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Water Facts

Be smart and take preventive measures now to avoid small leaks from becoming major catastrophes. We're excited to introduce a simple, innovative product designed to detect leaks thereby protecting your home from serious flooding and water damage.

Leaky washer machines, over flowing toilets, frozen or broken pipes, wherever your water problems occur, this system is sure to prevent leaks from becoming a flood and causing serious damage. It's ideal for homeowners who travel a lot, are gone all day and those who need their home monitored regularly.

This past summer Greenlawn Water District introduced chlorine into the water supply after they tested and detected E. coli bacteria in one of their wells. Thankfully, E. coli was never found in the water supply or in any of their distribution system, and kudos to Greenlawn Water District for always monitoring their wells and avoiding a potential health problem.

Since that time, I have been able to smell chlorine in my own water at home. I know that chlorine is a toxic substance and a known carcinogen, even in small quantities, and I would prefer not to drink or wash with it.

I am pleased that I have several filters on my plumbing system that remove chlorine, pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals, etc and took the precaution to do so. You never know when your water will become contaminated and by the time you do it may have already entered your home.

I have a sediment filter on the main water line that enters my home which filters and traps sediment, rust, and debris that would otherwise enter my home and find its way into my drinking water and food. It might also clog my faucets or build up as sludge in my hot water heater and furnace shortening its life.

Protect your home and family from plumbing problems this winter.

Every winter many homeowners suffer the disaster of a plumbing problem that may be prevented or the damage minimized by taking a few inexpensive precautions. These include:

1. Make sure the filters for your furnace and or oil burner have been clean and or replaced. Clogged filters can cause your furnace to operate inefficiently and thereby shut down or not provide enough heat to keep the house warm.

2. Insulate all areas that may allow cold icy wind to blow on pipes.

3. Insulate all exposed pipes especially in crawl spaces and the outside walls of the home.

4. Use pipe wrap and heat tape in areas that are especially prone to the cold. (I.e. the north side of the house).

5. Make sure all hose bibs are off and drained.

Winter begins today and with three long months to go before spring there are several items to consider making your short days and long nights more comfortable. I wrote a list and sent it last year and I have created a modified list that I feel is worth  sharing with you again. These include the following:

1. Winterize your lawn sprinkler system!

2. Shut off valves to outside hose bibs and drain them and at the very least then cover them.

3. Make sure your oil tank fill is easy to find and will not be covered up by snow. Place a 2' marking stake at the cap.

4. Have snow blower ready to go and easy to get to. Have gas container filled and ready. Start your snow blower once a week to make sure it will work!

5. Have snow shovels available.

6. If you do not have a snow blower and you cannot shovel snow then have a local snow removal company contracted to take care of your home. Remember that wet snow cannot be easily removed with a snow blower or a shovel. When wet snow freezes it becomes slippery and very dangerous.

7.  Have plenty of ice melt available and use the least toxic ice melt that is available.  We recommend Mr. Magic or Safe Paw. See my blog from last winter.

8. Call your local supplier now and get a stack of firewood for your fire place or wood burning stove.

9. Have birdseed handy and throw on walks and driveways. It will melt the snow, make slippery areas stable, and take care of our feathered friends.

Now that Autumn has officially begun and cool weather is just around the corner it is time to prepare for the winter by closing down the lawn sprinkler system and removing all the water in the lines.

Winterizing your sprinkler system is as important as putting antifreeze in your car. If you do not have this service completed in a timely manner then the consequences can be disastrous. When water freezes it expands and this can lead to frozen pipes that will split and crack. Repairing or replacing broken equipment is expensive and is un-necessary if you have your system winterized this October and November. My recommendation is to have your system taken care of before Thanksgiving. 

In a little less than two weeks the fall season will officially begin. It is a great time with the start of anew school year, the football season, baseball playoffs, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. It is also the end of summer, heat, humidity, and time to begin to think about winterizing your sprinkler system.

If you haven't already, I ask that you either renew your service agreement or purchase one for the upcoming year. Owning a service agreement is a convenient way to pre-pay your winterizing and summarizing appointments. You receive free service calls (a $70 value) and 10% off all repairs. Rain Rich takes care of winterizing your sprinkler system at the correct time and starting up your sprinklers in the spring..