The Malta Independent on Sunday
Water and plumbing
As pointed out in Part 1 of this two-part series, knowledge about the basics of electricity and plumbing will enable the individual, not only in helping themselves to fix and install basic items but also in fault-finding. Another advantage is that he/she will not be taken for a ride by ironmongers or plumbers. It is a well-known fact that water is a scarce commodity in the Maltese islands. Malta does not possess any rivers to extract water from and the only sources are through bore-hole extraction, desalination and rainfall.
Direct and indirect water
Our household water supply is provided by the Water Services Corporation (WSC). There are two types of water in our homes; the first is known as direct water, which is safe and indirect water that comes from the roof tank and on which there is no guarantee that it is safe. Indirect water is used mainly for showers, baths, toilets, wash-hand basins, wash-rooms and geysers.
It is important to have the water roof tank cleaned frequently because of the accumulation of chlorine. In fact, some homes, to control chlorine have installed reverse osmosis and other equipment to have even more pure water from the direct water supply. Water enters our homes and hence the tank by means of pressure.
For high-rise apartments, which are common in Malta, tanks are placed in basements and a pump is used to bring the water up to the apartments by means of a power and flow switch.
It is noted that if the roof has membrane, the rain water takes on the tar (qatran in Maltese) from the membrane and this ends up mixing with well water. Therefore, well water should only be used for flushing toilets and watering plants. Also, if the roof is tiled, this can also be contaminated, especially if one owns a dog that performs the call of nature on the roof.
When it comes to well water, this is not safe for personal washing as it can harm the skin. Therefore, well water should not be used to fill the roof tank.
Four types of pipes
Iron piping (no longer in use except in factories where steam is used)
Acorn piping (push-fit), easy to dismantle and considered to be the best. In Malta, if the acorn piping is done correctly, it has a life guarantee of 15 years
Green piping, which is welded together
Multi-layered piping (known as Multistrada) – piping with aluminium tubing incorporated inside the plastic. This can be bent without splitting. This system is gradually being adopted in Malta
Pipes – three basic pipes
For households there are three basic pipe sizes – 15mm, 22mm and 28mm. The 28mm pipe is known as tat-tlett kwarti (threefourths). When installing a system going downwards, the 22mm pipe is usually used. The decision to choose the size of the pipe depends on whether one requires water pressure, water volume or both. There is what is known as the T pipe. One can create an unequal T pipe with a
main branch at size 22mm and further branching at size 15mm to create more pressure.
Manifold (hanzira in Maltese)
A manifold is being installed in newly constructed buildings nowadays in order to have each individual run (sink, toilet, bath and so on) having its own pipe. Using a manifold system is expensive. From a large input there are a number of outputs with each output having a valve. This sytem is very useful in checking where a fault lies.
Storey height and water pumps
At a height of one storey, at least 1 Bar of pressure is required. In basements, an electric or diesel pump is used. There are self-priming pumps similar to those used in wells.
Geysers
Inside the geyser one finds two pipes, one is red and the other blue. Between these two pipes there is the heater. The red pipe is from where the hot water flows out and the blue pipe is for the input of cold water. The disadvantage of geysers is that the hot water is mixed with the cold water and the heating of the cold water commences on switiching on the geyser causing
high consumption of electricity. The geyser’s boiler has an element inside to heat the water and a thermostat to regulate heat (60 – 70 degrees).
Eco-geysers are now becoming popular in Malta. These geysers have two tanks with heaters and hence more economical in power consumption, as there is no need for reheating.
Changing a geyser
It is a well-known fact that geysers have a short life span due to the quality of water in Malta. There are different types of
geysers and sizes. Some geysers have a glass layer inside. Others have ceramic, stainless steel and copper. These all carry a fiveyear guarantee. Changing the geyser may seem simple but government offers a free service for the over 60s to replace geysers. The procedure to change a geyser is as follows:
• Close water supply
• Switich off 2-pole switch causing the Live and Neutral to be cut off
• Open plate under geyser
• Disconnect the Live, Neutral and Earth wires
• Unscrew and close angle valve
• Prepare container to empty water from geyser
• To fix geyser undo steps 1 to 6
• Open water mains and let geyser fill in
• Put on geyser switch on hot
Plumbing quotation
One should never look at a cheaper quotation and consider it the best in price. Cheaper can mean inferior work and in order to save on cost, the client would have more damages and breakdowns in the long run. Clients are encouraged to check the material used. Material is calculated by metre length. One has to be savvy about imitation material and original where the original has identification marks. We live at a time where due to problems with logistics because of the war in Ukraine, prices change by the minute. Therefore, any decision to buy materials should be taken without delay.
Useful plumbing tools for doit-yourself
Adjustable spanner
Cutter for pipes
Plastic Elbow
Plastic T
U-shaped Juncion
Box of cross pipes
Fittings (for example: elbows, tees, wyes and crosses)