The leaking stop tap and lead pipe hidden beneath floorboards at a cottage in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
FloodSax soaking up some of the dirty water from the concealed leaking stop tap
FloodSax after soaking up some of the dirty water from the concealed leaking stop tap which has now been replaced with a new one
FloodSax alternative sandbag soaks up filthy water to sort out plumbing problem
FloodSax alternative sandbags are trusted to keep floodwater out of homes and businesses and are used throughout the UK and the rest of the world.
But in their dry state they are super absorbent and can soak up water in the most inaccessible places, even saving the day on the filthiest jobs.
One case happened recently in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, when an old cottage was being renovated on a windswept hillside hamlet called Nettleton Hill.
The stop tap was under a floorboard hatch but when the workers lifted the board they discovered it was an old lead pipe which was leaking, causing mud, silt and water to clog it all up.
They called in plumber James Lucks, owner of Huddersfield-based Lux Plumbing and Heating, who always has a pack of FloodSax with him to soak up water no matter how inaccessible or mucky it is.
He said: “We couldn’t see what we were doing for all the mud so put the FloodSax down and it quickly soaked up the filthy water so we could then clear the silt out and get on with the job.
“Looking at what was down there it looks like the pipe had been leaking for a long time. It’s all sorted now though.”
FloodSax are used by local authorities, facilities management companies, flood action groups and homeowners to deal with floods and serious leaks both inside and outside homes and businesses.
In their dry state FloodSax are ultra-thin with a large surface area and the special gelling polymer inside means they can soak up to 20 litres of water and then retain it. That’s how it’s transformed into an instant alternative sandbag which makes FloodSax flexible and multi-purpose, unlike traditional sandbags.
Lucy Bailey from Environmental Defence Systems based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, which manufactures FloodSax said: “We are constantly hearing about new ways Floodsax have been used to solve all kinds of flooding issues both inside and out.
“In their dry state they can be used anywhere in a house or commercial property to soak up water if it’s leaking in hard-to-reach places such as under sinks, below boilers and even beneath floorboards as in this case with the cottage in Huddersfield.
“The stop tap in the cottage was certainly in an unusual place but the dirty water down there was no match for the FloodSax.”
They are more cost-effective too as a box of 20 FloodSax can cost as little as £140 whereas traditional sandbags now often retail for £370 for 70 prefilled bags with delivery often taking 7 to 10 days.
Floodsax come in packs of 5 which are very thin, compact and easy to store yet can be deployed in minutes to deal with all kinds of flooding emergencies. It also means people have flood protection they can rely on and deploy in minutes at any time of the day or night.
If you have used FloodSax in an unusual way then let us know by emailing andy@edslimited.co.uk
The best case study and photo (or video) wins free FloodSax.