For all the little things that can go wrong around the home you may want to try some simple DIY repair work before panicking. Our home won’t last forever in peak condition and every now and then we will need to tweak something to get it working again. There are some things that are fairly common occurrences for the average household so here is some quick DIY advice on these common household worries that you are likely to come across:
The toilet stops flushing
If your toilet is working fine and then suddenly will not flush regardless of how many times you pull the handle (or press the button) this can only be caused by two possible things. Either your handle is no longer connected to the flushing mechanism in the cistern or the flush diaphragm is split. Both of these problems can be easily solved in a matter of minutes. Take our DIY advice and have a quick look in the cistern to check which problem it is before hand as it will be easily spotted.
Which wire is which?
The UK wiring system has changed a bit over the years and the colouring you are familiar with may not be the colouring you see when you open up the plug or cable. To put your mind at ease here are the following wire colours:
The LIVE wire is either red or brown.
The NEUTRAL wire is either black or blue.
The EARTH wire can be green, yellow or green with yellow stripes.
White marks on brickwork.
If you notice white marks on your brickwork you may be concerned. If it is a new building you are more likely to come across white powder on the brickwork. This is a result of water escaping as the brick will not have been protected during construction. You can easily and safely remove this just by brushing it off and it should not return. If once you have removed the white powder, it returns in the same place it is more serious. This means water is leaking into the brickwork and the cause should be identified quickly. Some experienced DIY advice; do not use liquids to remove the white powder. This will only dissolve it and transfer it back into the bricks. Use a thick bristled brush at first and then a soft brush to get all the crystals out of the bricks.