Plumbing Winterization Tips

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plumbingwinterizationtips_10-15The cold weather can wreak havoc your Firestone plumbing system. Plumbing problems seem to occur when your home isn’t prepared for the winter. As such, we recommend you to take extra precautions to ensure that your pipes will work smoothly all winter long.

Your winter should be full of fun, laughter, and warm family get-togethers. Get your Firestone plumbing ready before the cold weather sets to prevent plumbing problems from interfering with the holidays.

Inspect for leaks

Fall is the best time to have your plumbing system checked and inspected by a Firestone plumber. When the temperature starts to plummet, even the smallest leaks can turn into major problems.

During the inspection, they’ll check the sinks, toilets, faucets and your pipes. In case a leak is found, it will be addressed on the spot; hence, preventing it from turning into a bigger, more complicated problem.

Insulate pipes

Exposed pipes, specifically those in the garage, basement, attic and crawl spaces, present the biggest threat to your home in winter. Water can freeze in them and bust your pipes, causing thousands and thousands of dollars of property damage. On top of that, you’ll be faced with an expensive repair.

Make sure your pipes are well insulated. Protect exposed pipes from cold temperatures by wrapping them with electrical heating tape. Another option is to slip foam-rubber insulation over your pipes.

Shut off outdoor plumbing

With all the things you need to tackle during the fall, a lot of homeowners tend to forget about their outdoor plumbing.

Your outdoor pipes and faucets are at risk of freezing and bursting in winter. When this happens, your entire house may suffer. Remove and drain your water hose and store them inside the house. This will prevent your pipes from bursting unnecessarily.

Flush your water heater

Hot water is a necessity during the cold winter months. But with regular use, sediments may accumulate at the bottom of your water heater tank and eventually lead to rust and leaks. Extend the life of your Firestone water heater and improve its efficiency by having your water heater drained on an annual basis.

If you have no idea how to go about this task, don’t hesitate to give us a call. We’re here to help.

Signs You May Have a Leak in Your Plumbing

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Plumbing LeaksA leak will only get worse over time. It can wreak havoc on your Louisville Colorado home and even weaken your home’s foundation. As such, it is important to detect plumbing leaks before they have a chance to cause too much damage. Unfortunately, Louisville plumbing leaks can be quite difficult to detect.

The good news is that you don’t need to know everything to determine that something is wrong with your plumbing.  Here are 4 signs you may have a leak in your plumbing.

Mold

Mold thrives in moist, dark areas. The bathroom is one of the most common areas to find mold because it provides the perfect environment for mold to grow. If you found some mold or mildew spots in the bathroom despite regular cleaning, you may have a plumbing leak.

It is important to address this issue as early as possible because mold is not only expensive and time-consuming to eradicate, it may also pose a serious health risk to you and your family.

Your bill has gone up

If you notice a significant increase on your Louisville water bill for no apparent reason, it may be due to a plumbing leak. Compare your water bill from the same month from the previous year to ensure that the spike isn’t due to a seasonal change.

Running water meter

This is one of the easiest ways to confirm whether you have a leak of any kind. Simply turn off all the water systems in your home. Make sure the washing machine and dishwasher are not being used. Now, take a look at your water meter. If your water meter ticks continuously, this may indicate that you have a leaking pipe somewhere in your home.

Strange smell

Water may start to accumulate when a plumbing leak goes unnoticed for long periods of time. If a water leak is left unfixed, you may notice a musty, earthy smell in a certain area of your home.

 

How to Deal with Leaking Pipes

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How to Deal with Leaking PipesLeaking pipes in Broomfield Colorado, can be a big problem for homeowners. If you have a leak in your pipes, you may end up with a flooded home. Others are not nearly so damaging, but may leave you with an unusually high water bill. Therefore, it is important to address the issues as soon as you can to prevent it from turning into a more complicated problem, which would require more costly repair.

Broomfield leaking pipes are easier to fix than most people may think. In this blog post, we’d like to share with you some tips on how to deal with leaking pipes. Here are some of them.

Shut off the water supply

Turn off the water as soon as you discover a leak. Find the valve that controls the water flow to the affected pipe. This will stop the water and give you enough time to think.

Water pipe epoxy

Take a small amount of water epoxy, just enough to cover the hole. This can be comparable to a molding clay, so you’ll have to knead the epoxy in your hands to make it pliable. Stick it over the crack or hole and then press it down gently. Leave it for a few minutes and allow it to harden. Make sure that there is no running water through the pipe. Otherwise, it won’t stick. You can turn the water back on once the epoxy hardens.

Patch the hole

This is a quick, easy fix that will allow you to turn the water back on until the plumber arrives or purchase parts that are needed to fix the leak.

You need something to cover the hole. A piece of flexible leather and a heavy gauge rubber are the ideal materials to use. Make sure that patch is bigger than the hole or fissure. Now, you need something that would hold the patch in place. Wrap it around the patch and the pipe, making sure that it’s tight enough. Turn the water back on to determine whether or not the patch is working.

Call a plumber

As you may have noticed, the methods listed above are just temporary solutions. It is important to call a plumber immediately to repair or replace the damaged pipe. Getting help quickly will prevent flooding and water damage; hence, allowing you to save thousands of dollars in the long run.