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Posts Tagged ‘pump<’
Posted in Handyman Services on Jul 10
At Mr-Skill we often talk to our members who represent just about every trade you could think of. Sometimes, they comment on their tools of trade. One very useful tool that gets the thumbs up from every direction is the pop rivet gun. In fact, each one of our London handymen can’t imagine life without this amazing gadget – it has so many practical uses. 
Popular Applications
This is one gun that every DIY enthusiast should have, and make use of regularly too. Pop rivet guns are incredibly useful for just about anything requiring quick, sturdy fastening. From mechanics in the car-repairing business to a myriad of jobs around the home, these tools are indispensable. Generally used for fastening lighter metal surfaces together, the “blind rivet” is so-named because you can’t see the one end of the rivet once in position. Did you know that you can find a handyman who’s a pop rivet specialist on Mr-Skill?
Riveting Stuff
Cylindrical in shape, and manufactured from aluminium, copper and sometimes steel, pop rivets are placed in a pre-drilled hole and squeezed through the metal surfaces using a gun to create the pressure. The shaft of the pop rivet acts in much the same way as a nail, but the main difference lies in the gun-squeezing action which compresses the rivet tightly. The name “pop rivet” comes from the snapping or cracking noise it makes while being squeezed into place. Basically, the rivet breaks at the required point. Once in position, a rivet creates an incredible bond between metal surfaces, and the only way of removing it is by drilling it out.
Loading the Gun 
Start by loading the narrow end of the rivet into the gun. Squeeze the nose-end of the rivet into the pre-drilled holes in both sheets, and then it’s time to pump the gun handles together until the rivet pops. This may require a couple of attempts as the rivet shaft can be quite resistant. The rivet pin should then break at a pre-weakened point, which is when you will hear with the popping noise. What remains is the flattened rivet head forming a perfect circle. Sometimes rivets pop at the wrong time. Check to see that you are using the correct size shaft for the operation and then load up a new rivet.
Not everyone takes to a rivet gun easily, and if that describes you, log on to Mr-Skill and get a handyman quote to do the job for you. Who knows, you may find some excellent bargains around just because it is summer!
Tags: action, aluminium, copper, drilling, fastening, find handyman-services, gun, load, london handyman services, pop rivet gun, pop rivets, practical, pump, quote for handyman services, rivet head, securing, shaft, steel, tool, trade
Posted in Handyman Services | Comments Off
There is a certain calmness and serenity, when you enter a home with an indoor water feature trickling away gently in a room. Here, we are going to help you design and set up your very own magic indoor fountain, and because this is the merry month of May, there’s no better time to do so. This not difficult to achieve, in fact we rate this one as “easy” to complete, and you may not need to find an electrician either.
What You’ll Need 
- Suitably sized urn with hole in base
- Submersible water pump (as used in aquariums)
- Nozzle head and extension pipe
- Waterproof ceramic basin for the urn to stand in
- Some decorative pebbles and plants
- Heavy-duty plastic sheet to waterproof and house your display
Visit your local outdoor centre, and get a garden and landscaping quote. Then, if you feel confident to go it alone, purchase all of the above items to suit your budget. Decide where you want to display your new indoor water feature. Set down the plastic sheet to protect the floor on which the feature will stand. You will need a power socket to run the electric water pump – not too close, we all know that water and electricity don’t mix!
Place your ceramic basin in position. Place the water pump at the bottom of the basin. Attach the extension pipe to the pump (remembering to seal the joint at the base of the urn), and then lower the urn over it. Once the water is added, the pump will fill the urn with water which will cascade over the rim of the urn and collect in the basin. The water is continuously re-cycled by the pump.
Add sufficient clean water to the system, and then run it to see if any topping-up is required.  Once you have the water side of the feature set up, you can add pebbles and plants as you please. These additions will have the effect of displacing some of the water, so make sure that you don’t overfill the water feature.
Many of our London plumbers love building water features, so if you think this is all too difficult, then you can find help through Mr-Skill. Nearly time to switch on and sit back and admire your handiwork! You could also add some exciting light displays around your new water feature, so that you can enjoy a different ambience at night.
Tags: basin, calmness, cascade, electrical socket, extension, find an electrician, fountain, garden and landscaping quote, indoor, indoor water feature, lights, london plumber, pebbles, plants, plastic sheet, pump, re-cycle, serenity, urn, water
Posted in Electrical Work, Gardening & Landscaping, Plumbing, Heating & Gas | Comments Off
One of life’s more unpleasant moments is flushing the loo and watching the pan fill up almost to overflowing on a Sunday morning. Fortunately it never does though, and that’s because bowls and tanks come in matched sets.  And then there’s the small matter of having to Find a Plumber to come out over a weekend, and what to do without a bathroom while you wait for them to arrive.
This is why many of us like to keep a plunger in the garage “just in case”. These simple tools cost far less than a plumber’s call-out fee, and are just the job when you need them most.
- Lift up the toilet seat, and insert the plunger rubber-end down trying to trap as much floating matter as you can. While London Plumbers are pretty used to unpleasant jobs like this, even they still wear rubber gloves, and mouth and eye protection.
 With the plunger pressed down firmly and covering the toilet outlet completely, pump the handle up and down a few times.
