Every house, especially an older one, has its own peculiar noises – creaking floorboards, the wind whistling down the chimney and so on. Every so often, though, you may hear odd noises coming from your plumbing or heating systems. Here, we look at a few common causes and when to call for expert help, before trouble erupts and you need an emergency plumber Bristol.

Can you hear a dripping noise you’re not accustomed to hearing? There are numerous possible explanations for this – some more serious than others. First, try and track down where the sound is coming from. Check taps in the kitchen; and taps and showerheads in bathroom, along with any en suite facilities you may have on the premises. If that’s the source and you’ve turned the appliance off as far as you can, but the drip continues, you may be able to address it yourself if you’re a dab hand at DIY. It’s usually the case that a washer needs replacing. If the drip persists or you’re unsure as to how to get started, you need recommended plumbers Bristol based to fix or change the tap for you. If, on the other hand, you discover the sound is coming from your boiler, it’s entirely possible that you have a leak somewhere inside your system. Never try to resolve this issue yourself – it’s important for safety reasons that you call in expert Bristol plumbing services to diagnose the problem and apply the correct fix. In many cases, the cause is excess pressure within the system, but an alternate reason is that one or more of the component parts have worn down and need replacing.

From time to time, one or more of your radiators may make a gurgling sound. When your heating is on, feel each radiator from top to bottom and see if there’s an inconsistent level of heat being emitted. If it’s cooler at the top, say, it’s likely that you have a build-up of air in the unit. Often, this problem can be simply solved by bleeding the radiator in question with a radiator key. However, if this fails to resolve the issue, then there may be a more serious cause. Call an emergency plumber Bristol to get it sorted if it happens in the depths of winter! A consistent banging noise as your pipes expand and contract with the heat of the water flowing through them can signify that certain stretches of pipe have not been correctly fitted. A Somerset plumbing and heating engineer will be able to fit them properly and remove the noise entirely. Lastly for this blog, is your boiler emitting a louder than usual humming noise? This could indicate trouble with the heating elements in the central heating system. This is one for a plumber Bristol based.

In short, if you hear strange noises you haven’t noticed before emanating from your heating or plumbing, and have no idea what’s causing it or how to fix it, it’s always worth consulting a plumber. If you and your family are left without heat and it’s bitterly cold, or you have any worries at all about the safety of your systems, don’t hesitate to call an emergency plumber Bristol. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

If you have a water meter fitted in your home, or if you’re thinking of having one fitted, one thing you may be interested in is how to reduce the amount of water you use on a daily basis. After all, the purpose of switching to a meter is often to help reduce your utility bills. In this blog, we look at how your plumber Bristol based could help you in your mission!

Everyone knows the key to saving water is to simply use less water. And we all know that we should take quick showers instead of long baths; use the garage car wash instead of getting your hose out; and collect rainwater to water your plants. But did you know that your plumber Bristol also has a host of other tips to cut your water consumption? First of all, prevention is better than cure, so check around the house for dripping taps and leaky toilets. It’s estimated, for instance, that the drip caused by one faulty washer on a tap on the bathroom sink can waste around one to two thousand gallons of water every year. That’s water you’re paying for but not getting the benefit of. Likewise, if your loo has sprung a leak, you’re looking at an additional 500 gallons of water down the drain – literally! – each and every day. Ask a trusted Somerset plumbing and heating firm to check around the house and carry out all those little repairs you’ve been meaning to get around to and you could see your bills drop almost instantly. But if you’re prepared to invest just a little to save over the longer term, there are other measures your local plumbers Bristol can recommend and install for you that can increase your savings.

Ask your plumber about lower flow taps, aerators and flow regulators, for example. These measures can be fitted on kitchen and bathroom sinks, and even on shower units, to reduce the amount of water that flows from each appliance when in use. Don’t worry – you probably won’t even notice the difference. A flow tap aerator or regulator is designed with precision-made holes that mix air into the water as it comes out of the tap or shower, without changing how it feels to the user. While your existing tap will gush out around 15 to 18 litres a minute, a low flow tap will use only around a third of that. That’s a big difference. Another good tip is to check the age of your central heating boiler. These have a standard life of around 15 years, but do tend to deteriorate in performance as they age. They therefore use far more energy than is necessary to heat the water you’re using; so you have to run the taps longer to achieve the same result, thus wasting water and energy too. Plumbers in Bristol area who also specialise in heating solutions will be able to advise on the advantages of updating your boiler and how much that could save you.

Any good plumber Bristol will also talk you through other areas where you may be wasting water and therefore hiking up your bills. If you’ve noticed a sudden spike in your water bill, for instance, you may have a hidden leak – an expert plumber will help you track that down and get it fixed pronto, to save you money for the future.

Energy bills can come as an unwelcome surprise after a long winter, as can invoices from plumbers if you have to call them out to an emergency in your home. Prevention is always better than cure; so if you’re looking for hints and tips on keeping Somerset plumbing and heating bills down this season, you’ve come to the right place!

First, let’s look at your plumbing. The reason that you often experience difficulties at the most inconvenient times of year is that these are the times when your pipes experience the most stress! But if you plan ahead, it is possible to minimise the chances of having to pay unexpected call-out fees and repair bills to an emergency plumber Bristol or beyond. One important item on your to-do list should be to go around your home checking taps and internal pipework for drips and leaks. Leaky hot water taps especially can add pounds to your bill. Also check drains – is water draining out of the sink more slowly than usual? Are there unpleasant smells coming from plugholes? These can be indicators of wider problems. If left untouched, the problem could quickly escalate at the least convenient time. If you can’t sort the issue yourself, now’s the time to call a trusted plumber to address it. Additionally, protect your pipes against freezing. Sudden cold spells can cause water inside pipes to freeze quickly and may result in a burst pipe. This can cause flooding and damage to the fabric, fixtures and fittings of your home. You can lag your pipes yourself with foam tubes and duct tape, or for a more professional job, ask a Somerset plumbing and heating specialist about insulation.

Your next step should be to consider your heating. When was your boiler last serviced? This should be carried out routinely once a year, not only for safety reasons but also because an inefficient boiler can use more energy and therefore cost more to run. Take advice from Bristol plumbing services about the age of your boiler too. Older models can become less efficient over time; newer models take advantage of new technology to heat more quickly and so cut the costs of your heating bills. While a new boiler is obviously a significant expense, it’s estimated that as much as 55% of the cost of your annual energy bills is down to heating water and radiators alone. So upgrading your central heating system will save money over the longer term. If you currently rely on storage heaters to keep your home warm, bear in mind that these have a reputation for using significantly more energy than is desirable. Ask your plumber Bristol based about the cost of installing a central heating system instead and how much money that could save you. If this is not possible, consider alternatives such as storage heaters with thermostats to give you the option of controlling the amount of energy they are using.

It’s well worth planning ahead for the forthcoming winter if you want to avoid unexpected and unwelcome damage and expenditure. Expert Somerset plumbing and heating companies are always willing to offer advice to householders on how to cut the costs of gas and electric bills, and how to protect your home from emergency situations in cold weather.