How to Fix a Broken Flush Cistern in 3 Simple Steps

Jan 16

A broken toilet is one that leaks water, which not only causes your water bill to rise, but even cause structural damage to your bathroom and drip below your flat or condo unit if the leak is left unattended. But there is good news – you don’t have to call a plumber right away if the problem is minor. In fact, you can probably fix it yourself.

Here’s how you can fix a broken flush cistern and get your toilet to work normally again:

1.  Check your toilet for any leaks

Start by removing the cistern lid and adding a small amount of food coloring into the cistern. This is because leaks can often go unnoticed, you need to use something to serve as an indicator, and this is where the coloring comes in.

If you see the food coloring in the water, it means you have a leak, and you need to proceed to the next step.

2.  Lower the arm

One reason why your cistern keeps filling into the bowl is because the valve is open, in which case your next step is to lower the float arm to make sure the bowl sits lower in the cistern.

While this isn’t the case with newer cisterns, older cisterns have a brass arm that you can bend down for this situation.

You should also watch out for any clogs in your bowl, especially in your inlet valve, since this can affect the water flow in your cistern.

3.  Adjust your float

Turn the adjusting screw on top of both the float arm as well as the ball, and raise and lower the arm to the right position that will shut off the water valve. The correct water level is usually marked in most toilets, so all you need to do is to look for it and adjust the float correctly.

After this, try adding coloring again to your cistern. If it stops leaking, it means your adjustment has worked. However, you may need to call a plumber if you still see dye in your toilet bowl.

Calling a Plumber

Water is a crucial aspect of everyday life, so it’s always a good idea to call a plumber if you have a serious problem with leaking toilets, faucets, and especially with your pipes. You should call one especially since some signs of serious plumbing damage aren’t always obvious.

Some of these less obvious signs of damage to your plumbing include the following:

  • You have short showers
  • The water drains slowly
  • You don’t often have water in your home
  • You hear knocking in your pipes
  • The water comes out colored instead of clear.
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4 Tips and Tricks to Keep Your Home Cleaner for Longer

Jan 16

Keeping your HDB flat or condo in Singapore clean doesn’t have to be a huge task that needs a whole weekend just to do. Doing this can not only make the cleaning feel more stressful, but it can also take longer to actually get done.

Instead, try doing the cleaning, dusting, and even de-cluttering piecemeal. This way, sections of your home are not only easier to clean, but you also make it much less stressful for yourself. Here are a few tips and tricks you can use to keep your home cleaner for a longer:

1.  Make cleaning a habit

Big cleaning weekends can be stressful, but you can keep the next cleaning session stress-free by starting with the simple things. These can be vacuuming, putting things away when you don’t need them, or even wiping down a dusty surface every now and then.

While there’s no need to really be a neat freak, it does help when you assign places for your cleaning tools in various areas in your home, which makes cleaning faster and more convenient.

2.  Hide your clutter in plain sight

“Clutter” in your home isn’t always clutter – it’s usually the things in your home that you use frequently, but don’t have the right space or home for them.

This is where you can put a little creativity. For instance, finding the right crevices and corners and adding shelves to them are an easy way to keep things from being clutter, and sometimes even turn them into décor.

3.  Do a load of laundry often

One reason why laundry days can be such a hassle is because there’s a lot of clothes that you need to clean, which sometimes takes up hours if not the whole day.

The good news is there’s a fix for that: you can keep your dirty clothes from piling up by making it a habit to clean a few shirts every few days. This way, when you finally have to do your weekly laundry, it won’t be as big or as time-consuming as you expect.

4.  Sweep at least once a day

Just like clutter, dust can accumulate in your home – but only if you let it.

The simplest way to start keeping your home clean is to sweep every area at least once a day, especially when it gets dusty easily, you live with many people who pass through different areas, or simply when you have plenty of things.

When sweeping the floor, don’t just focus on the high-traffic areas: you should also be on the lookout for tight corners and spaces beneath furniture, since these are areas most likely to accumulate dust.

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How Professional Painters Work

Nov 22

Although there are no rigid rules for how a painting services company completes any interior house painting or a bigger project such as a commercial painting service, there is a tried-and-tested process that any professional will follow to make sure that the job is done right and for the paint to last for years.

Knowing how most professional painters in Singapore work will also give you an idea how to look for the best painter.

Paint Selection. First, the house owner and the residential paint contractor in Singapore will have an on-site consult for a paint job to choose paint colors and possible design for the rooms, as well as the best type of paint for the effect the owner wants to achieve. The painter will bring samples of the colors and some will even offer to show a tinted primer paint to see the exact color of the finishing coat. This is also the time to get an estimate of the cost of paint and other fees. You should also discus the warranty and estimation of the date of completion. Before you avail painting service, however, you should already have an idea about their pricing and quality of service.

Clearing the Rooms. Furniture, appliances, and removable fixtures and decorations will need to be moved or sealed before the crew can paint the wall. If the homeowner is not planning to move elsewhere, the painting can be done room by room.

Aside from helping you determine the recommended paint for condo apartment, the painting services crew in Singapore can also help you move the items to another room or a warehouse and they will also move the items back once the job is done. They also have the tools such as drop sheets and masks for windows, fixtures, doors, and other decorative surfaces. Most HDB painting service specialize in apartment or condo painting, so you don’t have to worry about them interfering with your daily routine as they do paint works for home.

Cleaning and Repair. Once the items in the room are removed, the decorations and fixtures that remain are sealed and protected. Then, the crew will start cleaning the debris on the walls and ceilings, if any. If the painting will be done on exterior walls, power-washing and power-sanding are required to remove dirt and mold. Interior cleaning is much easier and can be done with smaller tools. The walls and/or ceiling are scraped, sanded, and caulked to make sure that the surface is even and smooth. Usually, a good painting contractor will include an expert carpenter in the crew for any minor repair jobs, especially if there are loose moldings, holes, and cracks. Older apartments with wood will need wood puttying, but broken and rotted wood will need replacement.

Priming or Sealing. Once the cleaning and repair is done, a primer or sealer is applied to the surface that is to be painted. Even if you are only looking for a cheap commercial building painting deal, application of a primer will help to make sure that the paint will last for years. This makes it ideal to hire an exterior commercial building painter in Singapore. After priming, another reevaluation by your local painter is done to determine if sanding and caulking are necessary. Any missed spots are also spot-primed and re-sanded.

Finishing Coat. Finally, the painter can apply the finishing coat on the wall and/or ceiling. Usually, a painter will start with the ceiling to minimize dripping, then move on to the walls, and finally the wall treatments and edges. Paint-spraying is recommended by most painting services for condo painting if the unit is built with composite siding or wood, stucco, or brick. Rolling and/or brushing is done for areas with eaves, windows, door trim, body trim, vents, gutter or downspouts, and fascia. Multiple coats are sometimes needed for some areas with different colors.

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