It?s officially fall and time to think about preparing your home for the drop in temperatures. Here are some helpful tips to ready your home for the colder temperatures.

• Clean your gutters and keep them free of leaves and debris. Clogged gutters can cause drainage problems, leading to flooding issues in your home.
• Disconnect outdoor hoses, drain them and store in your garage or basement.
• Get your water heater tuned up. Fall is a great time to drain and flush your water heater.
• Change your furnace filters. It will help improve the air quality in your home and help your furnace run more efficiently.
• Have your furnace inspected and tuned by professionals.
• Insulate your pipes so that they are less likely to freeze when the temperatures are bitter cold.

Frozen Pipes

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Why Does a Plumbing System Freeze?

Plumbing systems are susceptible to freezing which can cause significant damage to your home when the pipes burst after thawing. For people new to plumbing systems it is hard to understand why this happens. After all, hot water is produced by the water boiler and distributed through pipes throughout the home.

When the cycle is completed and the water is returned to the boiler area, it is reheated to near boiling temperatures and redistributed through the loop.

Since hot water is flowing through the pipes the question remains how pipes can freeze and how they can be prevented from freezing, which will be the focus of this article.

Why Does a Plumbing System Freeze?

All of this is true; pipes should not freeze under normal working conditions. Usually a weakness in the system leads to the freezing of pipes. Often this is due to a blown circulator pump that doesn't distribute hot water properly throughout the system.

Other times other factors can lead to the problem. Many homes use radiators that are an older technology when compared to baseboard heating. Radiators need to be bled by releasing air that gets trapped in the pipes. When air is trapped it may lead to air pockets that stop the functioning of hot water through the system. When this occurs, the pipes can freeze and the hot water becomes trapped.

Other factors can play a part. Some pipes travel through unheated garages or other rooms that are not properly insulated. On days when the system is unusually cold the pipes can freeze and trap water in them. When the pipes thaw, they burst and lead to flooding and other home problems.

How Can I Prevent The Pipes from Freezing?

To start with, it is a good idea to have your plumbing system inspected on an annual basis to make sure it is in good working condition. The different components are tested to make sure they are not in need of replacement and can last through the season. In addition, the pipes are bled through radiators to release air that can be trapped in the system.

Finally, they should check to see that any exposed pipes are insulated and consideration should be made to reroute pipes through heated rooms that reduces the chance for them to freeze.

Why is this Important?

Keeping your heating pipes from freezing is essential as the damage that can be done from broken pipes can be significant to your home and can even damage your electrical units and leave your home susceptible to fire. Make sure you take steps to keep your plumbing system in proper working condition at all times.

Are your pipes possibly frozen in your Arlington home? Give The Plumbing Dr. a Call at (703) 525-9280, in order to figure out why your water isn't working properly.

Not all plumbing companies are equipped to maintain and repair commercial plumbing systems. Commercial properties have special needs, the first of which is when they have a plumbing problem they need a plumber now. One who is equipped to handle any plumbing problem that you may have at your commercial property.

Things can go wrong when doing system maintenance and repair on your property. In the event that there is, property damage or personal injury you want to be sure that the company you are using is licensed and insured. This assures you that the plumber working on your commercial property knows what they are doing and insured for what they are doing. Taking the cheap way out and using an inexpensive company, that does not offer these benefits, may cost you a lot more money than paying a little more for professional commercial plumbers in Sacramento that are equipped to take care of your plumbing issues.

If you have an emergency, an estimate may not concern you. If, however, you are getting quotes to determine whom you want to hire for a particular job, you may want to ask if there is a charge so that you know before being hit with a charge you did not expect. Often called, trip charges, estimate fees are something you want to know about before hiring commercial plumbers in Sacramento.

How commercial plumbers in Sacramento charge you for their services varies from one company to the next. Make sure that the quote you receive states whether the job is all-inclusive of labor and parts or if you will be charged by the hour for labor, plus the cost of parts. It may seem like an insignificant distinction, not knowing the price up front can allow you to be nickeled and dimed on the cost of your project.

Professional, licensed commercial plumbers in Sacramento can give you a quote that allows you to know, very closely, the cost for your plumbing issue. Whether the cost is for an inspection, clean out, or repairs, commercial plumbers in Sacramento have solutions for your problems.

Some plumbers will guarantee their work and many of the products that they use, have warranties of their own. When seeking commercial plumbers in Sacramento ask them if they guarantee their work. Ask also, what guarantees are on the products they will use to make repairs to your commercial plumbing system.

