When a New Year begins, it presents a wonderful opportunity to start afresh. You may have pledged to hit the gym more often, to focus on climbing the career ladder or to take up a new hobby, but often, self-improvement starts at home.

Below are four New Year’s resolutions for your home. Each one is designed to clear your surroundings and your mind of the physical and financial pressures that were holding you back in 2014.

Streamline

It’s a scientifically proven fact that clutter affects your brain’s ability to concentrate and process information¹. Researchers at Princetown University used MRI scans and other tools to track the brain’s response to ‘disorganised stimulus’, finally making sense of why it’s so difficult to muster up the motivation to start cooking dinner when the kitchen counter is consumed with dirty lunch dishes.

De-cluttering in 2015 is easy to do. Simply set aside one Sunday afternoon and dedicate it to sorting out your draws and cupboards. Shred unwanted paperwork and donate old clothes and toys to your local charity shop – it’ll give your household more room to breathe…or to fill up with new tokens and trinkets this year!

Give your home a MOT

In 2015, treat your home like your car by giving it a check-up – a home MOT, if you will.

By law, you must obtain a Gas Safety Certificate (CP12) annually. During the inspection, your Gas Safe engineer will check that all of your gas appliances are safe to use – a potentially life-saving measure that could protect yourself and your loved ones against carbon monoxide poisoning.

Go the extra mile by checking your water pipes and other fittings for leaks or damage too. The last thing you need half way through the year is a nasty and costly emergency, so by regularly monitoring your property and calling out a professional in the event of a problem, you’ll have a better chance at halting a potential catastrophe before it erupts.

Reduce your bills and your carbon footprint

The average household energy bill is over £1,249² and doesn’t appear to be getting cheaper.

Whilst many people feel helpless to the price hikes imposed by energy firms, there are a number of simple things you can do to reduce your utility bills – and doing so could reduce the impact your home has on the environment too.

In 2015, try to tick as many of these money-saving, carbon-reducing practices off as possible:

• Turn out the lights when you leave a room
• Don’t overfill your kettle…but do fill up your dishwasher
• Insulate your loft
• Install solar panels
• Unplug any appliances that are not in use
• Choose energy efficient kitchen appliances
• Have a shower rather than filling up the bathtub
• Turn down your thermostat and throw on a jumper
• Fit draught guards around your windows and doors
• Shop around for a cost-effective energy tariff and switch suppliers if necessary

Entertain

Most of us vow to spend more time with our loved ones as we welcome in the New Year, but as the months pass, we may struggle to find the time, funds or a babysitter!

Change all of that in 2015 by priming your own home for entertaining. It doesn’t require a huge refurbishment – just choose the rooms in which you do most of your socialising and do a little bit of rearranging and updating.

Plants are a great place to start, as they cleanse the air and breathe a new lease of life into a space. Pulling out the accent colours in your kitchen or living room can really makeover a space too. Simply choose an underused colour and decorate with splashes of that colour in the form of cushions, throws and rugs.

Perhaps most importantly, rearrange your furniture so that seating is orientated for conversation rather than faced at the television. You may be surprised at the conversations and connections that arise as a result!

1 Be Brain Fit, 2014. Unexpected Ways Clutter Messes Up your Brain. [Online] Available at: http://bebrainfit.com/lifestyle/stress/unexpected-ways-clutter-messes-up-your-brain/.
2 Telegraph, 2014. Five reasons your energy bill could rise in 2015 – and what to do now. [Online] Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/energy-bills/11307607/Five-reasons-your-energy-bill-could-rise-in-2015-and-what-to-do-now.html.
All information sources accessed on 30th December 2014.

Does that big L-word scare you? Ease yourself in with some plumbing L-words – our plumbing glossary has them all right here.

L tubing – an industry standard for copper tubing defined by the tube wall thickness and identified by a blue strip – a Type L copper tube wall is approximately 50% greater in thickness than Type M

LDO – Lint, Dust and Oil

LP – Liquid Propane – a fuel for gas water heaters

Laminar flow – streamlined flow of a fluid near a solid boundary

Laminated glass – glass that has been made by uniting layers of glass in order to strengthen it

Langelier index – a calculated number used to predict whether or not water will precipitate, be in equilibrium with, or dissolve calcium carbonate – it is sometimes erroneously assumed that any water that tends to dissolve calcium carbonate is automatically corrosive

Lateral sewage line – a sewage line that connects one sewage pipe with another

Laundry tub – a very deep sink used in a laundry room for soaking or washing clothing

Lav tube – water supply tube for a lavatory

Leach field – porous soil area, through which septic tank leach lines run, emptying the treated waste

Leach lines – pipes that carry effluent from the septic system out to the leach field

Leakage – loss of fluid, usually due to mechanical breakdown or gasket wear

Lean mixture – an air-gas mixture that contains more air than needed for complete combustion of the gas

Leader pipe – a pipe that carries rainwater to the ground or sewer

Length – a unit of linear measure for pipes (e.g. 10 ft)

Life cycle labs – a place where water heaters are tested at an accelerated rate to simulate life expectancies

Light duty – small commercial applications

Lime – the substance that settles on the bottom of a water tank – also known as sediment

Limit stop – faucet control unit used to adjust maximum water temperature

Lock nut – a nut fitted into a piece of pipe and screwed onto another pipe to join the two pieces

Low consumption toilet – a class of toilet designed to flush using 1.6 gallons of water or less – also known as a water-saving toilet

Fancy learning more plumbing lingo? You can find all our previous glossaries in our news section today.