- HINT As you do so bear in mind that the aim is to get water inside the plunger rubber and then force it out again to clear the stoppage.
This should do the job. If it doesn’t please don’t try to clear the outlet with rods that could crack the porcelain. Rather ask Mr-Skill for a Plumbing Quote from a reputable tradesperson working in your area.
Remember, it costs absolutely nothing to use our services and the plumbers’ rates are fair!
Tags: bathroom, block, bowl, clear, eye protection, fill up, find a plumber, firm, force, glove, insert, london plumbers, loo, matter, mouth protection, outlet, pan, plumbing quote, plunger, press, pump, push, rubber, stoppage, tank, toilet, trap, weekend
Posted in Plumbing, Heating & Gas | Comments Off
Before continuing, first make sure that the “sellotape is nicely stuck down. You can add more in tricky corners to make things easier down the line. Take up the tube of silicone, and check the instructions once again. Then obtain a supply of clean water, a cloth, several pieces of paper towel, a sheet of newspaper, and a bowl with a small amount of dish-washing liquid squirted into it.  Remembering that silicone dries quickly once applied, are you ready? Not going to get Bathroom Filler Quotes from Mr-Skill? Right. Let’s go.
o Unscrew the long nozzle from the silicone tube, cut away the topmost portion of the spout, and fit the tube into the caulking gun. Cut the tip off the long nozzle at an angle of about sixty degrees. The amount you remove dictates the thickness of the silicone stream – don’t cut off too much initially. You could always lop of a bit more afterwards if necessary. Screw the nozzle back on again.
o Gently pump the caulking gun until a steady stream of silicone flows from the nozzle. Stop pumping, let it settle and wipe the nozzle clean. Experiment with laying a bead of silicone across the newspaper remembering two things. Firstly, you push the caulking gun away from you, and secondly, the angle you cut off the nozzle must face your work. When satisfied, wipe the nozzle clean and trim it to your satisfaction.
o  My old pal the Bathroom Fitter in London reckons that siliconing baths is a matter of jumping in and I agree within him. So, without thinking too hard about it, just run a bead around the bath. Work slowly enough to create sufficient bulk though, because the material is not an easy thing to add too.
o Without wasting a single moment, lay the caulking gun down on the newspaper (it will dribble), dip your finger in the dishwasher liquid and smooth out the bead you just laid. Get this right first time, wiping your finger on the paper towel and adding more soap to it as necessary.
o Without wasting any more time either, peel the sellotape way and dump it on the newspaper as you go. This is the messy bit, so watch your clothes.
Resist the urge to fiddle with your handiwork until the following day, when you could tidy it up where necessary. Rather clean your hands with the remainder of the soap, and then make yourself a cuppa tea instead. Well done. You didn’t really need to Find a Bathroom Fitter this time, did you? And I bet you did a better job than all the cowboys put together.
Tags: angle, bathroom fitter london, bathroom fitters quotes, bead, caulk, corner, dish wash, find a bathroom fitter, flow, instructions, mess, newspaper, nozzle, paper towel, peel, pump, push, run, run a bead, screw, sellotape, silicone, smooth, soap, spout, tape, trick, water, wipe
Posted in Other Craftsman Services | Comments Off
There comes a time, even in the life of a kitchen sink installed by one of the leading plumbers in London, when the water refuse to drain down and a scummy mess remains. This is embarrassing at the best of times, and can even make you want to burst in tears when guests are present. Avoid heartaches – learn these lessons now before you need them.
 The attached picture illustrates the principles perfectly, even though when you find a plumber on Mr-Skill you may expect a neater job. Notice that the dirty water from the sink, and from the dishwasher hose on the right both pass though U-Bends. These U-Bends trap water in them that prevents odors from passing from the drains below to the kitchen above.
Unfortunately, all of us from time to time are guilty of allowing lumps of food (or worse cold fat) to go down the kitchen drain. If this lumps or congeals in the U-Bend then the water cannot flow through the drain and you have a blockage. There are three ways to solve this problem:
o Fill the sink with water as hot as you can bear. Remove the sink plug. Place the palm of your hand over the opening while the water drains and pull it up and press it down repeatedly, trying to push the water through. If you are lucky, the drain will clear.
 o If this does not solve the problem, repeat the process with an inexpensive rubber plunger that all hardware stores sell. The trick here is to block the sink drain hole by pushing the plunger down and creating a vacuum. When the sink is full, vigorously push the plunger up and down to clear the stoppage. If you have a double sink, pump the side closer to the U-Bend, asking a friend to hold the drain plug down on the other side (to prevent your efforts ending up on your kitchen floor).
You say that I said that there were three solutions. You are right. If neither of the above solves the problem, rather call for plumber quotes. The last thing you need is a septic cut that happens when you attempt to dismantle dirty plumbing.
Tags: block, blockage, blocked, clear, drain, drainage problems, fat, find a plumber, kitchen sink, mess, messy, odors, odours, plumber london, Plumber Quotes, plunger, pong, press, pump, rubber plunger, sink, smell, smells, stink, stoppage, u-bend, ubend, unblock
Posted in Plumbing, Heating & Gas | Comments Off
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