Are you planning to get away this winter? ‘Tis almost the season for holiday visits with family, catching some fresh powder on the slopes, or just getting out of town for a while. While all of these are excellent ways to break away from it all, it’s important not to forget about your plumbing before you go! Even here in Texas, the unpredictability of winter cold fronts can take a toll on your home’s plumbing while you’re away.
Our number one goal at Rooter-Man is to protect your home, that’s why we’re proud to offer a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee. Our screened, professional North Houston plumbers have the know-how and tools to tackle a variety of plumbing problems, including help you prepare your plumbing before you go on vacation.
Follow these easy vacation plumbing tips to get your plumbing ready before you go on!
Leave your heat on
Even though it’s really tempting to turn your off while you’re gone in order to save both energy and money, it’s not really worth it. Shut off your heat and you run the risk of having your pipes freeze, or worse, burst! All it takes is one cold front or hard freeze like last winter and you just might have frozen pipes on your hands! To avoid this, keep your heat on at a minimum of 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
Check out your washing machine’s hoses
Washing machine hoses see a lot of wear and tear and only have a life expectancy of about 3 years. During this time major calcium build up can happen and cracks can form, causing leaks and other problems. Stop to take a good look at your washing machine’s hoses before you go so you can spot any potential issues. If you find anything, don’t ignore! Call us immediately!
Send your water heater on vacation too!
Not literally of course, but water heaters have a vacation mode that can be turned on before you leave. If your water heater isn’t equipped with this option, simply turn it off. Both options not only save power and therefore money, but they also reduce the chances of damage caused by frozen pipes leading to and from your water heater. This is important because a burst pipe can can damage your water and cause the water to drain from it all over the floor. Not only can this cause water damage, but the heating element in your hot water heater will burn out without water. Talk about a hot mess!
Shut off the main water valve
Turn off your main water valve if you’re going to be away for any extended period of time. This is extremely important because it can greatly reduce the chances of flooding by preventing water from continuing to flow into your home’s pipes, where it will freeze and may burst. Yikes! Be sure to drain any water leftover in the pipes by opening the hot and cold water faucets. If you happen to have a boiler, just skip this step because your boiler needs water to keep heating your home!
Keep drain odors where they belong…nowhere
The thought — or smell — of coming home to foul drain odors is pretty gross, isn’t it? Well, you can prevent them for happening by giving your drains a thorough cleaning before you go. Or, why not call us and we can clean your drains for you! Any kind of food residue stuck in your garbage disposal or kitchen sink drain will get pretty funky while you’re away so be sure to clean them. Similarly, clean your bathroom drains with natural cleaners such as vinegar and baking soda to flush away residue and odors. Bleach works too!
Whether it’s a big job, a small fix, or somewhere in between, Rooter-Man’s North Texas plumbing technicians are always to the rescue! Remember, your satisfaction is our guarantee, so calls us right away with plumbing questions or concerns!
