Carpets
Flattening
Most carpets are prone to flattening, particularly when fitted in areas of heavy traffic. Vacuuming regularly with an upright cleaner will help to minimise this.
Fluff
You may notice that your carpet is shedding a lot of fluff. This is quite normal. During manufacturing, thousands of metres of yarn are used. When these are cut and sheared, some of them remain caught in the pile until they are disturbed by movement and cleaning.
Light and dark patches
Cut-pile carpets, especially plains and tonals, sometimes show a shading effect of light and dark patches: it’s also known as pile reversal or watermarking. It’s due to uneven crushing of the surface, and can be exaggerated by room lighting, certain types of traffic, and even the moisture content in the air. Shading occurs naturally in all pile fabrics, and no manufacturer treats it as a fault.
Stain removal
Blood
Soak up the liquid with absorbent tissue, then dab the area with a clean white cloth moistened in cold water. If the stain has been allowed to dry, dissolve with cold water first. Blot up all remaining moisture and carefully brush the area in the direction of the pile.
Chewing gum
Freeze the gum with a proprietary freezing agent, then break it up. Repeat as necessary.
Electricity
You’ll usually find your electricity meter outside your home, in a recessed cabinet. Wires from the meter go into the consumer unit containing the main switch controlling the supply to your home. (In apartments, the consumer unit is usually in a cupboard in a shared external area.)
There will be circuit breakers to protect individual circuits, labelled by the electrician who installed them.
When a circuit breaker trips
Circuit breakers are sensitive and may, for instance, trip if a bulb fails. If this happens, first replace the bulb then switch the circuit breaker back to the ‘on’ position. If the circuit trips repeatedly, you may have a faulty appliance: try using other appliances in the same socket.
Using power tools
Before drilling into walls, use a cable detector to locate unprotected cables. In George Wimpey homes, cables that are not protected by metal conduit usually run:
- vertically above or below the socket outlet or switch being served
- horizontally either side of the socket or switch
- horizontally in a band within 150mm (6 inches) of the corner of a room in each wall.
Residual current devices
Residual current devices (RCDs) - sometimes called Residual Current Breakers (RCCBs) - protect you when you’re using power tools. RCDs can be plugged into a socket or permanently wired to an appliance. Both types are available from DIY stores.
Electricity outside the home
If you wish to supply power to an outside shed or an external light fitting, you’ll need specialist advice; we recommend getting a professional electrician to do the work. Any power tool you use outdoors must be protected by an RCD.
Gas
Your gas meter is normally outside the building, so that it can be read or accessed by engineers while you’re out. We’ll have given you a key to open the meter cupboard if you need to turn the gas off.
If you suspect a gas leak:
- extinguish all flames
- do not operate electrical appliances or switches
- turn off the gas at the meter
- open doors and windows
- where practical, leave the property
- contact Transco’s gas emergency helpline on 0800 111 999
- notify us as soon as you can.
Water
If your home is without water, please contact your local supplier to check whether there is a problem before calling us.
Stopcock
Make sure everyone in your family knows where the main stopcock is. In an emergency, water can cause a lot of damage, so switch off the stopcock as soon as possible.
Meter
If you have a water meter, it will usually be in the footpath or verge opposite your new home. Make sure you don’t cover it up.
Plumbing
Many plumbing problems are easy to fix. Check regularly for:
- leaks
- loose waste connections under sinks and appliances
shrinkage and settlement to bath and shower sealants.
Repairs
- Close the main stopcock before working on the plumbing system.
- If the water system has been drained, don’t light the boiler or switch on the immersion heater until the system has refilled or you risk burn out.
- Don’t let water overflow from storage tanks or cisterns as this can cause considerable damage.
- Before you lay your carpets, make sure you know where the pipework is: carpet nails can cause damage to the pipework.
- Remove and clean shower heads regularly, particularly in the first few months, to avoid a build-up of sediment in the pipework.
- Clean shower heads and taps regularly with a limescale remover to prevent a build-up of limescale.