It’s almost time to say goodbye to 2014 and welcome in the New Year.

If you’re spending the night in London, these are the vitals you need to know.

Travel for free

It’s free to travel on the Tube, bus, DLR, tram and Overground between 11.45pm on the 31st of December 2014 and 4.30am on the 1st of January 2015.

Some routes will be operating a special service and a number of stations will be exit only – so do use TfL’s journey planner before you leave home.

London NYE 2014 Fireworks

Over half a million¹ people headed to central London to watch the NYE fireworks last year, which put immense pressure on public safety and the emergency services. So this year, ticketing has been introduced.

Unfortunately, tickets to the event have now completely sold out, but the display will be transmitted live on BBC1 on the night.

Clubs, bars and comedy

In terms of nightlife, New Year’s Eve is one of the biggest nights of the year. Check out the events running here.

Go for a nice dinner

If you’re in the mood for something a little quieter, book a table for dinner with your loved ones instead. A restaurant along the Southbank always makes for a stunning view on NYE.

Enjoy some family fun

If you’re preparing to bid farewell to 2014 with the kids, there’s plenty you can do during the daytime too.

A number of winter ice rinks have popped up across the city, which could provide a fun day out for the children before they head back to school next week.

Do something local

It’s worth checking out what events the pubs, bars and clubs in your local area have planned for NYE, as these are usually cheaper and less crowded than their equivalents in busier parts of London.

New Year’s Day Parade

Now in its 29th year, London’s New Year’s Day Parade is one of the world’s biggest street spectaculars, with up to 10, 000 performers putting on a show, hundreds of thousands of spectators gathering to watch, plus a live TV audience of millions tuning in.

This year, the parade will begin at midday at the Berkeley Street junction of Piccadilly and finish at 3.30pm in Parliament Square.

¹ Gov.uk, 2014. Keeping London’s New Year’s Eve Fireworks safe and fun for all. [Online] Available at: http://www.london.gov.uk/city-hall/city-hall-blog/2014/09/keeping-londons-new-years-eve-fireworks-safe-and-fun-for-all. [Accessed 24th December 2014].

Learn some industry lingo in less than two minutes with our quick and easy plumbing glossary.

KW – kilowatt – a measure of the rate of supply of energy or power, equal to 1000 watts or 3412 BTU per hour

Kafer fitting – cast iron drainage pipe fitting with threaded-on hub used to attach to existing cast iron lines

Knockout Plug – PVC test plug

Kollar kap – styrofoam forms used to protect floor drains while concrete is being poured around them.

kPa – a metric unit for pressure – 100 kPa = one atmosphere

Did you find this useful? Check out our previous plumbing glossaries here.

We don’t want to take the fun out of Christmas and New Year, but there are some basic precautions you should cover amongst the celebrations.

These are our nine top safety tips for the festive period.

1. Don’t leave empty present boxes near your bin – you may have received a gift that a potential burglar is after
2. Don’t leave your presents or valuables visible in the car as they can tempt a potential offender to break in
3. Check in on your older relatives over the holiday season
4. If you are going away, don’t leave signs that your home is unoccupied – install timers for your lights and ask your neighbours to keep an eye out
5. Beware of bogus callers – always ask to see a visitor’s ID before allowing them in to your home
6. Drink responsibly over the festive period and arrange your transport home before the night begins
7. Switch off your Christmas decorations before leaving the house or going to bed as tree lights and candles are a fire hazard
8. Shred any receipts before disposing of them to avoid identity fraud
9. Ensure that your doors are locked, even if your have friends and family coming in and out of your home

With the latest instalment of our plumbing glossary, you’ll know that your plumber isn’t actually throwing the towel in when they tell you they’re going to get their jacket!

Get ready for some plumbing J-words.

J bend – the trap section with a 180-degree bend or a multi-piece P-trap – also called a return bend

J hook – a pipe hanger in the shape of a ‘J’

Jacket – usually refers to the heating or cooling outer casing, which surrounds the stuffing box on some pumps

Jet – a feature of a toilet that is designed to direct water into the trapway quickly to start the siphon action

Jetport – hydro-jet dip tube, which creates turbulence in the tank

Johnni-bolts – closet bolts, used to mount toilet bowls to the closet flange

Joint – one length of pipe

Joint runner – collar-like device that keeps molten lead in place while sealing a joint in a cast iron pipe

JTU – Jackson Turbidity Unit – a quantitative unit of turbidity, originally based on the comparison of a liquid (such as water) with a suspension of a specific type of silica

Junction box – utility area where incoming current is connected in an electrical appliance

Check out our news section to find previous instalments of our plumbing glossary today.

