Repairs
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Useful Information & Video Repair Guidance
Smoke Alarms
It is a requirement imposed on both landlords and tenants in relation to the Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Regulations 2015. A smoke alarm must be installed on every storey that is used as living accommodation and a carbon monoxide detector in any room that contains a solid fuel appliance which includes coal or wood-burning fires and wood burning stoves.
Tenants must ensure that the Smoke & Carbon Monoxide alarms are tested every month to ensure they are in working order and report any issues to the managing agent/or landlords if any issue is found.
Please find a video link which explains this in further detail;
Water Stopcock/Stop Value
Your stopcock is the control tap for your mains water. If you’re unfortunate enough to have a burst pipe or broken tap, with water pouring everywhere causing damage to your floors and furnishings, then you need to find your stopcock sharpish. If you don’t, your home could be badly damaged before the plumber arrives.
Locate your Stop valve/Stopcock and switch this off immediately, the location can be found in your copy of the Inventory.
Please find a video link which explains this in further detail;
Fuses
Please confirm the following checks have been carried out.
1. Fuse check - Please check your fuse board/box and ensure all switches are up in this case "ON", if not please turn them to the "ON" position. Please ensure all your light switches are off before doing this.
2. Spoken to a neighbour to investigate if this is affecting anyone else in your street/development.
3. Please send us a picture of the fuse board and where this is located.
4) If you have a Top-up pay as you go meter, please confirm that the meter is in credit.
Please find a video link which explains this in further detail;
Blown light bulb
We advise you to remove one of the blown bulbs and take this to the shop- most large supermarkets or home-ware shops will stock these, to ensure you buy the correct bulbs. Please note that it is for tenants to replace bulbs in your own property/rooms.
If you are still having trouble, please inform Harvey W James at info@harveywjames.com if you would like to book a contractor once the above check has been completed to the best of your ability.
Please find a video link which explains this in further detail;
Boilers
If your boiler has stopped functioning this is normally caused by loss of pressure. The good news is that it's relatively simple to fix which could result in a loss of pressure to your boiler, which you can try before we call an engineer. This is a routine and simple thing for you to do. Depending on your system you may need to top up pressure 3 to 4 times per year or it could be as low as once per year.
Check the pressure gauge on the boiler every couple of months and if it’s below 1 Bar top up the pressure to 1.5 Bar.
There should be a hose called a filling loop under the boiler, looks like a shower hose. There will be a valve on one, or both sides, which normally have plastic handles. Please turn both valves on (90 degrees) so that they open and allow water into the boiler. (Please note that sometimes only one is required)
You should now hear the water running through the boiler.
Once the pressure increases to between 1–1.5 Bar, close both valves again- returning them to their original position.
Please find a video link which explains this in further detail; please try this first to see if this reinstates the heating and hot water.
Radiators
If the radiator is not getting hot, the radiator may need to be bled. We would suggest bleeding your radiator, it is quite simple and should resolve the heating issue in your room.
You will need to buy a radiator key, they are only around £1.00 and are available at most supermarket/ convenience stores.
We have popped a video below; the trick is to turn the key slowly.
Washing Machine Repairs
Please ensure that there is nothing caught in the filter at the front of the machine. Normally this type of problem occurs because there is something inside which is stopping it from draining, such as a hair clip or coin.
The filter cap is normally located at the bottom front right-hand side. If you unscrew this, water will almost certainly drain out so please use a container and an old towel to catch the water. Please check inside that there is nothing blocking it.
Please let us know once this has been checked.
Blocked Drains
It is suggested before you report a blocked drain please ensure you have tried the following steps; -
1. Used thick bleach and a plunger to remove the block, or alternatively
2. A "Sink / Drain unblocker treatment" to remove the block, usually this special heat-producing formula clears trapped debris and unblocks the waste pipe. This will also clear slow running drains, unblocks hair and other household gunge. This will also power through standing water to attack blockages at their source. It is recommended that you pour the gel down the drain and leave overnight.
Sink/drain unblocker can be bought from any local supermarket, please see link below; -
Once this method has been exhausted, we are happy to book a contractor to resolve this matter accordingly.
N.B. Please note that if we find that the blockage was caused by the residents then the responsibility of the associated contractor charges will be payable by the residents.
Leaking Fridge/Freezers
A leaking fridge is a common problem for many households and often occurs due to one of four reasons, such as faulty door seals, a door which won’t close or faults with the operation trays.
The video below explains how to check for any leaks and fix them, and below we’ve compiled a simple step-by-step guide which takes you through every point covered in the video.
Step 1: The first step is to check the door seals. Are the dirty? If they are, give them a clean as food or detritus build up on the door seal will prevent it from forming an effective seal with the fridge, resulting in condensation, which will leak.
If you need a new fridge door seal, please email info@harveywjames.com the make, model & seal required (i.e. fridge or Freezer) for the appliance so we can order this item accordingly. Please note that our contractor will install this accordingly.
Step 2: If the door seal is in good condition, but your fridge is leaking the cause could be because the door won’t close properly. A common cause for the fridge door not remaining closed is because the door is leaning forward. Rectifying this is a simple task, as all that needs to be done is adjusting the feet at the bottom until the fridge is level.
Step 3: Should your fridge door close okay and the seal is intact, the cause of the leaking fridge could be because your fridge isn’t draining and evaporating water correctly. Each time you open/close your fridge door, moisture builds up inside. It should condense on the back wall before draining away through a plug hole. You need to make sure that the plug remains unblocked, and most models come with an un-blocker to help with the task.
Step 4: Along with checking the plug on the back wall of the fridge, it’s also important to check the tubing at the back of the fridge, to make sure that tubing isn’t blocked. If anything is blocked, you’ll notice that there’s water or an ice build-up at the bottom, which will eventually spill out onto the floor.
Step 5: The fourth area of your fridge which could be causing the leak is the evaporation tray, which sits on top of the warm compressor, enabling water to be evaporated away.
If the tray is showing signs of wear and tear, such as crack or leaks it is likely that water will leak. It’s also advisable to check the placement of the hose above the evaporation tray to ensure that this is pointing to the tray and not away from it.
If the issue still persists we would be happy to arrange a contractor to attend accordingly.