Protecting Your Water Pipes From Freezing

December 3rd, 2013 Posted in Water Line Repair
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Frozen water pipes are a common problem that can lead to big home repair expenses. When the temperature drops, especially unexpectedly, homeowners can find themselves with pipes that become frozen and even burst under the extreme cold and pressure. Once they burst, not only do they need to be replaced, but they can also cause water damage and other issues in your home. The best solution to avoid a broken water line repair is proactively preventing frozen pipes in the first place.

Water Pipe Freeze Protection

A severe cold snap, especially in warmer climates, is the most common cause of frozen water pipes. While homes in colder climates typically are built with well-insulated pipes, those in warmer regions may not have adequate insulation to protect them in unexpectedly cold weather. When the water in pipes freezes, it expands, causing pressure and backing up water being forced into the pipe. To prevent freezing and the resulting bursting, use these tips before and during cold weather.

–          Insulate your pipes. Check areas in basements, crawl spaces and attics where pipes may be exposed to cold weather. Wrap pipes with insulating tape, foam or even paper to help insulate against cold air.

–          Run water. Just a small trickle of water can keep pipes from freezing. In extreme weather snaps in warmer climates, this can be used short term to prevent freezing.

–          Use heat. Keep the heat on in cold weather, even when away from home. This can help to keep the pipes warm and aid in freezing prevention.

In cold weather, if water does not come through your faucet, that is the first sign of a frozen pipe. A frozen pipe can often be thawed before it bursts, so calling a plumber right away may reduce further damage and expense.

Posted on behalf of Seagraves Plumbing

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Causes of Low Water Pressure

October 10th, 2013 Posted in Water Line Repair
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Weak water pressure is a common occurrence in many households, albeit an irritating one. You don’t have to resign yourself to a lifetime of dribbling showers and sluggish faucets, though. The inconvenience of low water pressure can be caused by a variety of factors, most of which are easily corrected by an experienced plumber. These are only a few of the most common causes of low water pressure, and practical solutions that may correct the problem.

If your low water pressure seems to be occurring primarily when you’re showering, you may only need to concentrate on the shower head itself. Over time, shower heads can become caked with mineral deposit buildup that affects the flow of water. A thorough soaking in white vinegar can remove those deposits in many cases. Replacing an aging shower head in favor of a newer one may also be a simple fix for low water pressure in your shower.

Weak water pressure that is pervasive throughout your home can be indicative of other problems, though. First, ensure that the main water valve to your home is in a fully opened position. Often, valves are not opened all the way after being turned off and water pressure throughout the home is less powerful. If the valve is open completely, however, you’ll need to look to professional solutions.

Water pressure boosters and installation of larger main supply pipes can correct your problem with relative ease. You may also have a broken or damaged water supply line.  You will need to contact an experienced and licensed professional plumber in your area to diagnose the problem and perform any necessary water line repairs. A professional plumber will be able to diagnose the cause of low water pressure and to correct it, resolving the problem once and for all.

Posted on behalf of Chuck Seagraves, Seagraves Plumbing

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Refrigerator Water Line Repair

August 12th, 2013 Posted in Water Line Repair
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How frustrating, especially in the heat of summer, to have a refrigerator that should be making ice and supplying cold water, but doesn’t. For some unknown reason, repairing the water line to the refrigerator is just one of those nuisance kind of things that we neglect until we no longer remember that the refrigerator is supposed to make ice. Correcting a leak or changing a water line is a simple project that you can do for yourself. You can purchase a new refrigerator water line in plastic, braided steel or copper. You’ll want to measure the distance from your refrigerator to the water line to make sure that you have enough length.

Pull the refrigerator out from the wall and find the water valve shutoff, which should be directly behind or close to the refrigerator. Turn off the water supply to the refrigerator. If you cannot easily locate the water valve, you may have to trace the existing line coming from the refrigerator, as it is possible that when your home was built a refrigerator water line wasn’t in the plan at that time. With the proper sized wrench, disconnect the old water line from the refrigerator and the water source. Connect the new line back to the refrigerator and the water source.

If you have just purchased a new refrigerator with water and ice dispensing features, and your old refrigerator did not have those amenities, you may discover that your home was not plumbed for a refrigerator water line. If this is the case, you will want to call your local plumbing professional to have a water line to your refrigerator installed.

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Winterizing Your Outdoor Plumbing System

July 30th, 2013 Posted in Water Line Repair
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Depending upon the part of the country you live in, one of the most important things that you can do prior to the arrival of cold weather is to winterize your plumbing system.  Usually this will take place in October before temperatures at night dip below freezing.  Most homes have one or more exterior faucets or “hose bibs” where the homeowner can connect a garden hose to water their lawn and flowers, as well as wash their car.  It is critical that any water in the faucet itself, as well as the pipe, be eliminated before it can freeze.  Frozen pipes that fail are one of the leading causes of water damage in homes!

