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How To Find Your Home’s Main Water Shutoff Valve
2. Check Your Sprinkler System
Summertime means more people in your home! From cook-outs to graduation parties, your plumbing will be working extra hard to provide water for summer activities. Start your summer off right by doing what you can to make sure your plumbing system can handle the additional workload!
It’s officially summertime and that means summer activities are in full effect! During this time of year, homeowners use more water than they do the rest of the year, particularly in maintaining swimming pools, keeping their lawn watered, and staying cool in any way possible. Here are 5 summer plumbing tips to ensure your home’s plumbing is ready to take on summer!
1. Inspect Your Washing Machine Hoses
Your washing machine hoses will likely be used the most during the summer months. Most homeowners use considerably more water doing laundry during the summer season. You must inspect the hoses to prevent damage and potential leaks as summer begins.
2. Check Your Sprinkler System
From children playing in the yard to mowing your lawn, your sprinkler system can become damaged by family members who forget it’s there! It’s important to make sure your sprinkler system is operating properly to avoid flooding your lawn.
3. Protect Your Garbage Disposal
There are a million good reasons to have a cook-out in the summer but don’t carelessly dump everything in your garbage disposal. To prevent your garbage disposal from biting the dust this summer, make sure you know what can and can’t go into it.
4. Turn Down Your Water Heater
Going on vacation? Turn the temperature down on your water heater! Decreasing your water heater temperature will save you a substantial amount of money that can be used towards more fun summer activities!
5. Schedule Annual Plumbing Maintenance
The best way to make sure your plumbing is running properly is to schedule time for annual maintenance. The beginning of summer is a perfect time to perform a complete plumbing inspection on all of the plumbing components in your home so that you feel confident your plumbing is ready to take on summer!
Preparing your plumbing system for summertime should be on your list of priorities if you want to avoid high water bills this year. Contact us today to get a reliable plumber in your home for free!
Here are 4 fun plumbing facts you might not know!
Have you ever wondered what can and can’t go into your garbage disposal? You’re not alone. This infographic will help you narrow down the do’s and don’ts of your garbage disposal.
What would we do without the miraculous invention of indoor plumbing? Unfortunately, if you haven’t had your plumbing system maintained, you might be finding out sooner than you think!
So how can you avoid plumbing disasters in your household? Be on the lookout for these common warning signs of plumbing problems!
1. Popcorn Sounds Coming From Your Water Heater
The sound of popcorn in your microwave is a welcome one when you’re in need of a salty snack, but what if you hear that same sound coming from your water heater tank? This particular noise is an early indication that your water heater has an excess of mineral deposits and sediment built up at the bottom of the tank where the heating element is located. As the water heats to boiling, the bubbles escape from the layer of sediment, resulting in a popping noise.>The solution is most often a water heater flush to rid the tank of corrosion and build-up.
2. Visible Corrosion On Fittings And Valves
If you notice corrosion and rust on your home’s pipe fittings and valves, there could be a number of factors that cause it. From low water pH levels which leave your pipes exposed to corrosion and leaks, to high oxygen levels that degrade the metal. No matter which culprit you find is causing the issue, it must be remedied immediately. Corrosion is a sign that something is going wrong and corroded fittings and valves on your pipes can lead to leaks and flood damages. Even small drips can cost you hundreds or even thousands of dollars each year, depending on how many there are.
3. The Age Of Your Plumbing Equipment
One of the most common causes of breakdowns and system failure is the age of your equipment. Many homeowners move in without knowing when their major plumbing systems like water heaters and sump pumps were installed. Depending on the brand, type, and how well-maintained each system is, if it’s over a certain age, it could be headed for a host of repairs or even a replacement.Be aware of how old your equipment is and stay ahead of the curve by having professional maintenance annually.
4. Loud Motors
There are two plumbing system motors that often break down in the home: the garbage disposal, and the sump pump. While they are completely different systems, used in different areas of the home for unique purposes, both are very important. Hearing a loud motor sound in your kitchen’s garbage disposal can often mean that something is wrong with the blades or there’s a jammed grinding chamber. There could also be issues with the grinding plate, ring, or motor assembly. For the sump pump, a motor sound isn’t good! Best case scenario you can lubricate the motor, worst case, it needs to be replaced.
If you’ve noticed any of these signs of plumbing failure in your home, it’s time to call in the experts! Fortunately, we’ll send a plumber to your home free of charge to diagnose whatever issue is happening with your home’s plumbing system. Contact us today and prevent potential plumbing problems!
Plumbing issues come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, but here are the most common problems homeowners face!
Fun facts about the history of plumbing!
