The festive season is drawing near and many of us will either be off away on holiday or spending some well-deserved time relaxing at home.
Plumbing maintenance is probably the last thing on your mind but it shouldn't be. Network Know How is here to offer pearls of wisdom to help prevent any plumbing emergencies that may arise throughout the season. Being proactive by taking the time to inspect your household or business plumbing system could just help you bypass any nasty surprises when you return from holiday or even a day out.
Identifying risks in your home, commercial buildings or strata blocks will give you a guide to the areas most vulnerable to bursts, leaks, or backflow issues. From shower heads to your septic tank to your water heater, plumbing problems can arise in all forms and shapes.
Our professional plumbers have outlined their top preventative maintenance measures for your plumbing services to help ensure your festive season is one of joy and delight. Our top 5 areas to pay close attention to are Water Pressure, Blocked Drains, Burst Pipes, Water Leaks & Backflow.
Your plumbing system is the lifeblood of your home. Hot water, cold water even toilets flushing can sometimes be taken for granted. Plumbing maintenance requirements can be as simple as giving your home a once-over before you leave on holiday to ensure all is well and working.
Do you know your water pressure?
Water pressure does play a significant role in increasing your risk fact for an emergency plumbing situation. If your water pressure is high... sitting above 500 kPa (Australian Standard), you're aging your plumbing system quicker than the average Joe. Possibly leading to water hammer issues or burst pipes. Stressing your water supply pipes should be avoided at all costs.
If your water pressure is above the Australian Standard of 500 kPa,
reach out to Network Plumbing to install a
pressure limiting valve, otherwise known as safety valves. Safety Valves help to protect your plumbing system and your plumbing appliances like a hot water system, a washing machine, or even a dishwasher. Often manufacturers recommend having professional plumbers install a pressure limiting valve in conjunction with your new plumbing appliance.
Clogged drains can lead to health risks, hidden water leaks, and potential water damage to your property. A blocked drain can be found in your sewer lines or your stormwater drain lines. Our experienced plumbers are often called out to properties to help with blocked drain symptoms, from visible water stains, wet patches, or even safety issues like a surge of water flowing in the wrong direction from your toilet bowl.
Sometimes there can be greater forces at play when it comes to a blocked drain. Tree roots in your pipes require professional services to clear and fix the plumbing problem. Tree roots go beyond plumbing maintenance. Please note, if left unchanged the tree root will continue to grow increasing the potential damage done to your pipes and in turn, increasing the repair that might be needed to restore your plumbing services. A CCTV camera inspection will be able to determine the extent of the issue in your plumbing service.
Early intervention by our plumber will reduce the extent of the potential damage that a blocked pipe can cause. To fix early is to fix and prevent. From unblocking a toilet to clearing grease and debris build-up, our prompt response and professional services will have your drains following freely again.
Before you leave your home to go on holiday, test your drains. All drains include the following... showers, sinks, floor drains, and of course, flush your toilet. Picking up on drainage issues before you leave your property for an extended time away will help prevent stagnate trapped water from potentially emanating an odour or smell throughout the area affected. Your goal is for your plumbing system to be in good working order before you leave for the holidays.
Avoid clogging by ensuring roof cleans, gutter cleans, stormwater pits, and drains are a job that is carried out. Prevent plumbing problems with an external clean of your property will help water flow to exit the way it should, reducing your flooding risk. With
La Nina upon us, this maintenance tip should be a high priority for all customers.
No one wants to come home to a burst pipe. Water damage, downtime, replacement. Your areas most at risk of bursting are your Flexi hoses under your sink. This is further increased if the water pressure to your home exceeds the Australian standard of 500 kPa.
One of the highest recorded home insurance claims for water damage comes from a burst Flexi hose. For example, the insurance company RACQ states that the average cost of a burst Flexi in your home is close to $14,145. The RACQ spokeswoman Kirsty Clinton, says "We often see a rise in these incidents over the festive season when people go away for holidays,".
Giving your Flexi hoses a quick once over to inspect for corrosion, wear and tear or leaks will help you to identify if they are in need of a fix before you leave your property exposed and on its own. If you discover you have a Flexi hose that needs to be replaced or you're unsure what you're looking for...
call our plumber today to discuss your needs.
By turning off your water mains supply service, if a burst pipe happens while you're away... you are significantly reducing the potential water damage that might be caused to your home. Limiting the amount of water coming out of your burst pipe, is always a good thing.
Don't leave leaks. From old leaking taps to new leaks found in your home... there is no safe level of leaks. Leaks waste water resources, increase your water bill, and have the potential to get much worst.
There is a reason as to why that tap is leaking... professional intervention by a licensed plumber should occur.
Active leaks are active plumbing problems.
Ensure your property is safe from potential water damage. Enlist the help of a
licensed plumber today to stop those leaks, change those O rings or replace the valves in question. From a leaking water heater to a leaking shower, our plumbers have the capability to assess, diagnose and repair the leak.
When dealing with multiple properties in one building or commercial properties... there should be backflow prevention devices installed within the plumbing system.
To adhere to safety standards an annual test and inspection are required.
Call our
licensed plumber today to schedule your annual inspection.
Sometimes emergency plumbing happens. It can be unpredictable, emergencies are like that. From a faulty hot water heater to toilet paper blocking your toilet, our emergency plumbers will be continuing their service for all plumbing problems during this festive season.
Our service is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Plumbers never sleep and our service never stops. Our emergency service is genuine. Call 24/7 on 9023 3232 when you need help the most, our plumbers are ready.