Lynda Roberts

There are products available under the HG brand name. They have a full range of different products for different materials. Just call into your local hardware/DIY merchants and ask to see the product range.

My central heating pump has packed in. Is it a difficult job to replace one?

Replacing a central heating pump is a very easy job. The first thing you need to do is turn off the electricity supply to the pump. Then remove the wires. Make a note of the positions of the wires for when you reconnect the new pump. Either side of your pump there should be isolating valves which allow you to stop the flow of water to the pump to make the task of removal simple. The valves may be the wheel type valves or alternatively the fitting connecting the pump will have a screw which only needs to be turned to the vertical position to stop the flow of water. Once the water is stopped you can then undo the fitting attached to the pump. Once removed take the pump with you to a plumbers merchants to make sure you get the right size replacement.

Fit the new pump and washer seals and tighten the nuts. Attach the wires again to the pump. Turn on the water supply by the valves.

Check the connections for any leaks and if required give the nuts another tighten. If you have any problems after this it would be advisable to contact a quali"ed plumber. For a list of local plumbers in your area see www. tradesmenireland. com.

I cannot get the cold tap on my bath to turn either way. Do you know what the problem is?

Tim O'Riordan

This is relatively easy to solve. First remove the head from the tap. This means removing the cap which hides the screw holding the tap head in position. There will be either a screw cap cover or a cover which needs to be prised off with a screwdriver. Then undo the screw and take off the tap head. You will then see a brass nut which is the valve.

Tighten this by turning clockwise. Then refit the tap head.

I want to fit an outside garden tap. Could I do this myself or do I need to get in a plumber?

Mike O'Malley

If you can afford to call in a plumber, do so. They will be in and out while you're still trying to find the mains water stopcock. Having said that, it's not too difficult if you know what you're doing. You can buy all the materials you need from a DIY store/builders merchants in a kit designed for the job. These will also include fitting instructions. The kit will include a screw-in connector which will allow you to make the connection live (no need to turn the water off). The connector literally screws into the pipe and make the cut into the pipe. Make sure the connector is in the 'off' position. This connector will need to be secured using the fixings supplied. You will need to drill through the wall and feed the pipe through the wall and attach the outside tap to this pipe.

Our bathroom gets steamed up every time someone has a bath and in the morning there's always condensation on the windows. Would an extractor fan solve the problem? And how expensive is it to do?

Yes, a fan is a good idea. The fan can be wired to come on with the ceiling light or independently by a pull cord switch. It is a relatively cheap job. The fan can be wall- or ceiling-mounted. If it is ceiling mounted you need ducting to take the steam to the outside. This is generally ducted to the soffitt boards. There are kits that include both the fan and the ducting. Depending on distance to the outside wall the ducting included should be sufficient for your job but further lengths can be purchased. Is the condensation caused by single-glazed windows?

If so it would be best to replace them with double-glazed units.

WRITE TO US

If you have a building-/renovation-related query that you'd like Steve to help you with, email doorstepdoctor@tribune. ie Steve Guerin is managing director of www. tradesmenireland. com, the one-stop website to help you find a tradesman, a site for sale, a property to rent or buy and all the plant hire and machinery you need to complete your house build or renovation