If you want to save money and never throw it “down the drain” then you might as well start by saving money on your plumbing and your drain!  Here are 5 quick tips to help you keep your money in your wallet:

A leaking toilet can lead to big money in the long run, replacing flappers and fill valves are an easy inexpensive way to keep from high water bills. According to conversationalists, a leaking toilet can cost as much as 40.00 extra a month!

Older showerheads can give you as much as 5 gallons per minute; imagine those gallons as your money flowing down the drain. There are inexpensive showerheads available with water restriction devices; this can reduce the flow all the way down to 2 gallons per minute. That is more than ½ the water saved and more money in your pocket!

Just because it is outside does not mean let it leak! Do you have a faucet outside that is leaking? Do you have a leak on a sprinkler-head? These simple repairs can save you hundreds of gallons a month. Do not leave your water hose connected either, this can hide a leak and cause freezing during colder months.

Every water heater manufacturer recommends draining your hot water tank. Most all water heaters have a drain with a water hose connection at the bottom. When was the last time you drained your water heater? Draining this hot water storage tank can lengthen the life of your water heater; allow more hot water storage, and cleaner hot water for usage. With water heater installs ranging from 1500-3500 apiece, adding precious years to your water heater is putting money in the bank.

Establish a once a year check up on your plumbing system by a professional. Some Plumbing Contractors even have service contracts available that include maintenance on your plumbing system. A well-maintained plumbing system can cost you so little compared to a system that hasn’t been worked on for years. Remember; a little money for maintenance puts a lot of money in your wallet for later.

It has happened to all of us, you turn on the hot water tap just to get a scalding flow of very hot water from the tap. The pain and sensitive skin that follows is the lowest level of injuries that are caused every year in the UK from overheated water, which in extreme cases leads to fatal injuries.

The Health and Safety Executive has issued new guidelines last autumn following a case of fatal burns due to scalding water. The new guidelines require all care homes to install temper proof thermostatic mixing valves to prevent such tragic injuries in the future.

The Scottish Building Standard already requires all new property developments and major refurbishments to install thermostatic mixing valves. Although not compulsory in the rest of the UK at the moment the Building Regulations in the UK are working towards adding it in a future update.

To reduce the risk of Legionella, it is required to keep hot water (for example within a hot water tank) at temperatures of between 60 and 65 degrees Celsius. At these temperatures it is believed that the Legionella virus does not survive. Nevertheless, water coming out of the tap at that temperature is too hot and should be mixed with colder water first.

The mixing valves are particularly important in communal water heating systems and public building. The requirement to keep water at a high temperature to reduce the risk of Legionella all the way to the point of distribution can create a risk of scalding if a TMV is not present.

Young children and old people are the most at risk from scalding water injuries. Hundreds of young children are admitted every year to hospitals in the UK with severe burns from hot baths. Their extra sensitive skin gets burned easily and they may be left with permanent scars. Similarly, older people may not feel the heat of the water fast enough or react fast enough to turn off the hot water tap, leading to severe burns. The same is true for mentally or physically impaired people that have slow response time and slow reactions to pain.

There are primarily two types of thermostatic mixing valves that are certified and approved for installation:

TMV2 are thermostatic mixing valves that are designed for domestic premises but are suitable for most other circumstances. A risk assessment must be undertaken to confirm whether the premises are used by disabled or vulnerable people.

TMV3 valves are designed for higher performance to offer the maximum safety levels. TMV3 valves are required for all healthcare premises, or premises with disabled or vulnerable people (such as mentally or physically handicapped people).

Manufacturers of thermostatic mixing valves recommend that they are installed only by qualified plumbers. The valves are positioned between the hot and the cold pipes to prevent the water coming out of the tap at an extremely high temperature. Most common TMVs are installed under the bath or under the hand basin for a simple installation. Most kits are sold with tailpieces which include isolation, a strainer and test points. Some kits have flexible connectors and isolating filter vales to deal with space limitations.

No doubt you’ve seen in the movies where a house develops a gas leak and then bursts into flames. While you may thing that this is just a special effect, the reality is that it can actually happen in real life if you leave a gas leak unattended. The problem with natural gas leaks, is that the gas is odorless and colorless. You’ll never know unless you hear the hissing sound coming from the gas line, and chances are you might be a little too late if you’re that close. Fortunately gas companies have foreseen this and have added an odor to the gas. It will begin to smell like rotten eggs if you develop a leak, so you really will not need to worry about that. You can also install a natural gas detector which is a lot like a smoke detector, and will probably be just as handy in an emergency. But what exactly do you do if you notice a natural gas leak?It is very important that you detect the signs of a natural gas leak as early as possible because if you allow it to go on it could cause some serious problems later on. Always make sure that you take the preliminary steps to avoid a disaster, and you can have your gas lines checked every once in a while to make sure that they are not failing or ruptured in any way. There is a chance though that something will happen, so in the event that it does happen you need to be ready to take action to protect yourself and your family.There are a few things that you can do, and there are a few things that you SHOULD do. First and foremost you are going to want to get everyone out of the house. This is very important because the fumes from the gas can be quite toxic, and then there is the chance of it igniting and causing your roof to launch into orbit. The next thing that you should do is call your gas company. They will show up relatively fast because they certainly don’t want your house flying into orbit, after all that would probably be bad for business. They will either tell you that you were hallucinating, or they will tell you that you need to fix the line before they can do anything else. If that is the case, then you will need to contact a licensed plumber to help you fix your broken line. Once that is done then you can call the gas company and they will be more than happy to turn your gas line back on. A gas leak does not have to be fatal or earth shattering in every instance. As long as you take the proper preventative measures and do what you are supposed to do when disaster does strike, you should be absolutely fine. Stop worrying and start preparing!