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Home / Plumbing tips

Plumbing tips from three generations.

The same advice we give our own family. Most of it saves you a service call.

A bungalow with snow on the roof and front walk

Winter tip from Ray

Keep your pipes from freezing this January.

Most frozen pipes we thaw sit on an outside wall or in a crawl space. When the forecast drops into the teens, do these five things before bed.

  1. Open the cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls so warm air reaches the pipes.
  2. Let one faucet drip on the coldest night. Moving water is slower to freeze.
  3. Keep the heat at 55 or higher, even if you are away for the weekend.
  4. Disconnect garden hoses and close the inside shutoff for each outdoor spigot.
  5. Know where your main shutoff is in case a pipe splits anyway.

No water from a faucet on a frigid morning? Call us before you reach for a heat gun.

More tips

More from the Hartley notebook.

Spring

Test your sump pump in 60 seconds

Do this in March, before the spring rain.

  • Pour a 5-gallon bucket of water into the pit.
  • The float should rise and the pump should start within seconds.
  • Go outside and check that water comes out of the discharge pipe.
  • If the pump hums but water does not drop, call us.
All year

What hard water does to a water heater

Minerals in hard water settle at the bottom of the tank as sediment. The burner has to heat through that layer, so the tank works harder and wears out sooner.

  • Popping or rumbling from the tank means sediment.
  • A yearly flush clears it out.
  • We check the anode rod at the same visit.
All year

How old is your water heater?

The age hides in the serial number on the label. Most makers code the year in the first few characters.

  • Snap a photo of the label and text it to us. We will read it for you.
  • Past 10 years, start planning for a replacement.
  • Rust at the base means plan sooner.
Holidays

What not to put down the disposal

The day after Thanksgiving is our busiest drain day of the year. These cause most of it.

  • Grease and pan drippings. Let them cool and toss them in the trash.
  • Potato peels and pasta. They turn to paste.
  • Coffee grounds and eggshells. They settle in the trap.
Fall

Shut off outdoor spigots the right way

A spigot left on over winter can split inside the wall, where you will not see it until spring.

  • Find the inside shutoff valve for each outdoor spigot and close it.
  • Open the outside spigot to drain the line.
  • Ask us about frost-free spigots if yours keep freezing.
Do it today

Find your main water shutoff

In most Cincinnati basements, the main valve sits on the front wall where the water line comes through the foundation, near the meter.

  • Turn it clockwise to close. A lever closes when it sits across the pipe.
  • Tie a tag on it so anyone in the house can find it fast.
  • If it will not turn, we replace stuck valves in under an hour.

When a tip is not enough

Water where it should not be, no hot water, or a smell you cannot place. Call and describe it. If it is a five-minute fix, we will talk you through it for free.

Call (513) 555-0162

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