services to the home · gas in the home •natural gas is found off the coast of ireland •it is...
TRANSCRIPT
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