Do You Find Plumbing Complicated? Use This Advice
Were you aware that winterizing your plumbing system is nearly free and can save you potentially thousands of dollars of repairs. If this advice sounds appealing to you, then be sure to check out more of the expert advice given in this article. You will be much happier than if you had to deal with a water crisis during the middle of winter.
Solder with safety in mind. When you solder a copper pipe you want to direct the flame on the copper pipe. The flame of the torch has to be four inches away from the piping. The flame should be targeted directly at the point where the copper piping needs to be disconnected.
As the weather begins to get cold, attend to all of your exposed pipes by adding insulation to them. Pay particular attention to pipes located in crawl spaces and the outside walls of your residence. Taking this step will help ensure that your pipes continue to function throughout the winter.
If you don't want plumbing in your home frozen, then don't let the inside temperature go under the freezing mark, and make sure any pipes that have no protection from the elements are thoroughly insulated. Pipes have the potential to freeze if the surrounding temperatures are below the freezing mark. It could take some time in order for the pipes to thaw out so that you can have running water. In the worst case, the pipes would burst, and you would be stuck with costly repairs and a very messy cleanup procedure.
To avoid wasting water and having a potentially high water bill, check your home for leaky faucets periodically. Fix any leaks that you find right away. You may be able to do the repair yourself, but if not, you may have to seek the services of a plumber to make the repairs.
Find a better way to discard of cooking oil instead of pouring it down the drain where it can easily clog your pipes. Keep a coffee can or other metal container handy to pour grease into after cooking. Place the can in the freezer to harden the grease and when it's full, discard it with the trash.
During the winter, preventing frozen pipes when you live in a small dwelling can be something good to know. Frozen pipes will not only stop your flow of water but can crack and damage pipes. By running a little water out of every faucet during the coldest parts of the day, you can avoid this.
Now, you should be more excited to try your hand at dealing with your own plumbing. These new ideas may lead to results that help you tremendously. If one of these techniques doesn't work out, try another until you are happy with the results.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/13FUqmr9zlxhgkGhRnKI6vcT1wAGEzJ2rfIc3kobiJag/edit?usp=sharing
Things You Should Do When You Find A Burst Or Broken Pipe
When it comes to dealing with plumbing emergencies, knowing what to do and responding quickly can end up saving you hundreds (or possibly even thousands) of dollars in damage repairs. If a pipe in your home breaks or bursts, you’re likely going to need to call in a professional to do the actual repairs. However, there are some important steps you can take that can prevent the damage from becoming worse while you’re waiting for them to arrive.
As soon as you realize that you have a damaged pipe, follow the steps below.
1. Turn off the Water
Before doing anything else, it’s important to promptly shut off your home’s main water supply. If you’re unsure of where the shut off valve is located, take some time to find it now, as opposed to waiting until you’re in a situation where you need to access it, and don’t know where to even begin looking. If you live in an apartment or another building type where you don’t have control over the water, immediately contact your landlord.
2. Cut the Electricity
To be cautious, it’s a wise idea to cut the electricity to the affected room. Stepping in or walking through standing water presents the risk for electrocution, so you’ll need to ensure that the electricity is off before you start tackling any flooding caused by the broken pipe. If flooding has occurred near the electrical breaker and you cannot safely get to it, look for the main electrical shutoff on the outside of your home, or call an electrician to help.
3. Remove Valuables From the Room
Once you’ve taken the proper precautionary measures to ensure that it’s finally safe for you to enter the flooded area, you should go in and remove any irreplaceable or valuable items that you think can be salvaged. Collect and move them to a room where the flooding won’t reach, and start drying them off. Leave the doors and windows open in the room to allow air to circulate and help the items dry faster.
4. Call a Professional
Now that you’ve done your due diligence to help with the immediate damage control, it’s time to call in a plumber. Inform the pro of the location of the burst or broken pipe and the severity of the situation, and let them know about the steps you’ve already taken to temporarily manage it.
Even though this is a plumbing emergency, it’s still important to take some time to make sure you’re hiring the best plumber for the job. In circumstances like this, it’s easy to panic and just call the first pro you can think of, but you may regret this. Be sure to thoroughly read ratings and reviews, and get quotes from multiple licensed, insured, and reputable contractors.
5. Call Your Insurance Company
The good news is, for most homeowners insurance policies, water damage is covered. Be sure to contact your insurance company to file a claim as soon as possible. Ask them if they need to send out a representative to come assess the damages in person, or if photo documentation will be adequate. Again, it’s important to ensure that your claim has been properly filed before you start any cleanup or repairs.
6. Make Records of All Damages
To be extremely cautious, you’ll want to make sure you’re taking your own documentation of all the damages. Take several clear photos and videos of all the damaged areas, and everywhere that the water has touched. Save these photos and videos for your own records and send them to the claims adjustor as well. It’s always better to have more documentation than you think is necessary, rather than not having enough to prove all the damages.
7. Begin Removing Water
Once you feel confident that you have sufficient documentation of all the damages, you can get in there and start cleaning up. For safety measures, we recommend wearing some personal protective gear, like rubber boots, gloves and a mask—just to be cautious.
If there is a manageable amount of water, you may be able to remove it with just a bucket and a mop, however, for more serious flooding, you may need some equipment. A wet/dry vacuum will help to remove standing water quickly and efficiently. If you don’t own one, you can rent one from most big home improvement stores for just around $30 per day.
8. Dry and Ventilate the Room
It’s very important to get air circulating throughout the room as quickly as possible. Start by opening all the doors and windows and bring in any fans and dehumidifiers that you have. Use old towels to carefully wipe down all the surfaces.
9. Discard Ruined Items
Removing the water from the room is important, but that’s only going to help manage problems on the surface—literally. If water has already been absorbed into rugs, walls and floors, there is a high chance that other issues could come about down the line in the form of harmful mold and mildew.
For any items that cannot be dried out quickly, it’s probably best to completely remove and discard them. If you aren’t sure if the flooding from your burst pipe has saturated the areas below the surface, you should work with a water damage restoration company to determine if there’s a risk for mold. If there is, they can help you to properly dry out the affected areas.
https://www.forbes.com/advisor/home-improvement/what-to-do-burst-pipe/