Category: Plumbing

Owning a home is a major “end goal” for a lot of people, but once you have that home, that doesn’t mean you can rest easy! In addition to handling that mortgage, there are things within the house that might need future attention and fixes.

I may be anything from broken windows thanks to a stray baseball, to plumbing that starts breaking down in your house. Replacing a window is straightforward, if expensive.

Fixing pipes might be expensive and complex. It all depends on the type of plumbing emergency you have on your hands. Here are the more common ones that might affect a typical household.

Fixtures That Leak

If you have a faucet that leaks, or a showerhead that drips, this is a pretty “low grade” emergency. But just because it’s not damaging your home, doesn’t mean you should ignore it.

Not only does the dripping sound get annoying over it time, it costs you money and higher water bills since it counts as “used” water. Fortunately, this is also a fix that you don’t necessarily need a professional to come over to handle.

In the vast majority of cases, a leaky fixture can be attributed to one or another small, easily replaceable, part that has simply worn out. With a wrench and a spare washer or O-ring, you can usually stop a leak fix the problem!

When a Drain Is Blocked

This is more serious, but in many instances, you had a lot of advance warning. A blocked drain indicates that somewhere in the pipe, there’s been a build-up of matter that now completely prevents water from exiting down the drain.

Most of the time the first indicator will be a drain that works slowly. At that point, if you choose to ignore the early warning, the drain will eventually become completely blocked.

Your best option this stage is a mechanical solution, such as a plunger, or a plumbing snake if the blockage is relatively close. If the block is further down, you might need professional help. Always be careful with using drain cleaners for this issue. Misuse of such corrosive products can damage older pipes, and even warp modern plastic ones.

Overflow From the Toilet

When a blocked drain happens in your toilet, this is not only messy but a potential health hazard.

Human waste contains contagions that can affect others through exposure or physical contact, so this is not a situation you want to let stand.

Quickly and safely clean up the mess, and use the same mechanical solutions as you would for a blocked drain, or get some professionals to help.

Pipes That Have Burst or Are Broken

A burst pipe has, unfortunately, the potential to be the most serious and expensive emergency, depending on the pipe and location.

If your water pipes have burst, that means as long as your water supply is on, the burst will leak, which can eventually damage the walls or ceiling where the breakage has occurred.

If the burst is with your drainage/sewer pipe, then this means your used water—including toilet water—can be flooding the home with each use.

If you encounter a plumbing emergency in your Wayne, NJ home, try to assess how serious the situation is. Some issues can be handled by you with a little elbow grease and the right tools. Others, however, should only be tackled by professionals that can do the job safely and permanently.

The cost of using water in Wayne, NJ is rising thanks to hot summer weather causing droughts, industrial and farming pollution and higher city maintenance costs.

Residents need to know that they can slash the cost of their water bills by making sure that their plumbing is in good working order and also by learning how to conserve and reuse city water. All that this requires is simple changes to your daily lifestyle and a new awareness of how your usual routines could be costing you a lot of money.

Use a Car Wash Instead of City Water to Wash Your Vehicle

Rather than wash your vehicle at home, take it to the drive-through car wash. Washing your car with a hose hooked up to a city water supply can get very expensive.

It can take hundreds of gallons of water to do the job right and most of the water that you use ends up running down the driveway asphalt and into the city sewer grates.

Commercial car washes are required by law to dispose of the recycled water that they use to wash your car properly and they also use repurposed water to get your car clean.

Recycle Your Greywater into the Yard

A plumber can easily hook hoses up to your sink and appliances that direct wastewater from washing, known as greywater, from being flushed down the drain.

Instead, this water, which you have already paid for, can be used to water your lawn or garden or be used in water-based heating systems.

Greywater is best if the soap in it is biodegradable. Avoid using greywater that has been contaminated with human waste as it can cause vegetables growing in your garden to be tainted with E.coli bacteria.

Watch Out for Leaks

If you can’t find the source of a leak in your home, then have a plumber come in and inspect your entire home.

He should start with an inspection of your toilet water tank. A toilet with a leaky tank can waste about 200 gallons of city water per day, and this can add hundreds of dollars to your water bill.

A plumber will also look for signs of mold or mildew or stains to indicate concealed leaking pipes and then make recommendations as to how to fix these issues. If you have leaky faucets, they too must be replaced or fixed.

Take a Shower Instead of a Bath

Taking a shower is much less costly than taking a bath, and if you install low-flow showerheads, then you might cut down the water costs of bathing an additional thirty percent.

If you must have a bath then be sure to only fill it with a couple of inches of water to cut down on costs. Filling a bathtub all of the way can take up to fifty gallons of water.

 

Some people absolutely hate winter, while others count the days until the first snowfall. But whether you're an avid winter activity lover or an avid bundle in the house until spring type person, there are some winter maintenance items you should add to your to-do list.

Make sure your house is ready for the cold, ice, and snow. To help get you started, here's a winter supplies checklist to take to the hardware store, and a chore checklist to make your family warmer and safer this season.

Get Ready for Winter Maintenance with This Shopping List

Preparing for winter includes a number of different tasks, and you'll need supplies for snow-removal, insulating the house, keeping your family safe, and more. Next time you're out shopping around Wayne, NJ, make sure you take this winter shopping list with you:

• De-icing salt for the driveway, walkways, and outdoor plumbing.
• Snow shovel.
• Batteries for the smoke alarm.
• Batteries for the CO detector.
• Heavy-duty plastic for the windows.
• Weatherstripping.
• Foam insulation for your waterlines.
• Additional insulation for exterior walls.
• Furnace filters.

Get Your House Ready with This Chore Checklist

Around the house, there are a few things that you really should take care of before the cold, snow, and ice arrive for the season. The tasks aren't onerous or even all that time-consuming, and they’ll save you both time and money down the road.

The most important home maintenance chores you should take care of before winter include insulating your house better, ensuring there's good ventilation, stocking up on a few staples, and testing your home safety devices. Here's a checklist so you can track your progress:

1. Install weather stripping around:

• Doors
• Windows
• Vents
• Mail slots
• Plumbing access points

2. Cover drafty windows with heavy duty plastic.

3. Replace the batteries in your smoke alarms and CO detectors.

4. Test your smoke and CO detectors.

5. Wrap your water lines with insulating foam.

6. Add more insulation to exterior walls, the attic, and the basement.

7. Schedule an appointment with an HVAC professional for annual maintenance of your ventilation system and furnace.

8. Check outside vents and exhaust fans for ice and snow buildup.

9. Change or clean your furnace filters every one to three months.

10. Have de-icing salt on-hand for that first snowfall.

11. Shovel regularly during large snowfalls to keep your driveway, walkway, and sidewalks clear.

The insulating tasks on the checklist will make your home more efficient, and that means your house will stay warmer and the furnace won’t have to work as hard, and this translates to lower energy bills.

Improving the ventilation and keeping fans and vents clear will make sure that plenty of fresh air circulates through the house and that moisture doesn’t build up in the air.

Finally, the steps that address keeping pathways clear will prevent accidents and injuries caused by slips. Overall, this simple winter maintenance checklist will keep your family safe and warm, your home protected, and make sure you keep more money in your wallet.