Ongoing maintenance is an important factor concerning home plumbing, as it keeps the system up to par, which reduces the possibility of malfunctions in the future. Examples of mini disasters that can result from poor maintenance are pipe breaks, toilet leaks and abrasive flush noise, clogged shower heads, and sink problems. Other problems can affect the kitchen fixtures, and the pipes that run throughout the rest of the house. From the emergence of smelly drain odors to the pipe noises that make individuals uncomfortable, home plumbing can become defective over time if it is neglected. In order to prevent these things from happening, home owners should make routine maintenance a priority.

 

The worst thing anyone can do is attempt to put a patch on every defect. For example, if the sudden closure of a valve or pump failure causes water hammer, a noise which happens in pipe lines, a professional company should oversee what happens next. Some individuals seek to solve the issue independently, with no knowledge of what can happen next. This leads to more problems. Checking for these issues is the only independent venture that yields positive results. But patch up work is not maintenance, but is rather like placing a band aid on a deep gash that needs the care of a professional.

 

Any home is an investment, and maintaining its systems may be time consuming. But the time spent is worth the long term benefits. A smooth running plumbing system is better than one that demands repair expenses on a frequent basis. It also supports a steady utility bill that does not fluctuate. Contacting a professional business like All About the Pipes Plumbing, Inc. is ideal in implementing routine maintenance. The burden of addressing all inconsistencies within the plumbing system is taken off of the home owner's list of tasks.

Frozen pipes in your home can limit or even prevent the use of water in your home until the pipes are thawed. In some cases, frozen water in pipes will cause pipes to break, and this can cause significant repair cost as well as the possibility of water damage. By following a few key tips, you can take steps to prevent your home’s pipes from freezing and bursting even on the coldest days and nights.

- Check Your Main Shutoff Valve: Before the winter season kicks into full gear, locate your home’s main shutoff valve. This is the valve that supplies water to your home, and it typically is located outside the home. Turn the valve to ensure it functions properly. If you do discover a burst pipe, knowing where this valve is located and ensuring that it can function as needed to shut off the water supply to your home can prevent unnecessary water damage.

- Store Your Hoses: Before the first freeze of the season, remove the hoses from your exterior faucets. For homes that have a shutoff valve for exterior faucets, turn off the water supply for these faucets, then drain the faucets of water. By removing the hoses and draining water from these faucets, you can prevent these exterior pipes from freezing and bursting.

- Service Your Hot Water Heater: When the temperature is frigid outside, your hot water heater must work harder to heat the water your home demands. By servicing your hot water heater and flushing it of deposits, you can minimize the need for repairs and extend the life of your hot water heater.

By following these useful winter plumbing tips, you can protect your home’s plumbing fixtures, prevent pipes from freezing and bursting and minimize water damage to your home if a pipe does burst. But remember, if you are still experiencing problems; remember to call professional plumbers like All About The Pipes Plumbing Inc.
 

Most home owners spend little time thinking about their drains, but when a stoppage occurs, it can be frustrating. You don’t know how it happened, nor do you know how to fix it.

There are a variety of reasons that a drain can become clogged, and much of it depends upon where the stoppage occurs. Unlike plumbing pipes, drain pipes have no pressure. They are slightly inclined and use gravity to move the waste. They begin at a specific point such as the kitchen or bathroom sink. The drain pipe then extends to the main drain line that extends out to the street. This is where the main sewer line of the city is located.

When you see only one drain clogged, it is because the stoppage occurs before the drain pipe connects to another pipe. Sometimes all the drains will be clogged. This will mean that there is a stoppage that occurs in the main line to the street.

There are different ways to clear the stoppage. The most common is the use of a drain cleaning machine. These consist of long flexible rods that rotate as they are pushed through the drain. They have cleaning fixtures on the ends to ensure the drain is cleaned as well as the cleared of the stoppage. 

There are large versions of these machines designed to clear the main line. Often this line is clogged because of the roots of trees nearby. Over time the roots grow through small seams in the piping connections and debris collects on the roots causing a stoppage. These drain cleaning machines can be equipped with cutting blades to break through the roots.

Most stoppages occur simply because drains need to be cleaned from time to time. Build up of waste in the line will occur, and you will need the drain pipe cleaned. The main line, however, is another issue. A persistent problem can be from trees and other vegetation. If this is the case, the trees will have to be removed, or a cleanout can be installed.

If you are experiencing a slow or clogged drain, do not attempt to clear it yourself. Simply contact All About The Pipes Plumbing, and they can clear the drain as well as make future recommendations for your drainage system.

You might have the very best heavy gauge stainless steel kitchen sink on the market. You no doubt take good care of it and avoid using caustic cleaners or scratchy scouring pads to clean it. As a result your sink will look good and last for many years.

But what about the plumbing underneath the sink? Out of sight out of mind you say? Shame on you. We have a better solution. You can make the unseen plumbing last for years with just a minimal amount of care. Let's start at the beginning. Start with the best plumbing fixtures you can get your hands on.

The next thing you should be sure to avoid doing is using hard-core, extra strength drain cleaners to clear a completely clogged drain. You know what kind of clog we are talking about. We mean a drain that does not allow any water to flow on through. When you pour some of that nasty lye based caustic cleaner down your drain, it will sit there and work at corroding not only your pipes and traps, it can also eat away at your sink. You don't want to replace your plumbing so early in the game.

The other under counter element you must protect is your garbage disposal. Never pour drain cleaner into the side of the sink where your disposal lives. Bad things can and usually will happen. Don't put in things like corn silk, onion skin, bananas and anything else you could not easily digest yourself into the disposal. Run plenty of cold water through the disposal after you use it to flush out all the bad stuff. The best option for under sink care is to call the guys at All About The Pipes Plumbing Inc. when faced with a major clog. They know how to use a snake or a vacuum device to remove the sitting water. One call and it is done, quickly and economically.

Water damage is something that you certainly hope never happens to you. But when it does, you need to stop the flow of water as soon as you can to keep damage at a minimum. The most recent available statistics say that families lose over 6.8 billion dollars to flood damage annually. That's an average cost of almost $4,000 per homeowner.

But what if your home or business had a way to detect leaks within moments of them happening? Imagine the amount of possessions and documents you could save and the potential damage amounts that could be avoided.

This type of protection is exactly what Global Management Systems is offering with its WaterSafe residential and commercial leak protection system. WaterSafe places moisture sensors in areas of your home or business that are most likely to leak. These sensors, when wet, do two things: First, they shut off thewaterflow to the leak, often without disrupting the flow of water to the restof the structure. At the same time, the moisture sensing sytem sends an immediate e-mail to the home or business owner, informing them that there maybe a problem.

Imagine the comfort this could bring to you when you're away from home. For example, if the refrigerator starts leaking you could come home to a disastrous situation.The WaterSafe system not only helps to stop the leak, it saves your home orbusiness from expensive repairs and heavy insurance claims.

What's more, the system has a comprehensive warranty that covers up to $5,000 towardany insurance deductible.

All About the Pipes is certified to install the WaterSafe commercial and residential moisture detection systems. We would be happy to set up a FREE appointment with you to give you an estimate on protecting your home from any potential water-based problem. There's no obligation and there's no better time than now. If you're interested and live anywhere in the greater Charlotte area, give us a call at 704-559-5288 or visit www.allaboutthepipes.com.

Welcome to the source for local Charlotte information related to plumbing in the queen city. With over 15 years behind my belt in all kinds of plumbing related installation jobs and services, I'm hear to answer your charlotte plumbing questions. Looking forward to talking more. 

Best regards,

Chris