Southwest Plumbing: Tips and Maintenance

Plumbing

Corrosive drain cleaners, such as those sold on supermarket shelves, frequently cause injury to plumbers or homeowners when they open up pipes or sink traps to do repairs. Non-corrosive drain cleaners are much better choices. One of the best, Bio-Clean, is sold exclusively through plumbing contractors and South West Plumbing will be glad to demonstrate and consult with you on this product.
Soldering is not the most difficult task in the world, but it is not quite as easy as it looks. Professional plumbers routinely end up repairing leaks caused by do-it-yourself soldering jobs.

Here are some tips to extend the life of your faucets.

Treat faucets gently. When turning water on and off, use normal hand pressure only.
Clean chrome fittings with a soft cloth moistened with vinegar, rubbing alcohol, or glass cleaner.
For lacquered brass faucets, use a mild detergent…for un-lacquered brass faucets, brass cream will do the job nicely.
If the brass lacquer coating on your faucets gets scratched, you can prevent tarnishing by coating the scratch with clear nail polish.
Lemon rind works wonders with tarnished brass or copper.
Older steel faucets and fittings can be scrubbed clean with a mild scouring powder.
Have you ever seen those hanging toilet bowl deodorants? Well, don’t buy them. They’re prone to slipping and lodging deep in your plumbing system, and can block the line outright or give grease and other debris something to cling to. Also, certain chlorine tablet cleaners may corrode toilet tank components, and before you know it, you’ve got a major hard-to-get-at leak.
A lemon peel put down your garbage disposal periodically can help keep odors to a minimum.

It takes only ½ second to scald someone in 150ºF water, 1 second in 140ºF water, and 4 minutes in 120 ºF water, according to the Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association. Modern water heaters are factory set at 120 ºF, but many older models deliver much higher temperature water. South West Plumbing technicians can inspect and adjust your temperature to ensure safety for your home and family.
Any water heater without a working temperature and pressure relief valve is a time bomb waiting to explode. Plumbing and heating technicians encounter too many of these bombs. South West technicians can help identify these kinds of important issues.

Furnace filters ideally ought to be changed four times a year, and certainly at least twice a year. Yet, heating technicians routinely encounter furnaces where the filters haven’t been changed in years. Ask your South West Plumbing technician about a new “permanent” filter or possibly an “electro-static” air filter. At South West Plumbing, we can take care of all of your furnace needs.

An automatic setback thermostat is one of the best investments any homeowner can make. These devices can be programmed to modulate your household temperature for maximum comfort when occupants are present, but conserve energy when everyone is away at school, work, or vacation.
In the immediate aftermath of a major disaster, do not turn lights on or off, use any electrical appliance, or use matches if you have gas heat (or other gas appliances). Instead, you would want to contact South West Plumbing for expert help.

Never store flammables in the vicinity of a furnace, boiler, or water heater, especially one with a standing pilot light. This is a more common mistake than you may think, because basements and utility rooms are commonly used as storage areas as well. Some combustibles that people often don’t recognize are swimming pool chemicals and many household cleaners.
The most common household injuries occur from falls, which are blamed for more than 8,000 U.S. deaths a year. Bathtub and shower stall slips account for more than 160,000 documented injuries each year, and many more that go unreported. Non-slip bath mats and grab bars are important safety measures for any house. South West Plumbing can help with installation of these types of safety measures.
More and more homes have carbon monoxide detectors, which is good. Many of them have them installed in the vicinity of CO-emitting appliances, which is bad. You want them installed near bedrooms. The biggest risk from CO occurs when people are sleeping.