A plumbing contractor can assist a homeowner in two ways to assist in the winterization of the plumbing system, which services the exterior of the home.  First, a service call can be scheduled where the plumber will perform the service and drain all water from the pipe and shut off the water servicing the exterior faucet.  They will be sure to drain any water out of the pipe as well.

The second way the plumber can assist the homeowner is to install specialized faucets, which automatically drain the faucet and a portion of the pipe when the faucet is turned off.  Although most new homes are equipped with this type of faucet, most homes that are more than 15 years old have standard faucets.  As a part of this replacement, a qualified plumbing contractor will install a specialized shut off valve in the mechanical room as well, which will allow water in the pipe to be drained after the water is shut off.

A qualified plumbing contractor will be able to complete either of these tasks quickly and economically.  Remember that water pipes and freezing temperatures is not a good match!  To avoid unnecessary water line repairs, make that call today and get ready for winter.

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Water Line Leaks

July 8th, 2013 Posted in Water Line Repair
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Unless your home is on a well, it is probably connected to a municipal water supply.  Many homeowners don’t realize that the water line between the meter and their home is their responsibility.  Water supply lines generally give years of trouble free service, but they can break or spring a leak.  Usually the first sign of a leaking or broken water line is an unusually high water bill or a wet spot in the yard that never seems to dry out.

Wet spots in the yard and high water bills can have other causes.  For example, your water company may only actually read the meter every few months and estimate your water usage during the in-between months.  If their estimate is low, you may see a jump in your water bill for the month when they actually read the meter.  If you have a swimming pool, you water bill will likely be higher in the summer as you use more water keeping the water level in the pool topped off.

If you suspect that you have a leaking or broken water supply line, try this simple test before calling the plumber for water line repairs:  take a reading on your water meter, then shut off the water supply inside the house.  Wait a few hours and take a second meter reading.  If the reading has changed, then you have a leak in the water line between your home and the meter.

Leaking water line repairs can be a little tricky.  The natural inclination is to start digging at the soft spot in the yard, but sometimes the water migrates several yards from the source of the leak before making its way to the surface.  In other cases, you can have a leak and all the water percolates into the ground without leaving a tell-tale soft, mushy area at the surface.  Your plumber can usually pinpoint the leak without digging by using modern leak detection devices.

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Do Your Pipes Sweat?

June 6th, 2013 Posted in Water Line Repair
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As summer approaches and the days become more humid, the process of changing our closets over to readily available summer wear instead of winter, requires storing them away in a safe, dry space, until changing seasons require their retrieval. Often times this ‘safe, dry place’ is the basement. Safety is often a condition gleaned from experience. Memories of a damp basement with wet cardboard boxes in storage and wet laundry are vividly recalled by anyone who has had such an experience.

When a leaky water line goes too long unnoticed it can create quite a bit of damage. However, when no source of leakage is found, and a further exhaustive search for a loose fitting or joint returns void, where do you look for next for the source of water? If the basement was not flooded and the damage to your stored goods was minimal, that source of water may not be from inside the pipes, but outside. Your water pipes may be “sweating!”

When it is hot and humid, the water is colder inside the pipe than out, drops of water condensation form along and under the plumbing pipes; so much so, that they can actually drip as though there was a small leak in that pipe.

Self-adhesive tapes of pipe insulation can be purchased to wrap around the pipes, effectively catching the drips, to help control the moisture. Make sure to wipe the pipes dry before applying and to cover the fittings and joints as well. Should you still discover a problem with excessive water, make sure that you call to your local plumbing professional.

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You Don’t Have to Put Up With Low Water Pressure

May 9th, 2013 Posted in Water Line Repair
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One of the “so-called” little irritations in life is suffering through a shower with low water pressure when you are in a hurry to get somewhere; it just seems like everything takes more time. Needless to say, perhaps, is that it is also not very fulfilling, relaxing or soothing. Most of us tend to look forward to a refreshing shower after a long day of work, or play; but, if you have low water pressure, you may dread taking your next shower or, at the very least, tolerate it just as a necessary, unavoidable, ordeal.

First, determine if your neighbors also have low water pressure. If that is the case, there is really nothing to do but call the water company and complain. If, however, your home is the only one with the problem or if only parts of your home have the problem, then there are some things that you can have checked. A plumbing service company can check the water valve coming into your house from the city supplier. Your pressure reducing valve (by your household shut off valve) could simply need adjusting. Also, make sure that the home’s shut off valve is completely open. If your home is older, you could have rusted or clogged pipes or a broken or leaking water line.

