Owning a home is great for many reasons: You get to decorate and renovate however you please; you don’t have to worry about noisy upstairs neighbors; and there’ll never again be a time when you have to concern yourself with yearly rental increases. But owning a home comes with its own set of unique challenges (and we don’t just mean higher Manassas city taxes, or astronomical HOA fees in Reston). When a renter discovers a leaky pipe or, worse, a burst pipe, the solution is simple: Call maintenance. The cost to repair said pipe falls on the shoulders of the landlord — or, in other words, the homeowner.
When you own instead of rent, that homeowner is you, and that cost is yours. This is something you know, and something you know you signed on for when you signed on the dotted line, but let’s be honest, no one really wants to have to deal with a burst pipe in the middle of January, or any time of the year.
It’s for that reason we’re going to let you in on a few tricks of the trade. Come in close, because this needs to be our little secret: A few simple plumbing hacks just might save northern Virginia homeowners like you a little cash, and a lot of pipe.
Check your washing machine hoses.
It’s wintertime, and in the winter, we wear more clothes. Wearing more clothes means more, and larger loads of laundry, which, in turn, means your washing machine is working harder. Check hoses periodically for bulges or other defects that could result in failure and flooding.
Love your garbage disposal.
You love your garbage disposal. I love my garbage disposal. It makes kitchen clean up a breeze, it’s true, but did you know that many food items can damage your disposal and leave you with a clogged drain? Also true. Avoid grinding stringy foods like celery, as well as any food items that expand when wet (Think pasta or rice).
Flush your water heater.
Over time, sediment found naturally in water will build up in the appliance. Regular flushing will not only extend the water heater’s life span, but will increase its efficiency and save you money in the long run.
Don’t let the snow get you down.
As residents of northern Virginia, you know as well as I do that we live inside a weather bubble. Last week brought winter’s first snowstorm (Sure hope you didn’t have to drive in that commuter’s catastrophe!), and who knows what’s coming next? The weathermen sure don’t. Sooner or later, we’ll see another major winter storm, and you’ll want to make sure that the snowfall doesn’t restrict your water drainage, as this could lead to freezing or flooding.
Call My Plumber in the event of an emergency.
Sometimes we do everything in our power to keep our pipes and hoses in proper operating condition, and sometimes, things go wrong. In the event of a plumbing emergency, you know who to call: No, not Ghostbuster, but the Manassas, Virginia plumbing experts, My Plumber.