Water,Water,Water
Water, Water, Water
You just walked into your new home now what? Today’s modern household uses water for many purposes. Everything from drinking water, washing dishes and taking showers to doing loads of laundry, washing the car, watering your lawn, garden, etc, Water can also cause much inconvenience and damage, locating your shut offs are one of the first things you can do as a homeowner. Trust me, in an emergency you'll be glad you did. Everything you need to know about finding these valves can be found here and so much more. Your main water shut off valve in warm climates is typically outside, attached to a wall or underground. In colder climates the main water shutoff is typically in the basement. There is also a “curb stop” shut off that requires a special tool to operate. (call your town water department for information on your curb shut off)
Low Water Flow At The Faucets
You purchased a older home and you notice the low water flow at the faucets. If you have galvanized steel pipes in your home and low water flow at faucets, chances are the pipes are to blame. Galvanized pipe are prone to mineral buildup, which eventually chokes off the water flow. Complete replacement of the water supply pipes is the best cure, but you can often improve flow a lot just by replacing exposed horizontal sections. Your best bet is to check with your plumber.
Two Annoying Causes, Wasted Money And Water
Two annoying causes of wasted money and water are leaky faucets and running toilets. A leaky faucet at one drip per second equals a loss of gallons of water every day! Fortunately, both of these are easily remedied by any homeowner and won't take long to complete. learn how to fix a leaky faucet, and a running toilet.
Water Heater
A leaking water heater sometimes leak from the drain valve or relief valve. Those valves are easy to replace. (Your best bet is to check with your plumber) But if a leak is coming from the tank, you've got serious trouble. Eventually the steel begins to rust away and a puddle appears. Left alone the tank will rupture, causing an instant flood. It may take months for a leak to become a flood, or it may take days. But it will happen! Replace that leaking tank now.
Adjust Your Water Heater When going away for the holidays or vacation turn your water temperature down to avoid the need to maintain the temperature of the whole tank while you're away. Find the large dial, usually at the base of your water heater, shouldn’t be hard, but finding the correct temperature may be. Find out how to find and set the right temperature for your heater in your instruction manual. Just don't forget to turn it back up when you get home!
Shut Off the Water Before Vacation I hear stories like this one all the time. The homeowners left town Friday and returned Sunday evening to find thousands of dollars in water damage. Before going on vacation, turn off the main water valve. In less than a minute, you can eliminate the most common cause of home damage.
Sump Pump
It's easy to ride out a rainstorm when you know everything is in place and in working order. Now is not the time to think about the sump pump so check it out once a month. It's easy to forget about your sump pump, but it's important to make sure it's in good working order and batteries If you don't, you could end up like the homeowner who discover his entire basement floor covered in water. After shutting down the power, he waded over to the sump pump and noticed it wasn't working. To avoid a similar disaster, be sure your pump has a vertical float switch. Also, check your pump at least a couple times a year by dumping water into the basin to make sure everything is working properly.