Commercial plumbers in Sacramento will have the equipment that they need to get your job done, quickly and efficiently. Preventive maintenance such as scheduled cleaning can help keep drains flowing freely and professional plumbers will have the equipment and knowledge to perform the maintenance. In the event you have a plumbing failure, sewer video inspection can easily find the problem so that the plumbers know where the offending area of the pipe is.

Trenchless sewer and water line repair enable plumbers to repair and replace sewer and water lines without digging up your parking lot, or interior floors. The specialized equipment required for these jobs is expensive and many plumbers do not make the investment in them. Modern procedures can save you time and money so make sure that commercial plumbers in Sacramento that you choose to work with are equipped to do the job, right.

Having plumbing issues at your commercial property can impede business, cause bad working conditions for your employees, and cost you money. The longer you put off making a fix, the more it may cost you. Finding commercial plumbers in Sacramento now, before you have a problem, will give you someone to go to when you do have an emergency. Proper maintenance and inspections can keep your water flowing freely and prevent back-ups that can bring your operations to a halt.

Benefits of a Summer Drain Cleaning

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If you're starting to notice that your drains are clearing sluggishly, you might want to add drain cleaning to your list of things to get done in the summer. Drain maintenance plays an important role in maintaining a home's plumbing system to keep it working in top condition; This can save homeowners headache in addition to time and money. You may think that store-bought chemicals can get the job done, however those cleaners can be caustic and cause even more damage than good to your home's plumbing system overtime. Even if those store-bought chemicals do manage to clear your drains, they will not completely clear your pipes. Store-bought cleaners will only clear superficial debris and not severe blockages which can accumulate over time if your pipes are not properly drained; A task in which a store-bought chemical can not do.

That's exactly why you need a professional drain cleaning that's done by one of our licensed and experienced plumbers who can effectively clear your home's drains. There's no reason why you should be using store-bought, caustic, dangerous, and ineffective chemicals to do the job when those won't get it properly done. To effectively get the job done, our professional plumbers come fully equipped with the tools they need to clear the drains. Allowing our plumbers to reach the necessary depth in a drain to get to the pipe's blockage and clear without causing damage to your home's plumbing system.

Getting your drains professionally cleaned can also get rid of other existing plumbing issues that may be present in your home's drains. This could mean cracked or eroded pipes, which can lead to more damage. These kinds of problems can be spotted during a pipe cleaning and repaired before more serious problems occur. Keeping your home's pipes professionally maintained can make your summer living easier and give you one less thing that you have to worry about. Don't make your drains even worse by using store-bought chemicals that won't effectively get the job done.

Is your Arlington home in need of professional drain cleaning? Call The Plumbing Doctor at (703) 525-9280 for the best services in your area!a

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), only 1 percent of the Earth?s water supply is instantly ready for use; the rest has to be cleaned and transported to where it is needed, which takes large amounts of energy. Now, consider that the average American household uses 260 gallons of water per day, and you can see how reducing your water use could contribute to a greener planet. Read on to see how upgrading your appliances can help you reduce water consumption. We?ve enjoyed compiling a list of water saving tips for you.

Reduce Water Consumption & Enjoy Water Savings

Here are some great tips for water savings:

• If your toilet was manufactured prior to 1992, it is using up to 3.5 gallons of water per flush. Consider replacing it with an EPA-approved toilet with the WaterSense Label, which could reduce water consumption by up to 4,000 gallons per year.
• Faucets account for more than 15 percent of indoor household water use. Replacing your current faucet with one that has the WaterSense label can reduce water flow by 30 percent without decreasing performance.
• Showering factors in as approximately 17 percent of residential indoor water use. If your showerhead was purchased before 1992, it may have a flow rate of up to 5.5 gallons per minute! Current high-efficiency showerheads have a flow rate of less than 2.5 gallons per minute; you can purchase one for $20 or less and achieve water savings of 25 percent to 60 percent.
• The average washing machine uses 41 gallons of water per load. Newer high-efficiency washing machines use 35 percent to 50 percent less water, as well as 50 percent less electricity, per load.

Barker & Sons is proud to be Orange County?s certified green plumbing company. We understand how anyone in and around Orange County, California can reduce water consumption and enjoy water savings by upgrading their appliances. We are committed to doing our part for the environment and educating our customers on what they can do to save water and energy. We?re proud to be recognized as an authorized Bosch dealer. Bosch creates innovative appliances that reduce water consumption without sacrificing performance or comfort.

Call us anytime at (714) 630-8766 to discuss anything you have read in this article, or any other plumbing need you may have. We can share more water saving tips with you! Contact us if you?re ready to upgrade your household appliances!