drain Archives - WNY Handyman

Five Checks Before Winter Weather Strikes

If you listen closely enough you can already hear people moaning about the bad weather. It’s going to get worse before it gets better which is horrible. You need to wrap yourself up in more layers of clothing than you can possibly imagine otherwise you might freeze to death. Even all those crazy people who say they enjoy the freezing cold winter don’t have it so easy. They can still slip on the ice and crack their head open the same as any of us. Winter is dangerous and we need to be prepared for the worst.

This is why it’s so important that your home is prepared for the cold nights that lie ahead. If you think there’s nothing left to do because it’s already cold then I’d hate to see what you’re going to be like when your roof collapses. Each year we should all take our time and sort out important things that will protect our home during winter, because if it doesn’t make it safer for us it definitely makes it safer for our bank accounts. Make sure you have these things sorted and you won’t go far wrong.

Unblock all your drains

The first thing you want to do is go around the outside of your home making sure all the drains don’t have any rubbish inside that’s clogging them up. This needs to be done now because when the snow falls it’s much harder to get access to them. Take your hose and run lots of water down each one. If everything goes according to plan the water should get away easily. You don’t want them to be blocked during the coldest time of the year.

Clean your garden

I presume you will still need to walk around in your garden once the snow falls. You might need to hang clothes out to dry if there is no rain, plus the kids might want to build a snowman. If there is anything hiding under the snow it could cause someone to have an accident. Just make sure your garden is clear at all times during the winter, so someone doesn’t fall and bang their head.

Inspect your roof

I hope you have good vision, or at least a pair of binoculars because you should be checking all over your roof before the weather gets any worse. All you need is a little crack in a tile and water could get in. It’s even worse if you have any missing because your home could fill up like a swimming pool. If you can’t check from the outside then try to climb up the attic and give the place a good check from the inside.

Seal your home

There’s a good chance your heating will be on a lot more during winter unless you prefer to sit in the freezing cold every day. That means a lot more heat will be escaping from your home if you don’t find a way to stop it. This could be keeping all windows closed, sealing any cracks around your home, or even blocking off the fire if you no longer use it. When all that heat escapes you are just wasting money and I know you don’t want to pay to heat the entire world.

Stop gutters from falling

When it gets very cold and there is a huge amount of water it will turn into a block of solid ice. This is pretty dangerous on the ground, but imagine if it was to happen above you and land on your head. That could happen when you don’t clean your gutters after the leaves fall from the trees. All the water won’t be able to drain away and suddenly you have this huge block of ice sitting in the gutters. It’s like a disaster waiting to happen.

5 Common Plumbing Problems and How to Fix Them

Maintaining your home comes in all forms, but none are more important than maintaining the quality and efficiency of your plumbing system. We’ve compiled a list of some of the most common plumbing issues homeowners face and have provided some quick fixes and easy repairs so you don’t have to call a professional plumber. Implementing some of these fixes will save you time, money, and a lot of frustration.

Clogged Drains

Hair is the most common debris that clog drains, especially in your bath tub. When the drain is blocked due to clumps of hair stuck in the drain, you’ll be standing in a large puddle of water, which could lead to flooding. An excellent method to unclog your drain is utilizing a “snake” — a flexible and long steel cord — to grab ahold of the stubborn debris to pull it out, or simply push it through the clogged drain. You can also bend a wire hanger to substitute a snake if you’re not able to purchase one. It also helps to pour boiling water down the drain once a month to loosen up any buildup and soap scum.

Leaking Faucet

One of the common ways to raise your water bill is a pesky, leaking faucet. As water drips from the leaky faucet, water is wasted down the drain, and you’ll be charged more money than necessary. Before beginning to fix your faucet by yourself, you should determine what type of faucet you have. Generally, to fix a leaky faucet that has two handles, you would need to turn off your faucet, and remove the components of the faucet to release pressure. Next, check the O-rings, or washers, to see if they are dry, cracked, or split. If they are, replace them with new O-rings from a hardware store. With one handle faucets, you can simply replace the valve stem if it is damaged.

Frozen Pipes

Once the cold season rolls around, your pipes are susceptible to freezing temperatures. When water freezes inside a pipe, it can cause the pipe to swell and expand, often resulting in a crack or burst water pipe. To prevent freezing pipes, there are a number of preventative steps you can take.

Disconnect garden hoses.
Empty the water lines of your sprinkler system by shutting off your water valve and turning on the system until not more water appears.
Allow your faucets to release a slow drip throughout the night.
Insulate your pipes.
Open you cabinets to let warm air in.
Shut off water valve when on vacation.

If your pipes still freeze, you can thaw frozen pipes by wrapping electric tape around them. Electric tape slowly thaws the pipes to ensure eroding is limited. Another great method is to wrap pipes with hot towels to melt away the frozen condition. You may also want to invest in a portable hair dryer to thaw out pipes.

Running Toilet

When you have a running commode, or toilet, it can cause leaks, floods, and raised water bills. With an average of 2.6 gallons down the drain on each flush, you wouldn’t want to waste water or money on running toilets! If you hear your toilet running, check to see if the float inside the toilet tank is loose or too tight. The float controls the level of water that flows into the tank, so you can either tighten or loosen the screw on top of the unit. If the float is not working properly, you can simply replace it. After you have checked the float, you should now examine the stopper to see if it is seated on the valve properly. In some cases, you are able to adjust the valve’s hinge to make the stopper sit properly; however, if you can’t get the stopper to seal completely over the valve, replacing it is the only option.

Clogged Shower Heads

As you’re taking a nice, hot shower, you notice that your shower head isn’t depositing as much water as you want. Most likely, your shower head is clogged with mineral buildup. Clearing out your shower head from mineral deposits is a simple task that only requires pure vinegar or CLR, which is a well known cleaning agent. Twist off your shower head, and you can either place it in a bowl of pure vinegar or a CLR mixture to break down the mineral buildup in your shower head. Usually, CLR dissolves the mineral deposits in a maximum of four hours. Vinegar, which is the cheapest of the two methods, cleanses the shower head completely by soaking overnight. Depending on your finances and preferences, you can use either of these products to clean your shower head.

With these plumbing repair solutions, you’ll be prepared for those common plumbing problems that can be easily fixed yourself.

Aramendia Plumbing, Heating & Air is a plumbing company in San Antonio , TX specializing in residential and commercial plumbing repair.