Winterizing Tip #2:
Turn off the water to exterior hose faucets.
Turn clockwise to shut-off your water valve.
Sometimes this can be tricky for two reasons:
First: do you know where the valve is?
Second: the valve may not work so you may be in a vulnerable position.
Turn clockwise to shut-off your water valve.
November is here, and soon the weather will inevitably bring freezing temperatures that have the potential to cause havoc on plumbing systems!
Time to winterize. “Winterizing” means: to adapt or prepare something for use in cold weather.
Every year, starting around this time, plumbers are called-out to urgent situations resulting from frozen plumbing. Let me assure you, the vast majority of freeze-damaged plumbing is completely avoidable.
Tip #1:
Close or block-off your foundation vents: The foundation vents are circled in red. Winterizing Tip #1 is to close or block them off.
Foundation Vents
“We’ve all been there. The water tank is emitting a strange gurgling sound and we know something’s not right. We call the plumber and pray that the house hasn’t become Niagara Falls by the time he arrives. We wait on tenterhooks, anxiously watching the clock. Finally, the doorbell rings and there he is. We’re so relieved we want to kiss him.
Instead we get a hold of ourselves and usher him up to the attic. Using wrenches and pliers and working by flashlight, he emerges some time later, t-shirt soaked with copper-colored grime, and pronounces the job done. Oh the joy of having running water once more!
We take a look at 17 Emergency Situations When You’ll be Glad You Know a Plumber – and express our gratitude to all those nifty plumbers who keep our modern conveniences in good shape.”
Sutherland Plumbing strives to be the Portland Metro area’s #1 family-owned plumbing service. At Sutherland Plumbing we understand the importance for our customers to keep their plumbing systems running smoothly and efficiently all year-round.
So it’s in the spirit of “shared knowledge” that I present my column, “Ti’s Tips”:
The use of so-called “liquid drain cleaners” or openers is discouraged! There is NO marvel of design in these products. Most are made of highly caustic acids that only serve to dissolve, eat and destroy anything in their path including your plumbing pipes. Some even go as far as to claim “safe for all pipes” even if the results from using these products are temporary at best. You be the judge.
Drains clog for the most part as a result of grease, fats, oils and other matter accumulating inside the pipe. In order to CLEAN the drain one must scour the inside with proper equipment and knowledge. This is commonly referred to as snaking or “rootering” the drain. There is a big difference between “CLEANING” the drain as opposed to “OPENING” the drain. Baking soda and vinegar? Use at your own risk. Those items work best when baking or cooking food and are wasted when poured down the drain!
Don’t say we didn’t warn you!
Stinky sink? Many times my clients complain of a constant, persistent foul odor in their bathroom that’s reminiscent of a “wadded up wet towel left in the bottom of the hamper for a week or two!” Oh, no!
Most all lavatory sinks have what’s called an “overflow” hole. By design it allows water to flow down the drain – in the event the sink were to fill too high – and not over the top & onto the floor. Unless of course, the drain is plugged or slow draining – but that’s an entirely different story. The image below is a common bathroom sink with the overflow in the back of the sink. Some sinks have the overflow hole in the front of the sink – same thing, just different design.
Often this overflow area can collect foul mildew smelling bacteria. Simply flood the overflow hole with plain white vinegar to kill the bacteria. Use a funnel, or perhaps simply cup your hand as to divert the Vinegar into the hole or just let it glug out of the bottle into the hole. Nothing fancy – remember plain white vinegar is cheap and it’s hard to use too much. Repeat as needed!
Ti Sutherland, Master Plumber – Sutherland Plumbing, LLC
As the weather heats up, more and more people are using their garden hoses & outdoor hose faucets. This means many more service calls to fix “dripping” hose faucets. While some of these service calls require some specialized skills and materials to repair, many times all it takes is a basic hand tool like an adjustable wrench…
…and a few seconds to remedy.
Most outdoor hose faucets have what’s called a “packing nut.” It’s common after several dozen times of turning it on and off, the packing nut loosens causing a slight drip. Sometimes if left unattended it worsens over time and drips or leaks profusely. You may be able to save yourself a service call by attempting to tighten the packing nut, just remember “right to tight & left to loose.”
Adjust your wrench or pliers to fit around the packing nut of the faucet – usually no more than a quarter to a half turn does the trick.
There, you’re done!
Take the money you would have given the plumber (to drive out a big truck full of equipment) to do the same job and go out to a nice dinner!
Are you & your family having any issues with your washing machine? If so, call Sutherland Plumbing at (503) 719-4015. Don’t delay, schedule today!
You can temporarily make good use of water from leaky faucets, but it’s best to call the experts at Sutherland Plumbing before the issue gets worse. Call (503) 719-4015 and have the issue resolved as soon as possible!
Check out THIS unbelievable story about the Charleston, SC water system. Then always think twice about flushing any “wipes” even if the packaging claims they’re “flushable.” Not only can these wipes wreak havoc on your home’s plumbing system, they can also create messy, expensive problems for your local municipality!
Source: Charleston Water System
Sutherland Plumbing Blog 