If you think the low pressure is only affecting one faucet or showerhead, they may just need to be cleaned. Besides clogged aerators (screens), or partially closed valves, a blockage somewhere within the pipes can cause low water pressure. Once you’ve checked some of the common, simpler to remedy, causes for your low water pressure, make sure to call your local plumbing professional for a maintenance check of your plumbing system.

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Preparing Your Home Plumbing for Spring

March 18th, 2013 Posted in Water Line Repair
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The weather’s getting warmer, and by now your home’s plumbing system is acclimated to the more irregular use of the winter months. As you prepare for spring, here are some things you can do to make sure your home plumbing is prepared along with you.

Inspect your home for any slow water leaks. Freezing winter  temperatures can cause ice to form in water lines.  Since water expands as it freezes, ice in the water lines can cause a cracked water pipe.  To check for leaks, record the number on your water meter at night before going to bed, and take another reading the next morning, making certain not to use any water during the night – be sure to turn off icemakers and don’t flush your toilets. If the morning reading shows any is higher than when you went to bed and you are sure that no water was used during the night, you very likely have a leaking water line. Check any exposed pipes – indoors and outdoors, in cabinets, basements or crawl spaces – for any signs of water leaking.  You may also have  leak in the water supply line buried in your yard.  Look for a soggy spot in the yard that doesn’t dry out.

Also check your appliances like your washing machine or dishwasher for leaks in their supply hoses. Any hoses that show any damage should be replaced, as should supply hoses that are older than ten years. You should consider installing flood alarms in certain areas like basements. Flood alarms will alert you to any leaks or water that they come in contact with.

If your home was installed with a sump pump, be certain that it operates correctly. Try pouring a few buckets of water into the pump’s pit. If it works properly, the pump should quickly activate and expel the water before shutting down.

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Plumbing Emergencies

March 13th, 2013 Posted in Water Line Repair
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When a plumbing emergency like a broken water line or overflowing toilet happens, it’s important to know how to shut off the water quickly to prevent further damage to your home. Everyone who lives in your home should know how to locate the main shutoff valve for the house, as well as the individual valves for all of the appliances and faucets and where they’re located.  The main water shutoff valve is usually located near the point that the water supply line enters the home.  Some homes do not have a main water shutoff valve.  If your home is one of these, ask your plumber to install a shutoff valve.

If you ever need to turn off a particular fixture, look for the shutoff valve and turn it clockwise. This will shut off the water, but only for that individual appliance. The valve is usually located underneath or behind a fixture at the point where the water supply connects to it through a pipe or pipes.   Make sure to check that the shutoff valve isn’t defective and needs replacing.  Some shutoff valves are not used for years and become stuck or start leaking when they are turned. If so, contact your local plumber and have the shutoff valve replaced.

If the problem is not with a particular fixture or appliance, you may still be experiencing other issues that needed addressed. If your sinks are stopped up or clogged, make sure to shut off the faucet or anything draining into the sink. Avoid using any chemical cleaners if you suspect the entire pipe is clogged – instead, use a plunger or snake to remove the blockage. 

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More Basic Plumbing Tips You Should Know

March 13th, 2013 Posted in Water Line Repair
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Knowing how your home plumbing system works can be a daunting challenge, but there are plenty of helpful tips and pieces of advice to remember. Having a basic grasp of what to do and what not to do can be the difference between solving simple problems and having a huge job that needs fixing.

During cold months, water can become trapped inside the pipes in your house and can freeze.  Since water expands as it freezes, it can can cause the pipe to burst.  If you think your water pipes might freeze, leaving a faucet running at a trickle can help prevent the problem and prevent your water pipes from being damaged or bursting.

Cold weather can create expensive water line repairs if your pipes do end up freezing. However, there are ways to prevent this from happening. Start by insulating any exposed pipes outside your home. When the temperature drops, make sure that you bring your garden hoses in, and make sure to drain them completely.

If you need to hire a plumber, make sure to have due diligence and research several in your local area. Keep the contact information for your local plumbing service available just in case. Check on the Internet for a plumber’s reviews or talk to people you trust like family or trusted friends about a reliable plumbing professional.

Be cautious if you decide to use toilet tablets that are made of bleach or any tablets that are designed to remove odors. While these can clean the bowl and remove any unpleasant odors, they can also damage any plastic or rubber parts in toilet bowl or tank. Make sure to check any packaging or labeling before you buy, just in case.

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