Author: Anthony Mound

If you want to avoid a plumbing disaster from damaging your property and affecting your revenue, you should check these tips on Boston commercial plumbing. Many people often ignore the importance of plumbing in their business and get frustrated when they have to pay for the damages. Here are some ways to avoid bad situations with your plumbing:

Boston Water Leaks

If you hate paying for water you don’t even use, then be cautious of having a leaky faucet dripping. Even at the rate of 1 drip per second, you could end up wasting more than 3000 gallons of water per year. Importantly, your toilets can silently leak without you even knowing. As a rule of thumb, always stay alert and keep an eye on your water bill to check if you get any unexplained increases. This is just one good tip that can save you a lot of money and tell you if you have a leak in your building.

Boston Sewer Smell

If you walk into your bathroom or kitchen and smell a strange sewer smell, it could mean that your pipes are dry, if you don’t want to chase your customers away, you have to fix this as soon as possible. To fix this, you need to make sure water is running regularly through the pipes.

Boston Put up a Sign

If you aren’t mindful about what you flush down the toilet, it can get clogged, which is a big problem. Having your toilet clogged is something that can be avoided by having a simple sign. By putting up a sign, you can remind your staff and guests only to flush human waste and toilet paper.

Boston Water temperature

Do your hands get too cold when you wash them? If this is happening to you, your water heater might need some serious TLC. Commercial water heaters aren’t different from everything else; they also need routine maintenance and an occasional adjustment. If you need someone to fix this issue, make sure the person is a certified heating engineer. An ordinary plumber might not be the safest option because this piece of equipment can explode.

Boston Unclog your drains

If your sinks take longer to drain, a good tip is to make sure you don’t drop starches that expand, fats, grease, and stringy items like celery down the drain. Another tip is to use a mixture of hot water and vinegar to dislodge any unwanted debris every three months to stay on top of whatever may be down there.

Boston Be proactive with regular maintenance

You should schedule routine maintenance if you want to save on your plumbing expenses. If you do this, you will have more control over your costs, and if a pipe or a massive sewer problem makes its way into your business, you’ll know about it before Armageddon is unleashed.

Boston Plumbing tips to prevent frozen pipes

You could get a hefty plumbing bill by winter if you’re not careful. The typical cost of damage caused by burst pipes in the winter month averages up to 7,000 pounds, with some cases reaching up to tens of thousands of pounds. You should wrap plumbing insulation around your pipes to prevent them from freezing, or you should keep a small drip of water running all winter long.

Install a Boston Water Softener

If you drink hard water, you may be drinking polluted water because it has many minerals. Hard water can even damage your plumbing system. If your pipes are subjected to hard water for quite some time, they may begin to collect heavy mineral deposits. You should purchase a water softener if you want to protect your pipes and improve your water quality.

Find out where the shutoff valves are located

You must shut off the water immediately if your toilet overflows or a pipe bursts out to prevent further damage. To do that first you need to know where the shut off valves are located. Knowing this will prevent the existing problem from getting worse.

Reduce Water Pressure

Having excessive water pressure could be an issue, so if this is going on, you should reduce the tension to protect your pipes.

Prepare an Emergency Kit

You should have an emergency kit that consists of several tools and supplies that would help you if an emergency arises, the kit should include:

• -Plungers: Include both a regular cup-style plunger and a forced-cup plunger.
• -Tape: Include at least one roll of regular duct tape, a roll of Teflon sealing tape, and a roll of electrical tape.
• -Towels: Include some heavy-duty cloth or paper towels for soaking up water.
• -A five-gallon bucket: heavy-duty bucket can serve as a storage place for the other emergency kit items and as a container to catch water from minor leaks.
• -Tools: Include tools such as wrenches, a pair of slip-joint pliers, and at least one adjustable wrench. Other tools should include a hammer, a multi-bit screwdriver, or several screwdrivers with regular and Phillips tips, and a set of Allen wrenches.
• -Caps: Include a few blind caps, or end caps, of various types and sizes to seal off the ends of pipes.

Have emergency phone numbers

You should make sure to have a list of emergency phone numbers where they can be easily found. Contacts that should be included are as follows:

• -Building owner
• -Local water company
• -Your plumber
• -Building manager
• -Maintenance manager
• -Facilities manager
• -Important tenants

Take Stock of Any Damage

If you have a problem with your plumbing, gather as much information about the emergency and the damage before calling your professional plumber. A gushing water leak could be apparent, but some other different problems may need additional checking. Any information you can provide to your plumber during the initial emergency call will help him decide what will be required to repair the problem. Remember, too, that an assessment of the damage caused by the emergency will be useful when making an insurance claim. Note as many details as possible that could be useful to an insurance claim adjuster and keep written records of your observations.

The post Boston Commercial Plumbing Tips to Keep You Away From Disaster appeared first on Welcome to Trust1 Services.