Left the Christmas shopping to the last minute? Use our quick buying guide to find the perfect stocking fillers for the DIY enthusiast in your life.

Ratchet screwdriver

Ordinary screwdrivers are all well and good but nothing beats streamlining with a ratchet screwdriver.

DeWalt Ratchet Screwdriver, £29.99

Stanley Multibit Ratchet Screwdriver, £14.99

Knee pads

Seriously, they’re essential when you spend hours down on your knees in front of the kitchen sink!

Nailers G1 Gel Swivel Knee Pads, £24.99

Silverline Gel Knee Pads, £14.99

Pocket tape measure

Any DIY-er should already have a standard tape measure, but it’s nice to have a pocket-sized one for sizing up those odd jobs that catch you off-duty.

Stanley Tape Measure 8m 26ft, £8.99

Rolson 2 Part Mini Tape Measure Set, 99p

Gift card

It’s not a cop out. When DIY shops pretty much become your second home, a gift card is handy to have.

Wickes Gift Card

Argos Gift Card

Peter Emmerson, one of our supervisors with an answer to a Sunday Times Ask The Experts question.

This time next week it’ll be Christmas day, and your parents, siblings, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins and their kids will flood through your front door.

Besides roasting the heavy load of potatoes to perfection (which is of utmost importance), there are a few other things that are worth taking note of when you have a house full of guests.

For starters, you need to know that fat, oil and grease (FOG) poured down sinks contributes to 75%¹ of all drain and sewer blockages.

When you’re pressed for time and you’ve got extra mouths to feed on Christmas day, it’s tempting to get rid of unwanted cooking FOG via the kitchen sink, but over time these substances harden to form a concrete-like material. Needless to say, these blockages can seriously restrict the flow of water in the pipes, causing wastewater to back up through your toilets and sinks, or causing it to escape through manholes into streets and rivers.

The safest way to prevent FOG blockages is to allow the food waste to cool, pour or scrape it into a disposable container and throw it in the bin. Before you wash up any cooking utensils or plates, wipe them down first, and use strainers in the sink to collect any food particles that do get mixed in with your washing up water.

The bathroom is the second area of the house that needs special attention during the holidays because substantially more showers and toilet flushes occur when homes are packed with day and overnight guests.

Remember, the only things that can be flushed are the three Ps – pee, poo and paper – for everything else, bag it and bin it.

The bag it and bin it approach applies to all non-biodegradable items, including cotton buds, plasters, nappies, tampons, sanitary towels and wet wipes. Even biodegradable wet wipes should be put in the bin rather than down the toilet, as they rarely spend long enough in the sewer to start to decompose.

So, this Christmas, avoid embarrassing blockages with these simple tips:

• Dispose of liquid fat, oil and grease by pouring it in a container and throwing it in the bin.
• Wipe down greasy cooking utensils and cutlery with a paper towel before putting them in the dishwasher or kitchen sink.
• If there are lots of house guests, wait 10 minutes between showers to allow the drains to clear.
• Do not flush cotton buds, wet wipes, sanitary products or other non-biodegradable items down the lavatory.
• Resolve any outstanding or emerging plumbing issues before the Christmas break begins.

¹ Southern Water, 2014. Pain in the Drain. [Online] Available at: https://www.southernwater.co.uk/pain-in-the-drain. [Accessed 18th december 2014].

With our straight-to-the-point plumbing glossary, you’ll learn the important industry I-words in no time.

I.D. – Inside Diameter – all pipes are sized according to their inside diameter

Impeller – rotating wheel with vanes found inside a centrifugal pump; as it spins at high speed it draws fluids in and thrusts them under pressure to the discharge outlet

Induction motor – with a slippage of 2-5% compared to synchronous motors, this is the most commonly used type in the industry

Influent – the stream entering a unit, stream or process, such as the hard water entering an ion exchange water softener

Inserts – faucet handles

Instantaneous water heater – a type of water heater, which heats supply as it passes through with no storage tank necessary – also known as a tankless heater

Ion – an atom or group of atoms that function as a unit and have a positive or negative electrical charge due to the gain or loss of one or more electrons

Ion exchange – a reversible process in which ions are released from an insoluble permanent material in exchange for other ions in a surrounding solution; the direction of the exchange depends upon the affinities of the ion exchanger for the ions present and the concentrations of the ions in the solution

Ionisation – the process in which atoms gain or lose electrons – sometimes used as synonymous with dissociation; the separation of molecules in to charged ions in solutions

IPS – Iron Pipe Size – standard pipe threads (the female IPS refers to internal pipe threads and the male IPS refers to external pipe threads)

Integral stops – stops that allow the owner to shut off water supply at the faucet for maintenance without shutting off the water supply to the entire house

Integral vacuum breaker – a device typically used in a sink or shower sprayer to keep water from flowing back into the fresh water supply

Interceptor – device for separating grease and oil from drainage systems

Isothermal – action that takes place with no change in temperature

For more glossaries, plus industry news and top plumbing tips, visit our news page today.