Ruston's Premier Plumbing Company

3 Common Home Disasters to Look Out for This Fall

One: The Water inside Pipes Begins to Freeze

As temperatures begin to drop in the autumn,our plumbing company notices common home disasters that were preventable with routine maintenance. The first disaster that occurs is when water pipes crack, leading to moisture damage inside a home.

Many of our customers avoid turning on a home's furnace in the autumn to prevent large utility bills and rely on space heaters to stay warm. Unfortunately, the heat from a space heater does not prevent the water inside pipes that are located behind walls or in unheated basements from freezing.

To prevent pipes from freezing, we recommend wrapping the devices with insulating tape. An additional way to keep pipes from cracking in lower temperatures is by opening cabinet doors underneath sinks to increase air circulation.

Two: Problems with Water Heaters

Families typically begin to use more hot water in the autumn for bathing, and this is when disasters occur with water heaters. Many homeowners neglect draining a water heater's tank until it is nearly full of sediment.

This thick layer of sediment leads to corrosion of metal parts such as valves and may cause the tank to develop a hole that leaks water on the floor.

A small hole in a water heater's tank can drip for weeks without anyone noticing until drywall and flooring has extensive damage. When our plumbers are contacted for this repair, we must clean the area first before replacing parts or the entire appliance.

Another disaster that occurs with a water heater is when homeowners try to adjust its thermostat but turn the knob the wrong direction, causing it to stop working.

Three: Difficult Clogs in Garbage Disposals

Autumn is when many of our customers begin to have family get-togethers with a lot of food. During meal preparation or while cleaning after a meal, chefs may toss fibrous foods into a kitchen's garbage disposal, leading to a difficult clog or broken blades.

The result of a nonfunctional garbage disposal is a flooded kitchen sink and an emergency telephone call to one of our plumbers. If a garbage disposal's blades are broken, then we must replace the device with a new appliance.

For difficult clogs, we recommend that customers never pour chemicals down the drain because it can cause more damage and can lead to chemical burns in the eyes or on the skin.

Remember to keep up with a regular maintenance schedule. Call Mark Johnson Plumbing at (318) 257-6167 to get your Ruston, LA home inspected.