As winter nears, many families prepare for holiday gatherings, winter vacations, shoveling snow, and the inevitable cold weather. If you’re a homeowner, preparing your plumbing should be part of your to-do list. These practical winter plumbing tips by the expert plumbers from Trust 1 Services Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning can help you avoid plumbing problems, costly repair bills, or disruptions to your water supply this winter.

Why Do I Need To Prepare for the Winter?

As the seasons change each year, the rise and fall of the temperatures cause any metal exposed to these fluctuations to expand and contract. The alternating heat and cold put stress on the metal until it cracks, causing a leak. Depending on the placement of the leak, the result could range from a nuisance to a catastrophe, including:

• warped or rotten floorboards
• mold growth
• loss of water pressure
• damage to cabinets or vanities.
• higher water bills

If a pipe bursts while you’re at home, you can shut off the water supply to the house and call a plumber to fix the problem. If you live in the Quincy, MA, area, Trust 1 Services Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning is ready to help with any plumbing problem, large or small.

Imagine what would happen if a pipe were to burst while you were away on vacation or visiting family. The leak might seep into drywall and hardwood, damage furniture, and dissolve cardboard boxes containing irreplaceable records or family heirlooms.

Don’t let procrastination cost you dearly this winter. Take advantage of these winter plumbing tips and safeguard your home and possessions this holiday season.

Check for Pipe Corrosion and Damage

A pipe will often burst at its weakest point. Check all your pipes for discoloration or bulging. Do not use chemical drain cleaners to break up clogs because they can damage your pipes. Use a snake or plunger instead.

Add Insulation to Any Pipes That Are at Risk for Freezing

If you have water pipes running to an unheated shed or garage, make sure those pipes have protection from the cold. If you know you will not use that unheated space for the winter, disconnect its water supply until the weather warms up.

Insulate the Rooms That Have Pipes in Them

If old windows or poor insulation causes your bathroom, kitchen, or laundry room to become cold and drafty, your risk for burst pipes will increase. Installing insulated windows and fixing any gaps in each room’s insulation will keep the lines running. Leave the cabinets that contain pipes open so that warm air from the rest of the room can circulate, keeping the pipes warm.

Prevent Outdoor Faucets From Chilling Your Pipes

Your house and the water pipes inside it will stay warmer if the inside is well-insulated against the cold. Any pipes that carry water to the outside can just as easily let the cold in. If a pipe is even partially full of water, for instance, and is not protected or drained, it can drain heat from the home and counteract your heating system’s efforts to warm the air.

Disconnect external garden hoses and shut off the water to outside faucets during the winter months for additional protection against a burst pipe.

Prepare Your Water Heater for Winter

Make sure that the water temperature is no hotter than 120 degrees Fahrenheit. People coming in from the cold with numbed or aching hands and feet might be tempted to warm them up with hot water. The cold can prevent us from recognizing how hot the water is until it burns us. Keeping the water temperature low saves money on heating costs and extends the life of the water heater.

If you plan to leave the house unoccupied, have a qualified technician drain the water heater. With the water heater empty, you won’t have to waste energy heating it, and you will reduce the risk of sediment collecting in the water heater if left idle for a long time.

If You’ll Be Gone for a While, Shut Off the Water Supply

Your water pipes won’t burst if there is no water in them. Cutting off the water supply as it enters the house effectively protects your water lines from the cold. Keep in mind that empty pipes will still contract in the cold, so check for leaks before you turn the water back on.

Let a Faucet Drip Slowly

A faucet dripping warm water draws heat from the water heater through the pipes, which can keep them above freezing even if the rest of the house gets cold.

Have Someone Check on Your Home While You’re Away

If you go on a winter vacation and do not disconnect your water supply, have someone visit your home every few days to check the water pressure and look for water damage.

Maintain Your Heating System

A common cause of burst pipes stems from the failure of the heating system. Having a certified heating technician inspect your heating system reduces the risk that you will lose heat while you spend time away for the winter holidays. Check for any clogged vents, replace the air filter, and look for signs of soot near heating vents. Turn the temperature down on the thermostat to about 60 degrees to reduce stress on the heater.

These winter plumbing tips will prevent frozen pipes, burst pipes, and leaks, protecting you from property damage and the expense of repairs. Some of them only take a moment. The time and energy you invest now will bring you peace of mind throughout the winter months.

What if My Pipes Burst Anyway?

Even if you follow every one of these winter plumbing tips, accidents do occasionally happen. If a pipe bursts, turn off the water immediately, mop up water from any affected areas, and allow wet surfaces to dry thoroughly. Then, call a water damage specialist to inspect the damage.

It is important to tend to burst pipes quickly. Damp areas can breed mold and other disease-causing organisms. If you live in the Quincy, MA, area, call (617) 468-7649 to speak with a professional representative of Trust 1 Services Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning about our Quincy, MA, frozen pipes service.