PLUMBING FAQ

Regular plumbing maintenance is crucial to prevent major issues down the line. By taking proactive steps to care for your plumbing system, you can avoid costly repairs and inconvenient disruptions to your daily routine. Our Plumbing FAQ section offers valuable tips and insights to help you keep your plumbing in good condition and prevent potential problems from arising. Make sure to prioritize routine maintenance to safeguard your home or business from major plumbing headaches in the future.

Hose Spigots

Winter/Cold Months:

Make sure to remove all the hoses from your outdoor spigots and cover them with a hose spigot cover to eliminate any freezing pipes. 

If you have a hose spigot off your garage you may have a shut off valve (usually located in your garage) if you do turn that off and open your spigot to let the water drain completely out, leave it open and cover it up for the winter.  

Spring/Summer

Hose spigots are not meant to be under constant pressure; to ensure a long healthy lifespan of your hose spigot, avoid using an automatic timer on the hose spigot and remove the hoses after each use.

WATER HEATERS

When Should I flush my Water Heater?

Tankless and tank water heaters should be flushed every 1 to 2 years. Flushing your water heater will help kick out a lot of build up in the water heater which will lengthen the lifespan & create better efficiency.

If your water heater starts showing signs of inefficiency, you should have it looked at right away. This will prevent a major plumbing or water problem in your home or business.

DRAIN CLEANING

What is the best way to clean my drains?

There is a lot of grease and soap scum that can collect and go down your drains, even if you clean your plates from food debris when doing the dishes. A great way to maintain those drain pipes is to pour a pot of hot water (slowly to prevent any splashing) down your kitchen and bathroom drains one to two times a month, this will help melt that buildup on the inside of the pipes.

Using strainers on the kitchen sink can be very helpful as well to catch food scraps from going down, and never pour oils or grease down the drains; grease will eventually harden and can build up and stick to the sides of the pipes causing future problems/clogs. Clean your bathroom stoppers regularly as soap scum, hair, and other gunk can collect making for slow drainage. 

Winter PRep + Weatherization

How do I keep my pipes from freezing?

When water freezes in the pipes it expands and has no where to go which can cause the pipes to burst causing big problems for a homeowner. Here are some tips & tricks to prepare to avoid those problems.

  • Make sure the home thermostat is set to a minimum of 55 degrees Fahrenheit

  • Open cabinet doors under sinks to get the homes internal warmth circulating in those spaces

  • Turn on a trickle to the faucet on hot & cold that is the furthest away from where your main line comes in the home to keep the water moving throughout the pipes which can reduce the ability to freeze

  • Insulate any exposed pipes with pipe insulation and/or pool noodle

  • In some cases purchase and wrap your main pipe that comes in the home with heat cable. This is an electrical line that you plug in that provides a minimal charge of warmth that will keep the pipe from freezing when installed properly.