Services to the Home

Junior Certificate Home Economics

The main services to the home are:

• Gas

• Electricity

• Water

Gas

Gas in the Home

• Natural gas is found off the coast of Ireland

• It is brought ashore by pipes

• A network of pipes brings the gas all around the

country

• Smaller service pipes lead to individual houses.

• Each house has a valve to allow the gas to be

switched on or off and a meter to record the

amount of gas used

Uses of Gas

• Cooking

• Central heating

• Water heating

• Portable heaters

Using Gas Safely

Gas is a quick, clean and efficient fuel, but in order to be safe

it must be used safely

1. All gas appliances should be installed by a qualified

person

2. Only use gas appliances in ventiliated rooms

3. Follow the manufacturers instructions for use

4. Get a qualified person to carry out any servicing/repairs

5. Only buy gas appliances which carry a safety mark

Gas Leak

• For safety reasons an odour is added to gas

so that if a leak does occur or an appliance

is accidently left on, it is quickly noticed.

Gas Leaks – Do & Don’t

Do Don’t

- Open all doors & windows

- Check to see if a pilot light

has gone out in any

appliance

- Turn off gas at mains

- Telephone the gas company

- use any naked flame eg

match, cigarette lighter

- Smoke

- Use any electrical

appliance or switch on a

light

- Ignore the smell

Electricity

Electricity

• Clean and efficient form of energy

• Not a fuel – fuel (eg coal, oil) are used to

generate (make) electricity

• Generated in power stations

Electricity in the Home

• Enters each house through a service cable

• Goes to the fuse box in the house

• The fuse box contains the main switch –this allows the electricity to be turned on/off if a fault occurs or repairs are being carried out

• Wires lead from the fuse box all around the house

Electrical Appliances

• The flexes of all electrical appliances have at least two wires

- Live wire carries the current (electricity)

- Neutral wire carries the current back to the generator

- Earth wire may also be present. It is a safety device & carries the current to the earth

Wire Types & Colours

Wire Colour

Live

Neutral

Earth

Brown

Blue

Green & Yellow

Electricity in the Home

• A meter records the amount of electricity

used

• It is measured in units

• Some buildings may have a second meter

which records off peak (night rate)

electricity use

Electricity Use in the Home:

• Cooking

• Heating

• Washing

• Food preparation

• Lighting

• Water heating

• Clothes drying

Wiring a Plug

• Unscrew the central screw and remove the cover

• Loosen the flex grip screws and remove the fuse

• Loosen the three terminal screws (Eart, Live &

Neutral)

• Slip the flex under the grip. Tighten the grip screws to

hold the flex in place

• Insert wiring under the screw at the correct terminal

• Tighten the screws

• Replace the fuse. Replace cover and screw into

position.

Wiring a Plug

Fuses

• Safety device

• Deliberate weak link

• If a fault occurs the fuse will blow & the

electricity will be cut off

• Prevents further damage eg fire

• Found in the fuse box & in plugs

A blown fuse can be caused by:

• A faulty appliance eg overheated iron

• Overloading the circuit –

using too many appliances

at the same time

• Faulty wiring in a plug

Replacing a Fuse in the Fusebox

• Switch off the main switch

• Replace the blown fuse.

• Some fuse boxes have circuit breakers or

trip switches. These can simply be switched

back on

• Repair the fault immediately

Good Lighting is important to:

• Provide enough light for various activities

eg reading

• Prevent accidents

• Ensure good hygiene

• Prevent eye strain

• Create the right atmosphere

in each room

Natural & Artificial Light

Natural (Sunlight) Artificial

(usually Electric)

Enters house through:

•Glass doors

•Windows

•Skylights

•Filament bulbs

•Flourescent bulbs

•Compact Flourescent lights

(CFLs) [Energy Savings light

bulbs]

Lighting Safety

• Buy safe light fittings and shades

• Use correct strength of bulb for fitting

• The shade should not be too near the bulb

• There should be plenty of light in areas for danerous jobs like preparing food etc

• Light should not flicker or glare as this causes headaches and eye strain

• Dangerous areas eg stairs should be well lit

• Bathroom cords should have a pull cord switch or an outside switch

Replacing a Bulb

• Turn off the light & allow the bulb to cool

• Remove bulb

• Fit a new bulb – make sure it is

the correct wattage

• Test the light

Heating

The type of heating will depend on:

- Family lifestyle

- Type of home

- Family income

Three types of home heating:

1. Central heating

2. Partial/Background heating

3. Individual Heaters

1. Central Heating

• Whole house heater from a central source

• Usually a boiler

• This heats the water which

passes around the house

in radiators

• Comfortable temperature (16o – 20oC)

2. Partial/Background

• Storage heaters – use off peak electricity

• Give off gentle background heat

• May have to use extra

form of heating during

cold weather

3. Individual Heaters

• Can be gas, electric or solid fuel

• Solid fuel are usually coal or peat fires

• Gas and electric heaters are usually portable

Insulation

• Good insulation can reduce this by 75%

• Materials used in insulation are bad

conductors of heat (don’t let heat out)

example fibreglass and air

Good Insulation:

• Makes a house warmer by retaining heat

• Saves money on fuel bills

• Helps to sound-proof a house

Types of Insulation

• Wall – Cavity Wall Insulation & Foam Sheets

Types of Insulation

• Roof/Attic – felt, fibreglass, foam pellets

Types of Insulation

• Windows & Doors – double glazing,

draught excluders, heavy lined curtains

Types of Insulation

• Hot Water Cylinder

Water

Where does water come from?

Water Treatment

Water is treated to make it suitable for

humans to use.

• Filtered to remove impurities (dirt)

• Chloride of lime added to ‘soften’ water

(remove chemicals which make it hard*)

• Chlorine added to kill bacteria

• Fluoride added to help strengthen teeth

*Hard Water

• Hardness in water is caused by minerals

which become dissolved in the water as it

seeps through the ground

How does it get to my house?

• Water leaves the treatment plant through a

large pipe called mains

• A service pipe leads from the mains to the

house

• This supplies water directly to the kitchen

sink and the storage tank in the attic

• This tank supplies the rest of the house’s

water including hot water system

How does it get to my house?

Average Daily Water Usage

Burst Pipes

• In very cold weather water pipes may

freeze. When water freezes it expands and

may cause the pipes to burst. If this

happens:

• Turn off the water at the mains

• Run all the cold taps to drain the tank

• Do not turn on central heating

• Call a plumber

Kitchen Sink

The sink is located under a window for:

• Ventilation

• Good light

• Ease of plumbing (outside wall)

Most kitchen sinks are made from stainless

steel. They are easy to clean, stain-resistant,

hygienic and hard wearing.

Kitchen Sink

• Underneath the sink is a pipe with a ‘S’ or

‘U’ bend. This is filled with water to

prevent odours and bacteria getting into the

kitchen from the outside drain.

• If the sink becomes blocked it means

unsuitable substances like grease are being

emptied down the sink.

• The sink should be disinfected regularly

If a sink gets blocked:

1. Remove anything that might be blocking

the water outlet

2. Half fill the sink and cover the overflow

with a cloth

3. Work the plunger up and down over the

outlet to create suction.

4. Place some washing soda in the sink and

wash down with boiling water

If a sink gets blocked:

5. Try to loosen the blockage with a long

piece of wire

6. If the sink is still blocked

place a basin under the

U-bend and unscrew the fitting

7. Flush out the pipe with water (use wire

again if necessary)

8. Replace the screw and empty the basin