up or catch any leaking water with basins and thick towels to reduce damage to your home.

Call A Professional

If you cannot locate the frozen pipe or a pipe has burst, and if you do not feel comfortable trying to thaw the pipes yourself, it’s time to call in the professionals.

Choose ACR Plumbing and Heating.

When you choose ACR you can be assured you are working with a company with over 30 years’ experience. All our engineers are friendly, professional, and fully qualified. We understand how distressing and costly a burst pipe can be. We will turn up on time and when we say we will.

Our rates are extremely competitive, and we carry out a full assessment of the work and provide you with a free, no obligation quote, so you never receive an unexpected bill at the end of the work.

Plumbing for a New Build

Today there are more and more people deciding to have their home designed and built to match their individual needs. This can be an extremely stressful time, no matter what the timeline or budget. Constantly trying to juggle work and family commitments and keeping on top of the build can be difficult, so it’s important that you have your architect complete detailed plans for each of the tradesmen.

First Fix

One thing that is vital to get right first time, is the plumbing and heating. Before your plumber begins the ‘first fit’ on your new home, you will need to work out exactly where you want appliances, kitchen equipment, bathroom fittings, showers, toilets lightening etc.

Making sure that your designs work with your available space and budget are often things that get overlooked. You need to consider the placement of radiators, or are you opting for underfloor heating, or solar power. What type of heating system will be the most economical and efficient for the size of home you are building?

Working off architectural drawings is the best way to ensure that everything is exactly where you want them. There should be no mistakes made or no excuses if there are. A good plumber will thoroughly check the plans before setting to work and highlight anything that may be a problem.

Second Fix

The next stage of plumbing for a new build is the ‘second fix’ plumbing, which happens once the joinery and interior walls are in place. It means connecting all appliances and sanitary ware to the pipework, testing, and certifying them. This will include the boiler, radiators, toilets, taps and more. If your plumber has laid the ‘first fix’ pipework correctly this should all go without any hiccups. Your plumber will also look after the insulation of the heating pipes both internal and external. This will ensure they do not lose any warmth, and therefore conserve energy.

Why Choose ACR Plumbing and Heating?

ACR Plumbing and Heating Ltd is a C2 registered company, providing guaranteed services that are covered by our public liability insurance policy.

When you choose ACR Plumbing and Heating to take care of the plumbing for your new build, you can be assured you are working with a company with over 30 years’ experience.

All of our team of engineers are fully qualified and approved Register Gas Installers of Ireland (RGII). We are also members of the National Guild of Master Craftsmen and are Worcester Bosch Group approved installers. We are also registered with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) for the ‘Home Energy Saving’ scheme for condensing boiler and heating controls upgrade grants.

Our team are highly professional, diagnostic, and installation engineers. Our high-quality workmanship, friendly staff, and punctual services ensure that we have been able to maintain our excellent reputation. We fully assess and quote every job in advance, so you know that there are no hidden extras.

What to Expect When You Choose ACR Plumbing and Heating

Fully qualified engineers.
Focused customer service.
Excellent rates and value for money.
Reliability (we turn up on time, and when we say we will).

We Guarantee:

Prompt and consistent service
Economical prices
No hidden costs

Call us today on 01-4979838 or email us to discuss your project and how we can help make things a little less stressful.

Burst Pipe Repair: Your Emergency Guide

A burst pipe is an emergency, and you must act as soon as possible to prevent extensive damage to your home.

It goes without saying that, if you need a burst pipe repair and you’re even a little unsure about carrying out the job yourself, you should call a qualified emergency plumber. However, before you pick up the phone, you will need to carry out burst pipe ‘first aid’.

Step 1 – Stop the flow

Turn off your water supply. Find the main stopcock and turn it off – this should be under your sink, or near the main entrance to your home. If you don’t know where the stopcock is, familiarise yourself with it now – when faced with a water emergency you won’t want to be hunting under the sink for it!

Step 2 – Drain the system

Remove water from the system by flushing all of your toilets and running the cold taps. Removing water from the system will help prevent further damage to your home and electrics before a burst pipe repair can be carried out. Switch off any water heating systems you have running, and once they are switched off, run the hot taps too.

Step 3 – Secure your electrics.

If the burst pipe is leaking anywhere near any electrics or appliances, turn your electric off at the mains immediately. However, if the water is leaking on or near the mains switch, call an emergency electrician straight away and do not attempt to switch it off yourself – if you do, you risk electrocution.

Step 4 – Contain any leaks.

If your ceiling is bulging, you can attempt to drain the water by using a knife or a screwdriver to pierce the bulge and let the water out. However, you should only attempt this if you’re sure that it is safe to do so – if there is any chance the burst pipe could have damaged the structural integrity of a room, do not enter it until professionals have been called.

Step 5 – Arrange a burst pipe repair.

Choose ACR Plumbing and Heating

When you choose ACR you can be assured you are working with a company with over 30 years’ experience. All our engineers are friendly, professional, and fully qualified. We will never leave a job unfinished and always clean up as we work.