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Fall Weather Tips

Summer is over, back to school, back to work, as we enjoy the cooler weather  lets use this as a time to do annual maintenance and get ready for the upcoming heating season.  

Steam Boilers

 

Make sure the gauge glass is clean and you can read the water level. Drain a little bit of water out of the boiler and make sure the water level inside the glass goes down then refill to the appropriate level. A good level is between half and two thirds full in the gauge glass.

Thermostat Batteries

 

One of the simplest tips to prevent your heat from turning off at the most inopportune time is to check your thermostats batteries.  Some thermostat do not require batteries but most digital ones do.  A thermostat that requires batteries and needs new ones will flash a little battery icon.  The time to change the batteries is now not when the batteries get so low that the heat stops working. 

Check For Leaks

 

Now that the fall is here it is a good time to pay the boiler room a visit.  Take a look in the boiler room and intentionally look for leaks, or any sign of water damage.  This might look like a water stain on the floor or the top of the boiler or water heater.  On pipes you may see white or green staining.  Also on the boiler  and water heater there is a relief valve.  You can identify it because it will have a pipe that is open toward the floor.  Make sure there is no water dripping out of that pipe.  If water is dripping it can be a sign of problems with the boiler or water heater.

Plumbing Tips

Washing Machine Valves & Hoses

 

A common emergency call we get is when a washing machine hose has broken and caused quite a mess in the basement.  An inexpensive repair can prevent very costly damage that a flowing washing machine hose can do.  Make sure you can close the valves to the water main and that it works.  And if your hoses are old change them.  It is good to get into the habit of shutting the valves after a wash.

Garbage Disposals

 

When contemplating installing or replacing a garbarge disposal be sure to pick a batch feed model.  Some models are turned on by a light switch and there is the potential for a child or distracted adult to stick their fingers into the drain and get injured.  A batch feed turns the disposal on by insterting a cover into the drain so that it is impossible  for the unit to be running and someone put their finger into it.

What's new in plumbing!

WIFI Thermostats

 

New thermostats have the ability to connect to your smartphone or the internet so you can manage your heat from anywhere.  We use the Pro1 T855 model.

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