Useful Repair and Maintenance Tips

• What is you suspect a gas leak?
• How should I deal with water leaks?
• What happens in the event of power failure?
• How can I take precautions against frost?
• What is condensation?

Gas leaks can be dangerous. If you think that you can smell gas it is essential that you contact Transco immediately on freephone 0800 111 999.  Transco can give you safety advice over the phone and will visit your home within one hour.

If you think you can smell gas:

• Turn the gas off at the meter if possible. If the gas meter is located in the basement or cellar do not attempt to turn it off
• Turn off all gas appliances. Do not turn them back on until the cause of the leak has been located and resolved
• Do not create any naked flames or smoke in the area
• Do not use any electrical appliances, including lights and electric doorbells. Do not switch them on or off
• Ensure that the area is well ventilated by opening all doors and windows in the property
• If the property has an intercom system, turn the intercom system off and give access manually

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If you have a water leak, turn off your water supply at the stopcock. It is a good idea to run the hot and cold taps, as this will empty the internal water tanks (if you have any) and should reduce the risk of water damage.

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• If you have a complete power failure, check that the meter is turned on. If you have an electric credit meter, make sure that you have enough money on the card. If you have checked all of the above and you still have no power, contact your electricity provider (the telephone number will be on the back of your recent bill or on the electric credit card) to ascertain whether there has been a power cut in your area and what action they are taking to correct the fault.
• If you have lost power to one or more of your sockets, unplug all of your electrical appliances through out the house, check the meter box and replace any fuses or reset the trip switches (you may need to reset the main on/off switch on the electric meter before power is restored).  You will need to plug your appliances back into the sockets one by one – it is possible that one of your appliances is faulty and will need to be repaired
• If you have a problem with some of your lighting, turn the power switch off and try replacing the bulb. If you have a fluorescent strip light you may need to replace the starter motor.

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In times of very cold weather, the heating system needs to be used regularly. If pipes become frozen they can burst causing damage to the heating system and the property itself. If you plan to go away for a few days, turn off the water supply at the stopcock and drain the system by running the taps and flushing the toilet to ensure that no water is left in the pipes.

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Every home gets condensation at some time.  It is quite normal to find your bedroom window misted up in the morning after a cold night. However there are steps you can take to avoid a build up of condensation:

• Produce less water vapour or steam in your home 

Try using the extractor fan when you are cooking and keep lids on boiling pans.  Hang the washing outside whenever you can or, if you must hang washing indoors, make sure the room is well ventilated and keep the door shut. Make sure the tumble dryer is well ventilated. Avoid using paraffin heaters, portable bottled gas heaters and fixed flue-less gas heaters as these devices put a lot of water vapour into the air.

• Don’t let the water vapour or steam spread around your house

Bathrooms and kitchens are “wet” rooms, so keep the doors shut to avoid wet air spreading to the rest of your home. Do not completely draught proof any room which already has a condensation problem – it could be made far worse

• Keep your home well ventilated

Nobody likes draughts, but some ventilation is vital to remove excess water vapour from your home. Keeping a small window open whilst rooms are being occupied will provide some ventilation - windows that are higher up rather than lower down will be more effective. Heat recovery fans are excellent at letting wet air out and allowing fresh air in, whilst recycling heat back into your home.

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