WaterSafe moving house campaign
Amended July 2024
WaterSafe, the UK national accreditation body for approved plumbers,has created a quick and easy five-step guide for new home owners and those moving house to check their plumbing is in tip top condition.
WaterSafe has launched a Moving House guide for new home buyers and those moving home on what they should look out for in their new home when it comes to plumbing, pipes, taps and fittings.
The campaign has been launched to coincide with the housing market’ssummer time boom in sales.
The guide was put together following a survey of WaterSafe approved plumbers to find out the most common problems they help with, and their top advice.
The survey revealed the plumbers’ top five tips are:
Find your internal stop tap - where your water supply comes into your home - you may need to turn the water off in an emergency
Check the heating boiler’s service history and always use a Gas Safe registered engineer for servicing, and ensure there is a lid on the cold water tank (usually in the loft)
Look out for leaky taps, toilets and radiators – tell-tale signs are low water pressure, rust and water stains on the floors or carpets, or mold on ceilings and walls
Find out if your home has any lead water pipes – these are a shiny silver colour when scraped with a screwdriver. Lead can be harmful so it’s a good idea to replace these
Check if you have a water meter – as you’ll be billed for the amount of water you use if you do. It’s usually in the ground outside the front of your home, or inside near the stop tap.
For more free plumbing advice from WaterSafe, go to watersafe.org.uk/movinghouse
