~ To help keep the plumber away ~ (Really!)
Cold Weather Tips ~ To help prevent frozen pipes...
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Insulate pipes and faucets in unheated areas. In garages and cold basements/crawl spaces wrap pipes with insulation, available at many hardware and home stores.
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Patch cracks and holes in doors, windows and walls near water and heating pipes. Cold drafts in otherwise warm areas, can still cause frozen pipes.
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Never use an open flame to thaw frozen pipes. A hair dryer is the safest tool for thawing frozen pipes. Simply set it on low and wave it along the pipes slowly. If the pipe has already cracked, it will leak, so make sure you know the location of your shut off valves.
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Turn off all outside faucets and have your sprinkler system blown out for the winter to avoid freezing and splitting of water lines. Disconnect and store garden hoses. Turn off the water to the faucets on the inside of your home, drain the pipes.
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Never completely turn off the heat when you're gone unless the pipes have been drained and the system winterized; have us inject Anti-freeze (Polypropolenel) into your Boiler / Heating System.
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Plan ahead, take these steps, but Consolidated Plumbing & Heating, Inc.'s phone number handy, just in case.
~ Testing ~
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Carbon Monoxide is a highly poisonous gas that can be released by improperly vented natural gas burning appliances; it's odorless, tasteless & can be deadly. Today’s Security systems can monitor for CO &set off a warning if levels get too high.
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Water Testing ~ We can bring a sample of your water to our supplier(s) to test and recommend filtration system(s).
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Gas Leaks ~ We can test for Gas leaks using pressure testing and electronic sniffers
Energy Conservation
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Regular inspections of the heating equipment and operational safety controls, to ensure that your heating system is operating at its peak performance.
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Check for leaky doors and windows, as much as a third of a home's heat can be lost through cracks and openings.
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Turn your thermostat down by 1 or 2 degrees, this can save 4-6% in fuel costs.
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Wear warm clothes inside when it's cold outside, a warm sweater can make you feel 5 degrees warmer.
Garbage Disposals
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They are really only meant to dispose of table scraps. Always throw large quantities of food, leftovers and vegetable peels in the trash or a composte pile; and always run LOTS of water after putting food down the drain - remember it's not the garbage disposal that cannot handle the food, it's the drain pipes! www.insinkerator.com
Leaks can be Costly!