PLUMBING TIPS
HOUSE CUT OFFS:
When buying or moving into a new place, it is always a good idea to find out where the main cut off for the water to your house is located. This valve should be occasionally inspected by the homeowner/renter on a bi-yearly basis to make sure it is still operational, as they can rust and become hard or impossible to turn off.
Normally every plumbing fixture is installed with a cut-off valve so that it can be isolated and turned off without affecting the water flow to the rest of the house. If one fixture springs a leak, look under or around that fixtures for the water cut off. This could save your home from a lot of damage until you can get the necessary repairs made. Call us for repairs.
GARBAGE DISPOSAL
If your garbage disposal is not working and doesn’t make a sound when you try to use it, you should first try to hit the reset button located on the bottom of the disposal. If that doesn’t work, please call a licensed plumber to assist you with unclogging or replacing the unit.
WHAT NOT TO FLUSH!
In today’s market there are several products that are advertised as “flushable” but we highly recommend not flushing anything other than waste and toilet paper. Even though these items are advertised as “flushable” they can cause backups and clogs in your sewer pipes.
CLOGGED PIPES:
Unclogging pipes requires special equipment that we do not have and is a service that we do not provide. Please see the list below to know if what you are dealing with will require a rootering company. (Fixtures includes but are not limited to: toilets, kitchen sinks, dishwashers, washing machines or bathroom sinks).
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Any sink that is clogged. When a sink becomes clogged, most of the time it is past the p-trap and we do not have the equipment that will reach past the p-trap
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If you have more than one fixture that is not draining
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If you are draining one fixture and hear it gurgling in another fixture
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If one fixture backs up into another
COLD WEATHER TIPS:
Once the weather starts turning cooler, it is always a good idea to disconnect your garden hose from the hose bibb. This helps to prevent non-moving water in the garden hose from freezing. If left connected, ice can form and pressure can build up in the water lines inside your house. For the same reason, during colder weather you should also turn off the irrigation system to prevent pipe damage from possible freezing water.
OUTSIDE TANKLESS WATER HEATER UNITS:
Outside tankless water heater units are designed with internal freeze prevention heaters, however the hot and cold water lines going to and from the heater will need protection. If freezing temperatures are in the forecast, you might want to consider protecting the water lines to the unit with something as simple as aluminum foil but better options include heat tape, electric heaters, solenoids and or pipe covers.