Even though the plumbing system is a huge aspect of home comfort, many homeowners avoid maintenance and don’t consider what’s going on with their utilities until something breaks down…and plumbing breakdowns can be rough! From overflowing toilets and flooded basements, to freezing water and thousands of dollars wasted on small leaks. Plumbing problems just plain suck! Fortunately, there are some plumbing warning signs that you can watch out for that might alert you to potential issues. In addition to being aware of visual signs or strange noises that can become problems down the line, you can also have a professional plumber maintain your plumbing system annually so you’ll be protected from disastrous breakdowns that leave you feeling stressed and scrambling to get a plumber in your home right away. Check out the 4 common warning signs of plumbing problems below!
1. Popcorn Sounds Coming From Your Water Heater
The sound of popcorn in your microwave is a welcome one when you’re in need of a salty snack, but what if you hear that same sound coming from your water heater tank? This particular noise is an early indication that your water heater has an excess of mineral deposits and sediment built up at the bottom of the tank. The heating element is located at the bottom of the tank, right where the sediment and mineral deposits settle and mix with the water. As the water heats to boiling, the bubbles escape from the layer of sediment, resulting in a popping noise. The solution is most often a water heater flush to rid the tank of corrosion and buildup.
2. Visible Corrosion On Fittings And Valves
If you notice corrosion and rust on your home’s pipe fittings and valves, there could be a number of factors that cause it. From low water pH levels which leave your pipes exposed to corrosion and leaks, to high oxygen levels that degrade the metal, to high-velocity water in your pipes. No matter which culprit you find is causing the issue, it must be remedied immediately. Corrosion is a sign that something is going wrong and corroded fittings and valves on your pipes can lead to leaks and flood damage. Even small drips can cost you hundreds or even thousands of dollars each year, depending on how many there are.
3. Note The Age Or Your Plumbing Equipment
One of the most common causes of breakdowns and system failure is the age of your equipment. Many homeowners move in without knowing when their major plumbing systems like water heaters and sump pumps were installed. Depending on the brand, type, and how well-maintained each system is, if it’s over a certain age, it could be headed for a host of repairs or even replacement. A properly maintained water heater can last anywhere between 6 and 13 years and on average, the home’s sump pump lasts about 10. Be aware of how old your equipment is and stay ahead of the curve by having professional maintenance annually.
4. Listen For Loud Motors
There are two plumbing system motors that often break down in the home: the garbage disposal, and the sump pump. While they are completely different systems, used in different areas of the home for totally unique purposes, both are very important. Hearing a loud motor sound in your kitchen’s garbage disposal can often mean that something is wrong with the blades or there’s a jammed grinding chamber. There could also be issues with the grinding plate, ring, or motor assembly. For the sump pump a motor sound isn’t good! Best case scenario you can lubricate the motor, worst case, it needs to be replaced.
Most of the population can agree that frigid winter cold just plain sucks! In fact, if your home’s plumbing system could speak, it would wholeheartedly agree. That’s because your plumbing relies heavily on your HVAC system during those freezing days and nights of winter.
Plumbing’s Winter Woes
Plumbing issues tend to intensify as the weather turns colder. The lower the temperature drops, the more potential for a plumbing problem. We all know what freezing temps do to water, and this causes a severe risk of pipe bursts due to water freezing up inside. While we’ll go into the importance of a functioning heating system to prevent this, we’ve also included three helpful tips to avoid frozen pipes below:
1. Make sure pipes with holes or breaks are repaired so ensure the cold doesn’t reach the water inside.
2. Let the water run out of the pipes to keep it moving (a steady drip during the coldest temperatures is sufficient). Moving water makes it more difficult to freeze over.
3. Insulate pipes in areas where they might be exposed to winter elements.
How Heating Saves Your Plumbing
So now that you’ve got a few tips to help prevent freezing, here’s the biggest one: be sure your heating system is working smoothly!
A home with a faulty heating system in the winter will be cold, of course, and that can cause more than just the discomfort of the homeowner! Your plumbing system relies on that heated air to protect the indoor pipes from freezing over during this season. If your heating system isn’t pumping, it can do a number on those pipes—and did we mention the repercussions of a burst pipe? We’re talking thousands in damages if this happens, so preventing it is 100% necessary.
Suppose your heating system isn’t functioning at its best, and you’ve been supplementing with heated blankets and space heaters. In that case, we highly suggest having a trained HVAC professional repair or replace your system, depending on the issue. You might be willing to tough it out, but your plumbing system won’t.
Sometimes all it takes is some maintenance or a few simple repairs to get your heating system up and running again. Not only will it help you avoid serious damage, but you’ll be able to maintain a warm, comfortable temperature. This is healthy for both you and your home! At F.H. Furr, we’re dedicated to your home comfort! Call us this winter if you’re experiencing plumbing or heating issues, and we’ll be there to help solve the problem, guaranteed!