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Winter Plumbing Tips from Your North Myrtle Beach, SC Plumber
Photo By Antonio Guillem at Shutterstock
It has been observed that plumbing issues increase in the winter. As the water freezes in the pipes, it expands, causing pipes to weaken or burst. Moreover, the cold freezing weather makes plumbing difficult in the North Myrtle Beach, SC area.
This wastes water as well as increases water bills.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), total household water waste accounts for almost 1 trillion gallons in a year. Most of this is due to water leaks and plumbing problems. These leaks may cause a home to waste 10,000 gallons of water per year.
Do you think this is an overestimation?
Unfortunately, no!
If a faucet leaks 1 drop of water every second, it would leak around 526 to 600 gallons of water in a year. This adds $15 to $20 in your annual water bill. This is only one example. Think about other common plumbing issues that can help you reduce your water bill. You can also install smart water-conserving plumbing fixtures to reduce water wastage and save additional money.
Here are some of the winter plumbing tips that you should keep in your mind.
1. Fix Faucet Leaks
A faucet leak is annoying and can waste a hundred gallons of water. They are usually easily visible and shouldn’t be ignored. Faucet leak is usually from the spout, the base, or under the sink. Although it is an easily dealt with issue, an amateur should never attempt it on their own, or they may cause more damage than they started with. For a quick and easy fix, you should call a professional plumber.
2. Fix Toilet Leaks
We have kept toilet leaks separate from faucet leaks as the former are harder to detect. They can remain hidden from sight for a long period and waste 150 gallons of water in a day. It’s important that you call a professional plumbing service who can send a trained plumber to detect and fix such plumbing leaks. By getting a toilet leak fixed on time, you can conserve a large amount of water and save yourself from inflated water bills.
3. Insulate Your Pipes
Frozen pipes are a common plumbing issue in winter. It can lead to severe difficulties and hardships in your day-to-day life. The situation can also worsen if the frozen pipe bursts. Before winter starts, you should get your home inspected by a professional plumber to know which pipes have a greater chance of freezing. Then, you should provide additional insulation to those pipes. This will help to ensure your family’s safety as well as reduce the risks associated with the frozen pipes issue.
If you plan on traveling during winter, it is crucial to insulate all your water pipes and keep the thermostat at the recommended temperature.
4. Avoid Toilet Clogs
Trash and hair are among the major sources of toilet clogs. Toilet clogs in winter can create great trouble for you and your family. To avoid it, you should get a drain cover which can capture the fallen hair and trash. Other than this, place a trash bin in the bathroom and get in a habit of disposing of empty bathroom products in it instead of flushing them down the drain. Make sure to clean it regularly. You may also hire a plumber to clean out the drain and remove any clogs for you.
5. Treat the Clogged Drains
You might have noticed that the accumulation of inorganic material increases during winter. There are several reasons behind it such as increased humidity, excessive use of hot water, etc. Therefore, drains are more prone to clogging in this season. Dealing with clogged drains as soon as they appear is an important winter plumbing tip that can save you from greater troubles. Therefore, it is recommended to hire a professional plumber in such situations.
6. Avoid Long, Hot Showers
Long hot showers might seem therapeutic in the harsh winter but at the same time, it increases the risk of mold and bacteria growth. Moreover, if several family members use the showerhead back to back, then your shower would fail to supply enough hot water. To avoid this problem, you should space out and give some time to the shower to warm up. Otherwise, the increased pressure can result in the internal burning of your water heater. This can result in the complete failure of your water heating system.
Plumbers recommend using a tankless water heater to save water and energy. It also quickly warms up the water avoiding diseases and bacteria.
7. Make Proper Arrangements
If you’re not going to use your home often during winter, you should make proper arrangements to prevent any surprises later. You must drain all your water pipes and outdoor sprinkler system.
Similarly, if you are planning on traveling, you should shut off all your water lines. The temperature may become extremely low to freeze your water pipes and burst inside your home. Therefore, make a proper plan and arrangements for your home to withstand all weather.
You should hire a professional plumber in the North Myrtle Beach, SC area, who can properly inspect your water lines and plumbing fixtures to guide you about the required arrangements. This will hopefully minimize the risk of plumbing problems and you can return to your well-maintained home without any worry.
8. Hire the Right Professional
Winter is about to start and a significant majority of people make the mistake of hiring untrained plumbers to save some cost. However, they soon end up complaining about that same issue being unresolved. It wastes their money, resources, and time and creates discomfort for all members of the household.
On the other hand, by hiring a professional plumbing service in the North Myrtle Beach, SC area, you get a guarantee. Their trained and expert plumbers bring advanced technology tools and machinery if required. They know how to solve complex plumbing issues efficiently. If you are looking for such a great plumbing service in the North Myrtle Beach, SC area, reach out to Benjamin Franklin Myrtle Beach or give us a call at 843.213.6611.